Urgent Care :: not eating after RI?

[kamecare]

my turt, recently caught RI and was gaping/gasping for air. after reading up some info, I've raised the water temp to 80-82f. i have noticed the open mouth gasping soon has stopped, but he does a weird head+claws syncronized forward motion as if he's having trouble breathing. i couldn't find any info on the web for this behavior. along with that, he's still not eating and looks like he's basking a lot more and being very lazy. could you experienced owners shed some light if you have seen/heard of this before and how i could treat him.

5 days without eating now.

[steve]

Are you describing when they extend their arms/claws and shake them? A true RI case needs antibiotics from a vet because home treatments might not be effective.

[kamecare]

no, more like he extends his head and arms(shoulder) at the same time slightly like how a human fills his lungs. hence, why i think he's having difficulty breathing, but yet he's not open mouth gasping...

he seems to be getting better from the gasping symptom but is still very lazy, rests with eyes closed a lot, basks a lot and is not eating.

he's currently 2.5" wide, fairly small, how long could he go for without food?

[steve]

I'm not sure of the symptoms you are describing. As for how long they can go without eating, it all depends on how healthy they are. I wouldn't let a RES that size go without eating for more than 2-3 days, though a very healthy one can go for much longer without eating.