hello everyone, doubi and kelly here. our turtle known as Spongebob who is a peninsula cooter (thanks to other fellow members for clarifying) is acting abnormally strange today after a water change. we changed their water at around 12pm and left the house at around 2pm, at the time he was very normal. we came back home around 8pm. the other turtle who is a female RES is perfectly normal. we noticed he was struggling to get to the surface (the water is only 8 1/2 inches high) and was very frantic. he was having a hard time using his back legs to lift himself up. I immediately pulled him out of the water and held him in my hands listening to his breathing and inspecting every inch of his body. he is making no strange noise while breathing but he does seem to be breathing harder than usual. his arms are in an unusual position (they look a little out of place but they are functional) he usually puts up a fight when held, but he was sort of weak. I did notice his male organs protruding out of his anal opening, I am unsure weather this is causing all of the other problems because he is at discomfort.
his back legs do not seem to be working at all. his eyes are clear and his nose/mouth are clear of bubbles. his shell seems to appear very normal. he was doing something very strange with his neck too. he was pointing his head straight up towards the ceiling (pictures below) and I found it extremely weird of him. I'm in a frenzy trying to figure out whats wrong with my turtle, I've had him out of the water wrapped in a warm blanked on the side of me (his head is poking out, he is currently asleep). Can someone please throw some suggestions that would better explain the prolapse symptoms? I appreciate any advice or help given to aid in Spongebobs care, thank you in advance!
(his neck pointing straight up)
survey How big is your turtle? around 7 1/2 in
How long have you had it? 3 years
What is the water temperature? around 76
Did you use a thermometer? yes
Are you using a water heater? no
How much water is in there? it is 8 1/2 inches high
Are you using a water conditioner? tetra-fauna aquasafe for reptiles and amphibians
Are you using any filtration? tetra whisper 10-30 gallon power filter with replaceable cartridges
What is the basking temperature? about 85 degrees fahrenheit
Is there a basking light? yes
Is there a basking platform that is easy to climb on? yes, the zoo med turtle dock in large
What kind is it or what is it made out of? plastic, poly-resin
Is there a UVB light? yes
What have you been trying to feed it? reptomin turtle sticks is their main food. at times as treats they have flukers freeze dried mealworms and wardleys turtle delight freeze dried shrimp and krill
When was the last time your turtle ate? around 8 hours ago
How big is the tank/pond/enclosure? they're still in a temporary 30 gallon tank due to their old tank cracked while doing a water change
Is the tank near a window? no
Is the tank in a room with a lot of activity? no
Have you read the Basic Care section? yes
Have you searched the forums for similar situations? yes, to no avail
Is there any other unusual activity/symptoms? everything described above
