Urgent Care :: Turtle Sneezing Frequently

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Post Posted: Wed Nov 14, 2018 7:44 am   Turtle Sneezing Frequently

My 3-year-old RES turtle has been sneezing frequently for a few days. Today I saw some white mucus like thing coming out of her mouth when she sneezed. Should I be concerned...what should I do? :(
Bush
 
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Joined: Jul 3, 2017
Gender: Female

Post Posted: Wed Nov 14, 2018 8:21 am   Re: Turtle Sneezing Frequently

Yes , with it being frequently and the presence of mucus possible respiratory infection. See a Herp vet , one that actually treated turtle's before. Do not wait for other sign , needs "early" treatment for good results. If one waits to long can go into Pneumonia which in many cases is fatal. There are no OTC drugs for RI. Until the appointment I would raise the water temp to 80* and basking area to 90*-92*. This will help ease your turtles discomfort.

Good read : http://www.redearslider.com/respiratory_behavior.html
litefoot
 
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Location: New Orleans
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Post Posted: Tue Nov 20, 2018 4:51 am   Re: Turtle Sneezing Frequently

Hi,
Here are some advise based on my experience with turtles having RI.
This is just to help you "home treat" your RES in the meantime, overall, VET care is a MUST.

She may be experiencing RI, keep a close observe to his breathing. Lack of Vitamin A which can lead to swollen eyes, gasping, basking all the time, inactive & lost of appetite. They will also start to lose weight due to lack of appetite. Make sure your tank set up has these three important things:
1. UVA+UVB Heat light to keep their bodies temperature warm
2. Water heater which warms up the water temp about 27c 29c
3. Water filter to keep your tank clean.
If there are no filters available, keep your tank clean manually because bacterias can cause infections.
4.
Also with their diet, if they are not eating or won't eat greens/fruits, I'd recommend AZOO Turtle Nutri Stick or Zoo Med Aquatic turtle food. It has really good nutritional values including Vitamin A, D3 and C. 45% Vegetables + Seaweed. try throwing some in with spinach or carrots For their heat lamp, filter and water heater, get them according to your tank size and water level. Make sure they have a basking area that is under the heat lamp. Do not make it too hot or they can get a heat stroke. You may purchase a infrared laser gun thermometer (pretty cheap) which can help to tell you the temp of the basking area. RES are aquatic turtles which means they spend alot of time swimming, so make sure the water is warm and clean. If you do not have a filter yet, clean the water 2-3 times a week(at least for me).
- If you have more than 1 RES
If your RES starting to sneeze and spew out mucus, clean it off with a clean tissue and please separate the sick one from the healthy one. It is very important. For the sick one, please dry dock him. He would need optimal heat so for now, if you have infrared lighting, it is best to dry dock him under it. Infrared helps to heat his internal body temperature. Also try soaking him V8 juice, make sure water level isn't covering his mouth so he can still breathe and get some Reptile Vitamin liquid. TAKE NOTE: These are all things you can do to treat at home in the meantime. You still need to take him to the vet. RES with RI cannot be home treated. Especially those with pneumonia. Vets aren't miracle workers but they are the best people to go to for your turtle. They might diagnose your turtle with baytril shots or oral medicines. Either way, please take him to the vet Please do tons of research before getting a pet. Every lives matters.
You may purchase a lot of these items on Amazon or Petsmart
https://www.petsmart.com/
I really do hope your RES gets better (:
Useful article:
https://wagwalking.com/reptile/conditio ... in-turtles
tasharozario
 
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Joined: Nov 20, 2018
Gender: Female

Post Posted: Fri Nov 30, 2018 4:21 pm   Re: Turtle Sneezing Frequently

Thanks for the informative post. I took my turtle to the vet and he gave her some medicine. She is doing fine now. :) :msgreen:
Bush
 
Posts: 4
Joined: Jul 3, 2017
Gender: Female

Post Posted: Fri Nov 30, 2018 5:09 pm   Re: Turtle Sneezing Frequently

Great news !
Make sure you use the meds for the duration of RX so not to have a relapse.
Always monitor the water and basking area temp to be consistent.
Make sure no drafts at the tank too. Prevention is key.
litefoot
 
Posts: 1647
Joined: Nov 7, 2016
Location: New Orleans
Gender: Male


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