Feeding and Nutrition :: Uncoordinated turtle????

[Rickiew04]

Hello, recently my wife and I took on 3 DBT hatchlings. When we got them, they were in a little bit rough shaped after shipping. We noticed right when we received them that 1 of them really struggled to eat. By that I mean, when it would go to take a bite, it would miss the pellet altogether, or it would bump the pellet with its nose and just push it away. When it does get a bite, it usually is just a very small piece.

I'm starting to get worried that this one isn't going to make it because of lack of nutrition. Has anyone ever had a turtle that struggled with this? I'm wondering if this is just a case of the turtle being so young that it hasn't developed coordination yet or what. Any ideas on how to help this little guy out?

[steve]

I would check this search out: search.php?keywords=neurological

How long have you had them? I can't be certain they have happened to just-born hatchlings but have seen it in only a few months old.

[Rickiew04]

We've had these guys for 2 weeks now. They are extremely small (about 1in.). For this turtle (Maize), I at first chalked it up to him being so young and maybe trying to learn how to eat. But its getting to the point where Maize isn't getting better, and now he's starting to get lethargic. Yesterday Maize got a small bite of a pellet in his mouth, but just stayed motionless with his mouth open under the water (I feed in a small dish). It took a little bit of time before he finally swallowed the food.

The other 2 turtles (slightly larger by a few millimeters), are starting to eat much better and are much more active.

If this is a neurological problem, what should be done?

[steve]

When my turtle had "it", the only thing to do was make sure he ate. He eventually returned to normal, but it was a tough experience for both of us. At one point he gave up eating because he would always miss. The only thing is would repeatedly try for was live minnows, so that was he diet for a couple of months.

[Rickiew04]

Well, last night I put Maize in a 1:1 solution of Pedialyte and water, crushed up some Reptomin pellets and put the dust in the pedialyte/water solution, and he ate about 3 pellets - which I would consider a very successful feeding for him (I had to hold the pellets in front of his face). We'll see how he is acting today. I'm hoping he will be at least a little more active.

[steve]

How is his swimming ability? Has is decreased significantly? Dose he sort of just stare into space?

[Rickiew04]

Well, he had 2 days in a row where he ate relatively good, however, yesterday he passed away. This was kind of a bizarre situation. If anytime I expected him to go it was earlier in the week, but after he started eating, he showed a little more energy and I thought he might be able to pull through. But yesterday he suddenly died.

It was kind of strange because the bottom of his neck seemed enlarged after he died, it didn't look normal at all.

[steve]

I'm very sorry to hear it Maybe it was not neurological.

[MyTurtleMartina]

Sorry to hear about your lost, sometimes there are Turtles that are born, and basically can be "perfectly healthy", but be dead the next day.