Feeding and Nutrition :: My turtle needs Vitamins ASAP

[FlashV]

I have a couple of posts in urgent care but am trying to get more advice. Our turtle is malnourished according to his vet. He will not eat anything we offer him so we are trying to get him to take a vitamin liquid mixture by mouth. any advice on how to get him to open his mouth without hurting him and any ideas on what to feed him would be appreciated.

[V Lou]

First, what temperature is his water?

[FlashV]

his water is at 76 degrees, he has his lamps on during the day everything was fine until sunday when he stopped eating. his vet visit was yesterday and he said he is not sick with any type of virus or infection it is a matter of nutritional intake

[V Lou]

Try raising it to 78-80 degrees.

What was he eating Friday/Saturday; how much? Is there gravel in the tank?

What is the temp under his lamps?

[FlashV]

My plans were to do a dry dock and a separate feeding dish with warm water as I have read that warmer temps help sick turtles...... but unfortunately Flash passed away this afternoon. Thank you for your advice.

[jozzep]

My plans were to do a dry dock and a separate feeding dish with warm water as I have read that warmer temps help sick turtles...... but unfortunately Flash passed away this afternoon. Thank you for your advice.

Sounds like flash had a respiratory infection and your vet needs to go back to school.
Sorry he died.

[V Lou]

Very sorry, too.

[FlashV]

My plans were to do a dry dock and a separate feeding dish with warm water as I have read that warmer temps help sick turtles...... but unfortunately Flash passed away this afternoon. Thank you for your advice.

Sounds like flash had a respiratory infection and your vet needs to go back to school.
Sorry he died.

Flash did not have any of the syptoms I have read which indicate RI. The vet we went to helps with the reptiles and other animals at our local zoo and we have every confidence in him. We did everything that we could within our powers. Thank you for your sympathy but speaking poorly of a vet which you have not interacted with does not make our loss any easier.

[FlashV]

@ V Lou- Thank you for your sympathy and for your help. If we had more time I think we could have saved Flash. I think he was just too weak to recovery.

[V Lou]

I wish I had had a magic cure. At least his last experiences were ones with love and compassion. That mattered so much to his little life force; he thanks you for being there.

We all grow from the experience and know that it could happen at anytime to any of us, due to unknown causes of disease which can take them so quickly.

I'm sorry you experienced it, though, because of the sadness. But, find some peace in the fact that had he been in "pain", or felt terrible, he is not experiencing that now and that would be good. And know that he thanked you for trying. May sound strange to some, but appreciation is a very basic emotion that pets feel on some level; it could be viewed as a lessening of fear and stress. Thank you for your care and compassion.

[honeeb6]

I'm sorry for your loss. I didn't realize how attached I was to my turtles until one of them almost died a few weeks ago. They are not the most conventional pet but they still evoke the same emotions and determination to take the best care of them.

[FlashV]

@ honeeb6- Thank you. i knew i was attached to flash but i had no idea how much i would miss him. He had his own personality and routine throughout the day. he would watch me when I was in the kitchen and look for us when we were not visible.

@ V Lou- Your words are beautiful and brought us comfort. you said exactly what we have told ourselves several times.... sometimes you need to hear it from someone else. Thank you for your kindness.

[V Lou]

You are most welcome. Thank you for your kind words, too. We are all connected, you know. Even the smallest, little guys.

[steve]

Very sorry to hear the news