General Care Discussion :: Turtle extending neck backwards?

Taking care of your turtle's overall health.

Post Posted: Sun Oct 28, 2012 10:34 pm   Turtle extending neck backwards?

I suspect this is normal behavior, just double checking with you guys. Yawara is recovering from an infection with oral meds from the vet (the same situation I mentioned in Urgent Care). His eye looks better and he's eating well - hopefully he will start growing! As I mentioned, I opted for oral meds instead of injections and my roommate has been helping me give them to Yawara, He hates them of course and every new night thinks he found some way to either not open his mouth or spit them back up on completion. While we usually try to give them to him while he is horizontal, sometimes his movements force us to change his position to diagonal or vertical to get to his mouth. And now, after we get the meds in, he extends his neck backwards. Is this something we should worry about or is this normal, "rebellious cuz I got this nasty stuff in my mouth" turtle behavior?
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Post Posted: Mon Oct 29, 2012 9:40 am   Re: Turtle extending neck backwards?

Not sure if I've heard of this behavior... is this happening only with the meds?
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Post Posted: Mon Oct 29, 2012 11:32 am   Re: Turtle extending neck backwards?

Only after meds. Like I said, we usually have to hold diagonal or vertically to get the meds and he does this immediately after. Then spits up some meds.

Here is a photo of what it looks like.
yawarameds.jpg
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Post Posted: Mon Oct 29, 2012 12:37 pm   Re: Turtle extending neck backwards?

Seems normal to me. Ussually mine do that if your not holding them right side up. They will do that like they would be trying to right themselves.
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Post Posted: Mon Oct 29, 2012 2:07 pm   Re: Turtle extending neck backwards?

Oh, he looks so mad...
Poor guy.
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Post Posted: Mon Oct 29, 2012 2:07 pm   Re: Turtle extending neck backwards?

So it might be more about how he's being held? I'll try to keep him more diagonal than vertical in the future. Thank you DB4L!
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Post Posted: Wed Oct 31, 2012 1:07 am   Re: Turtle extending neck backwards?

How's his swimming like?
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Post Posted: Wed Oct 31, 2012 1:14 am   Re: Turtle extending neck backwards?

I could take pictures of my male map, he can bend his head back to his shell!!! It's just the way you are holding it, most of the time my guys are obsessed with biting while being held and will try any direction to bite.
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Post Posted: Wed Oct 31, 2012 8:44 am   Re: Turtle extending neck backwards?

We've been holding him more horizontal to do his meds and he still whips his head back. I think it is the meds - he is trying everything he can not to open his mouth. Poor guy. Fortunately, he only has to take them through Saturday - my roommate and I are going to put a little tuna water on the outside of the syringe (not the opening) - tuna water has worked for enticing him to eat in the past, so maybe he'll open up for the tuna water.
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Post Posted: Wed Oct 31, 2012 12:10 pm   Re: Turtle extending neck backwards?

Might be just the turtle habit as the one dbt I have did the same thing no matter which way you held him when messing with to put ointment on his leg. Though a couple others I had have done that just from not being held right side up so that is why mentioned it.
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Post Posted: Wed Oct 31, 2012 4:59 pm   Re: Turtle extending neck backwards?

I'm glad you and CactusJohn mentioned it. Thank you. I'm glad to know Yawara isn't alone or that it isn't something serious (well, more serious than him fighting this sickness already!)
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Post Posted: Sun Nov 04, 2012 1:01 am   Re: Turtle extending neck backwards?

When I gave Penelope oral meds, I held her slighty above a 45 degree angle (more or less) - enough for gravity to take the meds downhill, but not so vertical that she would fight to get upright.

Based on others' responses, it sounds like the neck has less to do with the meds and more to do with the position.
The only thing to be careful of is not to cram the meds in her. I tried that when Penelope kept spitting out her oral meds and got my hand slapped by the vet. She said if you cram it in and "blast it", it can actually go in their lungs. Just a side note.

If she is always spitting them out, try giving them to her a little bit at time (in one sitting). It increases the odds of getting some in.

If he needs another round of meds after this one, you can always ask your vet to add some bacon flavoring (or any other tasty flavor). Then you can really tell how much spills out.
I may be speaking out of school since I've never had a turtle that small, but in my opinion injections are far better (they get the full dose).
I only used oral meds because Penelope was/is too big and strong to battle a needle.
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Post Posted: Wed Nov 15, 2017 1:53 pm   Re: Turtle extending neck backwards?

I think it's normal. My turtle was recently sick, and when I tried to feed him meds he arch his head to avoid the syringe (coz he didn't try to bite me like he did the vet). The sad thing was, he tried to bite the vet whilst retracting into his shell, and accidentally bit his own skin fold in frantic. To avoid infection I've been dry docking him, and only give him a half hour to soak in water with herbal powder (for the wound) twice a day, which seemed to calm him down.

I agree with Penelope about not cramming. While he was struggling from the med, I squirted too much liquid into his mouth, and some came out of his nose. So, note to self, to hold him steady while feeding.
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