Urgent Care

Posted: Mon Apr 16, 2012 5:05 am **How long can a turtle last if it has RI?**

How long can a turtle last if it has RI? I've been regularly observing my turt for 3 weeks now. I'm suspecting that he has RI but there's not much change in his behavior. Still regularly basking, swimming and eating. But symptoms of RI are still there. I've contacted several vets and none treat turtles. 2 weeks ago, seen some mucus from the mouth but it went away. As Steve said this is normal when the turt stays from the water for a long period. Cant really decide as to the lopsided swimming since there are times that he seems to swim fine and there are times when there is a very slight tilt at one side. No bubbles or mucus from the nose. Opening of mouth is pretty constant especially when basking. Sometimes the interval is 2 to 5 minutes but sometimes it is longer. He also opens his mouth when he is about to climb his basking log. One time it appeared as though he he was panting. Sometimes when he opens his mouth his throat expands just like a frog.

Turtles are good at hiding illnesses, so there is no way to be certain what's going on from just visual observation. Age/size and health all play a role in a turtle's recovery from illnesses. Aside from the symptoms, has there been behavioral changes?

Havent seen any behavioral changes except that for the last few days he likes to stand with his hind legs with front legs propped against the basking log. Dont know if it means something or just a way of resting

How big is he and how long have you had him?

He is 2 inches and I've had him for 2 months. He doesnt open his mouth now but he seems lethargic. He mostly stayed at his basking log yesterday. This morning he didn't come down to eat. Usually he would be waiting in the morning to be fed or if he is basking he would readily jump off to eat. O well . . .

Turtles are good at hiding illnesses, so there is no way to be certain what's going on from just visual observation.

Very true! they can go from 0 to 60 in a heartbeat. I've lived it twice.
Sad, that none of the vets you have called treat turtles.
Here is a link from the "How to find a Vet" sticky, in case you didn't catch it.

viewtopic.php?f=4&t=370

Curious - what area do you live in?
As for how long can they live with an RI - if not cured by raising water temp and it lingers, they need antibiotics. If they don't get antibiotics they can live quite a while - the only problem is they will be miserable and suffering. While no one knows what goes on in the mind of a turtle, my vet is convinced that RES do feel pain and can be miserable.

What have you been feeding hi? Maybe he's interested in a change?

@Penelope - I live in the Philippines. Vets here only treat cats and dogs. I am also not aware of any shelters for turtles here. Ive been searching the net for a local forum but havent found one.

@Steve - alternating between Reptomin and jello shot consisting mainly of lettuce and some carrots. I want to give him a different variety of pellet but none of the other recommended brands are available here. And Reptomin is almost always out of stock here. The only other pellet brand I saw is Saga which I don't see among the recommended brands in this site and in other turtle forums.

Last night I came home to a non responsive turt. Everything tucked in with only part of the head sticking out and eyes closed. Normally if he is asleep when I come home he would wake a few seconds after the light in the room is turned on. But this time he kept his eyes closed. I noted that he didnt eat any of the Reptomin I left in the morning so I took them out and did a partial water change. He is still not responding which is unusual since a slight movement would normally alert him or wake him up. He remained in his basking log. I sprinkled some water to hydrate him a bit and try to get some reaction to check if he is still alive. No response. I tried a couple of times more and got a slight twitch in the head. By this time, I've come to accept that maybe he'll be dead the next day.

But I thought of turning on his basking light to see if I could elicit some response. Left him with the light on and after a few minutes I was surprised to see him awake and about to go into the water. As I got near the tank he jumped into the water so I took the opportunity to feed him. Got some reptomin and it appears that he had a hard time eating it. usually he would devour the reptomin even if it is not that soft. I would often hear a crunching sound. But this time he gave up on the reptomin after the second attempt. he wouldnt even bite it even if is sticking to his mouth. He really appeared weak. he wouldn't go near the pellets again. This is really unusual since he would swim very fast to get the pellets previously. Desperate to try to revive him I got cichlid sticks which I know are softer since they would easily break in the water and fed it to him. he ate the cichlids. I thought that there was still hope.

Sorry for the long post but I'd like to share what I would consider a miracle. My turt seems to still want to live and he is still fighting so I want to help him survive.

It saddens me that he might be suffering a lot at this time but I hope he can get through this. I am considering giving him an antibiotic for respiratory infection used for infants. My sister in law is a pharmacist. I've researched a drug she gave me and i found that this drug used for infants is also given to other mammals such as cats and dogs. What do you guys think? is it worth a shot? I just dont want to just watch him die a slow and painful death. i would like to try all means possible to save him.

This morning when I woke up I saw that he was in the water looking for food. Seems more active than last night. Gave him a new set of reptomin since he would not eat the batch I left last night. He ate the pellets. Yey! I hope this is a good sign that he would survive.

A wonderful thing!
I am so glad you held on and did not give up!!!!
Yes! they can fight in miraculous ways. They can also go without breathing for hours on end, unless they have the indications of death (won't get into it)
Waiting it out was a very wise choice

I just went through a similar experience. It was a long, long, long tough road (14 weeks) but she made it through.

As for the meds - have to give a disclaimer: self-prescribing is risky.
What antibiotic are you thinking of?
Please keep in mind that my vet meticulously calculates dosage - for example a difference of 20 grams in weight required a change in dosage.
At the age/size of your little one, you will need to administer them via injection, so you will need an appropriately sized syringe needle and will need to know where and how to inject the medication.
I am talking in circles, I know...
I WANT to give you an answer, but would be remiss if I did.

I did a quick search on the forum for posts from others in the Philippines - I found one posted 2009 from someone looking for a vet in the Philippines. I did not check out the link, I do not know what it says/offers, but maybe you can find a number to call or something:
http://www.vetworld.com/vetworld/philippines.html

Keep us posted!

Thanks Penelope your post gave me more encouragement and determination to help my turt survive. I'll try calling the vets listed in the link you posted. I'm actually considering oral medication not injections since the drug is administered orally to infants via the dropper. I'm thinking of adding some to the water to somehow dillute it or mix a tiny amount to his pellets.

Tried calling the vets listed in the link but still no luck. Turts more active now and appetite is back to normal. He just seems to have trouble eating/chewing the pellets. He would try eating the pellet twice then spit it out. He wont even go near the pellets when they get soft. Tried soaking the pellet to soften it a bit before giving it to him but he still has trouble eating them. Maybe something wrong with the jaw?

Could it have been a change in temperatures or basking routines?

Wish I were an expert.
Sometimes they spit out food if they don't like the flavor. Just tried giving Penelope radicchio; she would take a bite and spit it out. Sometimes they are pickier than a 2 year old child. Chomping on cichlid sticks sounds like he may have a very selective appetite at the moment.
Maybe dip the pellets or veggies in in tuna or salmon water (from a can of water packed tuna or salmon) or try a different brand.

What is the antibiotic your are considering?

Increased activity and an appetite is a is a good sign. If there was an RI it doesn't mean full recovery, pn the flip side, changes in behavior don't necessarily mean an RI.
It can wax and wane.
That little episode the other day is what would concern me most.
Look for signs of RI, and try not to go crazy (like I did)

Penelope would snap / click her jaw at night when dry-docked - no clue why
At times they do look like they are breathing like frogs

So, are there bubbles from the nose underwater, large bubbles from the mouth, swimming at a tilt, or is he just acting weird?

There has been no change in temperatures or in the basking routine. I use a timer for the basking light so it goes on and off the same time each day.

Im not so sure if he has tired of the Reptomin since he tries to eat it twice or thrice but seems to have a hard time chewing. Ill try soaking in tuna water and see how it goes. I didn't have any previous troubles with the Reptomin. Prior to Wednesday he devours it even if they are not yet soft.

Good thing is, I havent seen any large bubbles from the mouth or any mucus from both mouth and nose (except for that one time where there was mucus but could probably been due to excessive basking). He sometimes produce bubbles underwater but not sure if it is from the mouth or nose. I'll need to check this. Ive heard the snapping or clicking sound. He often breathes like a frog now. Havent seen him do this before I suspected RI. One time when I closed the lights I also heard some sort of scream. I dont know how to exactly describe it. There was a time that after swimming he seemed to be panting while propped against the log. he seems to have trouble balancing himself. Even if he is not swimming he often tilts his body to one side. He also floats a lot lately.

I also dont know if he is scared to go into the water. Prior to the Wednesday episode, he lost his balance when he jumped from his basking log. He landed on his back. He struggled for about 3 or 5 seconds before he righted himself. On his first month he would often fall on his back when he loses his balance while getting on or off his basking log. There was a time that it took him a few minutes to right himself that I was tempted to flip him back.

Urgent Care :: How long can a turtle last if it has RI?

Who is online