Urgent Care :: sick turtle?

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Post Posted: Tue Nov 08, 2005 4:26 pm   sick turtle?

We've had Ace for about 4 months now, and recently he seems a little different. He hasn't been eating very much. His color has gotten very pale. I notice he's been shedding some, and he is growing very little. Also, i noticed some bubbles on his shell, and some on his nose quite often. What should I do? What should I try to feed him?
Nessa0903
 
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Post Posted: Wed Nov 09, 2005 2:34 pm   

What kind of set-up is Ace in now?

In a past post in June, you said he had a heat lamp, basking area and that the tank was near a window so he got sun. In responses, it was explained that sun coming in through a window blocks UVB rays and doesn't benefit a turtle except for added warmth (which could become excessive). Was he able to be taken outside for direct sunlight (which would give him the UVB rays he needs)? If not, did you get him a UVB light for him to bask under along with the heat lamp? If he doesn't get sufficient UVB rays, which he metabolizes in to Vit D3, which allows him to absorb the calcium in his diet, his health is eventually going to suffer...

What has he been fed since the last time you posted in June? (You had also asked about what to feed him back then.) There is information in the Feeding and Nutrition form as well as on the site about what foods are good to give. What has his diet been like for the past 4 months?

About the bubbles on the shell and nose--is this when he's in the water? When he's basking/out of the water, do you notice bubbles coming from his nose then? Is he showing any other symptoms (open-mouth breathing, wheezing, excessive yawning, for example)?

What is the temp of the water and basking area (check both with a thermometer)? If it's too cool, he won't want to eat and will become inactive. Water temp for a healthy turtle the size of yours should be about 78F, the basking area temp should be 88-90F. If the water is cooler, get a submersible water heater.

It's difficult to suggest what to do without knowing more information, or at least having answers to the previous questions to give a better idea of Ace's living conditions. The lack of growth (how much would you say he's grown?), the change in coloring and the poor appetite, indicate that something is wrong, however. Without knowing more and just going by what you've posted here and previously, it seems to me that your turtle needs to be basking under a UVB light and heat lamp, have correct water and basking area temps and a balanced diet with adequate calcium for starters...
"You become responsible, forever, for what you have tamed." -Antoine de Saint Exupery-
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