Urgent Care :: New (adult) RES isn't eating, see inside

[JimmyLo]

Hello all - we've really appreciated the advice we've gotten from this board, so we've decided to join because we have quite the new project on our hands.

We rescued a RES (approx 2 years old) from a nasty local pet store. We've named her Matilda as she's smart and resourceful, and also been through a hell of a lot since birth.

We don't know much about her time before the pet store, other than she was purchased as a baby and then when she got too big, was brought to the pet store where we found her.

Here are some things worth noting. For 6 months:

• She wasn't given proper lighting (no heat lamp, and sharing a long UVB bulb with some crabs in the tank beside her);
• She had no water heater and water temp when we bought her was 71*F (4-5 degrees below minimum);
• Her filter (which was sold to us with her) wasn't working;
• Her basking site was disgusting and covered in algea;
• Her tank is too small for her, and it was painted with wall paint on the outside;

All these are things we're remedying or have already fixed (only thing we still need is a bigger tank, which will be coming in January.

Here are some things we've noticed that's unusual:

• Her shell is ok, no spots, but is slightly mis-shapen hear her hind legs
• She has eaten a little bit, a little food that got soggy when we first tried on Saturday (Day 1). We feed our turtles outside of their tanks to prevent fouling, and she hasn't transitioned into that yet. I haven't seen her eat at all, even when we try feed her in the tank. I'm very serious about routine with all my animals, and it's my attitude to have them adjust to us, not us adjust to them

A vet visit is in the cards, but unfortunately we don't have the money to do it for a few weeks. She's been through so much in the last couple days that I'm worried about permanent psychological trauma if we put her through a vet visit right now.

In the meantime, we have set up her enclosure properly, and our primary concern is eating.

Is it normal for an adult RES to not be eating? What is the hourly mark for concern (24 hours, 72 hours?)

The good news:
All of her vitals are ok - she's not showing any signs of illness (except not eating and withdrawn hunger response), she basks on a regular basis, she hasn't vomited or gaped, or shown any signs of respiratory infection.

We do really think we can pull her through to normalcy - just need to get her eating - any advice?

[JimmyLo]

More info, the generic form from the info topic:

How big is your turtle? 4 inches
How long have you had it? 3 days

What is the water temperature? 84 F
Did you use a thermometer? Yes
Are you using a water heater? Yes
How much water is in there? 8 gallons (in a 15 gallon tank *TEMPORARY* until January when we can afford a 50 gallon tank)
Are you using a water conditioner? Yes - weekly with water changes
Are you using any filtration? Yes

What is the basking temperature? 92 F
Is there a basking light? Yes
Is there a basking platform that is easy to climb on? Yes
What kind is it or what is it made out of? Floating Turtle Dock (not my favourite, but she uses it)
Is there a UVB light? Yes

What have you been trying to feed it? Hasn't eaten yet
When was the last time your turtle ate? A little tiny bit 3 days ago.

How big is the tank/pond/enclosure? 15 gallons
Is the tank near a window? No
Is the tank in a room with a lot of activity? Moderate activity.

Have you read the Basic Care section? Yes.
Have you searched the forums for similar situations? Yes. Can't find anything pertaining to a young adult turtle.

Is there any other unusual activity/symptoms? No. Just won't eat.

[ljapa]

I've seen many reports here of turtles moved to new habitats who don't eat for a bit. Toby as a baby turtle didn't eat for two or thee days. Adult turtles can go longer than that.

I'd say not to worry as long as she's active and basking. I would try a variety. Green or Red leaf lettuce, the turtle pellets, maybe a small bit of tuna in water, not oil.

Check out the recipe for turtle Jell-O shots.

viewtopic.php?f=8&t=17486

I've not tried them but heard of many who have had success with a picky turtle.

[JimmyLo]

I will try that - mostly cuz it's fun!

Thank you ljapa! I couldn't find anything about an adult RES not eating when moving in, tonnes about babies - I just wanted to make sure that it was normal.

Again, still taking her to the vet to a) double check she's ok - get her treated for anything and b) 100% confirm her gender, and c) just to see what we've gotten ourselves into HAHA!

[JimmyLo]

OK, so we're not in the clear.

But! She just ate a bit of a piece of Freeze Dried brine shrimp! PHEW! Let's see if we can get her to normal by the end of the week.

[LeonardoTheTerrapin]

First of all, I'm glad that you rescued Matilda from a pet store of all places!

Besides the usual care advice from the forum, have you given her a gentle bath with a sensitive toothbrush and Betadine perhaps. This is to get rid of any nasty gunk she may have contracted. You would also detect any infections during the cleaning process, which will be useful info to the vet. Remember to scrub gently as RES has nerves on their shells.

You're keeping her warm which is good, so just try to grant her some privacy, perhaps with a small enclosure or cave made up of eggcrates, so she can feel safe.

[steve]

I'm in agreement with the other posters. Some additional privacy is always good.. what else have you been feeding her or trying to?

[JimmyLo]

I keep introducing a variety of pellets, and she hasn't touched any veggie-based stuff yet. She's getting better - she ate today. Hopefully I'll have her trained to be eating out of her tank within the week's end. I think this matter has gone from urgent, to not-so-urgent. I'll post if there are any changes or if she stops eating again.

[JimmyLo]

Here's some inspiration - she's eating!!

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VpeFRubOKBg[/youtube]

[JimmyLo]

Ok, even more great news:

1) the pet store we bought him from is shutting down - that's good!

2) We just bought her a 40 gallon tank - and omg, imagine being crammed in a 15 gallon for 6+ months, and going straight to a 40 gallon... she's so confused, and has already swam the entire perimeter!

[slider_keeper]

Yeah when they get more room they will investigate every inch;) Good to hear the news!