Urgent Care :: Adopted RES Egypt

[Larissa]

Hello Everyone! My name's Larissa, living in Cairo-Egypt. It's a long story of how I started to shelter a RES, which I believe is from 1,5 to 2 years old. I decided to take Her/Him in, once a friend's family asked us (husband and I) to keep her/him for a couple of weeks. I'll refer to him/her as Turtle. When the Turtle arrived in our home, she was in a small plastic bowl, with around 20cm height and 10cm diameter. She just had a small piece of marble (dry area) and water that could only touch her feet. It was a sad thing to see, once temperatures are varying from 22º to 16ºC, day and night, respectively. It's been 2 weeks since I received her and started to read this website. I am very thankful for the information I could get. Now we have a quite generous tank, heater, filter, basking area, etc. I am not returning this turtle to its owners, that's for sure. The reason why I write here are many. Will number a few, so you can understand the scenario of my problem.
- Egypt has petshops selling RES all over, at least in Cairo;
- They cost around 7 USD each (average);
- No petshop of those above, (I've searched for many) have qualified information about RES and its basic needs;
- They usually sell small containers along with the turtle, indicating to people to keep a small amount of water, aside from the 15% offered dry area;
- Indicated food for new owners? Fish food, fish sticks... (many containing colors, etc).
- No information whatsover about the importance of warm, light, etc.. (Here is cold at this time of the year)

I believe it's understood that I have a big problem, once I cannot find proper food, equipments (I customized a tank with what I could find). The unfortunate situation is that she is very ill and I already have feelings for her. I had to call Brazil, so my biologist sister could arrange a phone/email visit to her veterinarian friend (silvester animal's expert). What is concluded, from reading the website and my conversation with the veterinarian, she's got respiratory and eyes infection, as well as vitamin A needs. ** She can't swim! She has never done it before in her life. Also, she just ate fish food all her life up till now. Not sticks even, but the small ones.

I seek, if possible, an indication of what kind of food I can administer to her (and to the small one - I bought a baby turtle). Unfortunately, I haven't found tetrafauna or any of the related products in Egypt. I wish so much to keep the turtles, but I have to wait any friend to come from Europe and bring her food. I tried, but had no success in purchasing them online and shipping through either ebay or amazon. I guess they don't ship for any reason (can't be sanitary). Every small information that could help me better assist her would be precious. Am giving vitamins (syrup - specially Vitamin A - dose discussed with veterinarian); thought she is very weak and not making it easy for me to feed her. Am using syringes. I hope am doing the right thing. My only hope is because, after using what the veterinarian indicated (a kind of eyedrops, vitamin syrup and some food am arranging myself (using syringe to feed), her eyes are openning for the first time since I received her.

Thanks for reading this post. Am a little bit lost as well as upset for seing many turtles being sold and I'm affraid they get the same faith mine got. There's no food for RES in Egypt. Am trying my best and I can't find. Hopefully, I shall have a friend going to the UK, where he shall buy for me. What about all the others? Well.

She wasn't a planned pet. I'm not the kind of person that keeps pets, but I really don't want to lose her. Two weeks and we have a relation already. She trust on me for everything. Deeply inside, I convince myself that she knows am doing all to make herself comfotable.

[Love of Animals]

She's very lucky you found her and Welcome to the Turtle Forum. What do you currently have for her? First thing she needs is a basking area with a source of heat. It should be about 90 maybe even 92 degrees, since she may be ill. Water I would put mid way up her shell. ( Not 100% sure of the height of the water so maybe one of the experts will chime in) A water heater is a must. It should be set for 78 - 80 degrees. Would love to see some pics of the turtle and her setup. Glad you're here.

[Larissa]

Thanks for your reply. I'm very pleased to join the forum. I've got a tank with "deep" waters and dry area, filter, heater... I got a small turtle to make her company, but am afraid the small might get infected. Hence, the tank ended up to be for the small one for sometime, while the other is in "quarantine". I wish to improve her habitat as soon as possible. She is having antibiotic for her RI since last night. Hope she will be fine. If you have any tips on natural things I could feed both of them, I thank you so much, once it will take sometime for her food to arrive to Egypt.

[Love of Animals]

Feeder fish, many people use rosy reds which are red minnows, guppies, platies. If she can't catch the fish then hold it by it's tail. Earthworms, snails, gut loaded crickets. Those are protein sources. You can leave in the tank green leafy vegetables like red leaf lettuce, green leaf lettuce, dandelion greens. Slivered carrots for vitamin A. If the vet is currently giving vitamin A supplements don't give extra vitamin A. The feeding page has a lot of ideas, including a jello shots recipe. Good luck with them. Keep us posted.

[steve]

Hi, welcome to the site. Regarding some of your first points - Pet shops will continue to sell them unless there are strict rules against it. It costs a turtle farmer roughly 25-50¢ to produce a hatchling so selling just one turtle yields a large profit. Poor or misleading care information is not surprising. Not many people would have turtles if they knew about the true costs required.

With your current situation, turtles rarely eat when they can't see. An antibiotic might suppress appetite and I think getting the turtle to eat first is more important. The second turtle is just a bad idea at this time. If she's only a hatchling and hasn't eaten in 2 weeks, she must eat something soon. Keep the turtles separate until both are normal and healthy.

Try a soak in diluted Pedialyte (or similar situation). Pedialyte is a brand name product given to children with diarrhea or dehydration. What are the temperatures like during the day?

[Larissa]

Thanks for the tips, Love of Animals!

turtles rarely eat when they can't see. An antibiotic might suppress appetite and I think getting the turtle to eat first is more important. The second turtle is just a bad idea at this time.

Try a soak in diluted Pedialyte (or similar situation). Pedialyte is a brand name product given to children with diarrhea or dehydration. What are the temperatures like during the day?

Hi, Steve! Fortunately, the sick turtle is taking the food mix and water I put in the Syringe. I try to always feed before the antibiotic. I hope this is a good sign, once her eyes are opening , even not being like the younger one.

Regarding the small one, well, I decided to take her (my husband) before we knew she was sick. Now it's a little late to give back, once she would be in worse conditions, I believe. Am watching to see her behavior and her appetite as well.

About the pedialyte, what would be your suggestion? Dilute? Thanks a lot.

[steve]

I think most people use half water, half Pedialyte.

[Larissa]

Thanks. Will try to order it now. Let's hope I can find that in Egypt. I'm very sad, once her lethargy is a big concern now. She has running nose as well. Hands are tied.

[Larissa]

They have no pedialyte. but something similar, for babies. Waiting and will see..

[Larissa]

News of the day. The young one has a good appetite. I'm glad I have nothing to concern about her (at least for now). Regarding the sick turtle, well, the antibiotic seem to be making effect, her nose isn't running anymore. The only thing is that she became more active and, in being so, she is refusing to eat, trying to runaway or hide the head somewhere in my fingers or the towel i keep on my lap for her. I used a rehydro medicine, thanks Steve. I wish I can do the same tonight, before the antibiotic (she is very difficult to open the mouth)

Try a soak in diluted Pedialyte (or similar situation). Pedialyte is a brand name product given to children with diarrhea or dehydration. What are the temperatures like during the day?

.
Temperatures during the day, inside the house, are around 20 degrees Celsius. I am using a heater to keep it higher.

[steve]

Hopefully she's still getting some food with the meds. It's a tough situation, but you're doing a good job.

[Larissa]

Hopefully! Hard task feeding her. Many ups and downs... Thanks for the support!

[Larissa]

Ah... We've got the cod liver oil. It's really improving her sight.

[Larissa]

Ammending my first post. We've found special food for the turtles. It's from southeast asia.

[steve]

Thanks for the update. Is it a regional brand?