General Care Discussion :: help?

Taking care of your turtle's overall health.

Post Posted: Thu Sep 20, 2018 7:27 pm   help?

**edit i rewrote this whole post**

i think my res may have some issues that im not exactly experienced enough to diagnose myself,,, (cross posted on another turtle forum)

ive been trying to look into my turtle's mouth after i noticed him behaving a bit strangely earlier ( frantically rushing into the walls of the aquarium for seemingly no reason and then going back to normal, which ive seen him do once before after he spit out some sort of red substance. im thinking maybe he did it because i just did a water change and those seem to stress him a bit ). i havent gotten a very good look, considering i have to have him open his mouth by getting him to chase and try to bite my finger (which hurts when he catches it `), but i think he has a bit of bright red under his tongue while the rest of his mouth seems to be a healthy pink. i also dont have the best vision, so im really hoping im overreacting here. i dont think i can get a picture either

i also dont think hes pooped in the last day or so, because i usually see it on the bottom of the tank and i havent seen any since i think monday or tuesday

he seems to otherwise be very healthy; he eats, sleeps, basks, is attentive and behaves like any other curious turtle but ive also occasionally heard him poke his head out of the water and wheeze (might be a sneeze tbh) and like i said above, hes spit out some sort of red substance twice now in the few months ive had him and has fallen out of his tank twice which makes me think he may have an internal injury, plus he has a few lighter/whitish patches on his shell that i think may be shell rot but im not sure and plus i have no clue what his medical history was before i got him

im trying to schedule him a vet appointment, but it's very difficult to align an appointment with a specialist with my parents' schedules and i cant drive myself. is there anything i can do in the meantime for him? how concerned should i be? because right now im honestly about to cry because i have no idea what to do and dont want to wait any longer for him to see a professional



if it helps: he has a staple diet of red lettuce and a mix of mazuri aquatic turtle pellets, omega one turtle sticks, omega one koi wheat germ pellets, and a few other assorted pellets that his previous owner used that i switch around for variety. i try to make sure he gets lettuce daily, but sometimes we dont have it in the house.

when we have lettuce, i alternate between days when it's the only thing i feed him , and days where i feed him a small amount of pellets plus the lettuce. on days when i dont have lettuce, he gets assorted pellets or veggies (zucchini, carrots, and butternut squash but only rarely because i know theyre not to the best staple foods).i also occasionally throw in some hornwort or anacharis

i might be feeding him too much, because he seems to have put on some weight so im going to start cutting down on his pellets and might start fasting him one day of the week like i do my fish

his tank is mostly bare bottom, but he has a few silk plants and some rocks and a fake log hide

he gets a weekly water change, and i use prime to dechlorinate the water

his filter currently isnt the strongest or best, but it keeps ammonia levels down where they should be and im going to be setting up a bigger, better tank with a good filter soon. i scoop out solid waste daily
binji
 
Posts: 70
Joined: Jun 17, 2018
Gender: Female

Post Posted: Thu Sep 20, 2018 8:43 pm   Re: help?

Is this still Trumpet ?
That frantically swimming against the tank is what some turtles just do. Sometimes I think they are trying to swim to china and don't realize there in a tank. Happens more in glass tanks than stock tanks. Still looking to get a larger tank glass or stock type ? You just missed a great sale on rubbermaid stock tanks.
That poop , turtles will eat it , that's ok , just gross to us.
Diet , better to under feed than over feed . Read up again on what some offer there turtles for ideas in forum.
I am concerned about the trauma he got in a short time from the falls. Sounds like it time for a Vet appointment to be sure all is ok. Ask if you can pay over time.
Google and click on images for turtle setups. More time and attention is needed for Trumpet's safety. Watch to see how Trumpet is getting out and adjust to prevent it. Is it at day time or night. Maybe setup a cam corder at night if needed to watch how he's getting out.
You're doing ok it does take time to get all things together , it does not happen in a day or even in a year. But that day will come for you and Trumpet. After a few years you will become a lighting specialist / ecologist on habitats / hydrologist on water / herpetology for illness / dietitian / mechanical engineering to keep things running and a safety technician ! All that will come easy over time and it will be worth it for you and trumpet as it is for me and Piggley. Turtles are great pets/friends/children !!!
litefoot
 
Posts: 1647
Joined: Nov 7, 2016
Location: New Orleans
Gender: Male

Post Posted: Thu Sep 20, 2018 8:53 pm   Re: help?

it's trumpet, yeah

he usually claws against the glass when he sees my and it seems normal for him, but the frantic swimming feels more like hes confused or afraid. it's definitely not normal

hes never eaten his own waste before and i have no clue why he'd start now, but ill keep a closer eye on it

i actually have the new tank for him right now! it's a 110g tuffstuff stock tank. im going to be getting a pump and stuff probably this weekend or next week, so it'll be setup up and ready to cycle within the month

i think what im feeding is ok, it's just too much so im going to adjust it

and he hasnt gotten out in a while; he was climbing onto his basking dock and dragging himself over the edge of the tank and into the floor, so i put a weighted cover over the dock and he hasnt been able to move it (though he has tried (while i was in the room)). im also very concerned about this trauma, but the last appointment i had we werent able to make it to, sadly. im trying to make one for next week or the week after, and i really hope that it wont be too late in the game
binji
 
Posts: 70
Joined: Jun 17, 2018
Gender: Female

Post Posted: Thu Sep 20, 2018 9:22 pm   Re: help?

You are ahead of the game than most by observing well. Watch what he does and Trumpet will tell you what he wants or needs. Most turtle like moving things around , offer him some river rocks to move around. Small pieces of driftwood , something movable for his size. If you have room make a cave for him to explore just make it safe. I found keeping it more on the natural side makes a turtle comfortable and happy less confused or afraid. Be creative. It may not end up the way you want it but it will be the way trumpet wants it . If he don't like something he will move it around until he puts it where he wants it. I have things Piggley refuse's to let me move. Turtles love to investigate things offer him some places to do that. Keep him busy on other things so he's not looking to escape.
litefoot
 
Posts: 1647
Joined: Nov 7, 2016
Location: New Orleans
Gender: Male


Return to General Care Discussion

Who is online

Users browsing this forum: No registered users and 22 guests