Help! Why me?

[Macheteslaststep]

So...yea, I really do need to learn to say no -.-


Someone I know called me this morning saying she had a baby turtle about the size of a quarter given to her because the original person "found it" and didn't have time to care for it. They had it two weeks (the original person) and kept it in a small container with some water for those two weeks. The friend who called me acquired it last night and put a heat lamp on it at least. She saw red on it's head so said maybe it's a RES. Fast forward to me getting it this morning - it's a nickel sized EPT. Yolk sac/scar is gone but barely probably. His eyes are very swollen (think praying mantis) and he has a slight head tilt to the right. Swimming is fine, but he does stay in one spot once he gets to a comfortable one. I have him in a mini waterland tub with a UVB bulb, anout 2 inches of water heated to 85* and hiding spots/logs to climb on. Room temp is upper 80's so I didn't put a heat lamp on him.

He is certainly not my first hatchling, but is the first truely unhealthy one I've had. I guess I've been lucky? Any ideas on what to do with the little guy to help him out? I hatched out 9 RES last year with no problem...but this guy I'm a little worried about. I can get baby food/cod liver oil tomorrow if needed and if he's still around He kind of stays where I put him though...even though he does seem like a strong little swimmer. I also gave him some baby Reptomin, but he has no interest. Thanks for the help!

 

[Maggie Cummings]

I keep a bag of terramycin powder for sick turtles and tortoises like that. He needs antibiotics and food. I would give him baby food soaks, put a heat lamp on him to 95 degrees or so, while your ambient temp is 85 degrees he needs to be able to get under a hot lamp. Soak him in the terramycin powder or better if you have antibiotics you can inject and tube feed him Critical Care. At the least give him baby food soaks and a hotter light...

 

[Yvonne G]

Maggie's info is pretty much right on, however, I wouldn't feed a baby water turtle the Critical Care. That's mainly for grass-eating animals.

Most importantly is to warm that painted turtle up. The baby food soaks should help too.

 

[Macheteslaststep]

Maggie: I found my little heat lamp last night and put it on. Of course I had put it back in the box...what was I thinking? *roll eyes* Someone suggested to me to get the Maracyn2 so I can put it right in the water...is that ok? I have terramycin left I think from our chicken when she was a chick a couple months ago. He is so tiny though, I can't imagine being able to syringe him. Maybe I'll take him to work tomorrow and have my boss take a look. He's an exotic vet. I do have Critical Care also, but like Yvonne said it's the herbivore diet...we don't carry the carnivore one.

So the little guy, or Vinnie as I am calling him is still alive this morning. When I went to bed last night he had a small amount of blood around the right eye. This morning, there is a small amount around the left eye and the swelling in the right eye is gone. Under closer examination, the eye itself is missing. I guess the other eye is being rejected as well? Or did all the swelling make me think he had eyes still intact?

*Sigh* I wonder if they found a nickel sized EPT so easily because they stepped on him or he had been injured already and they just picked him up? Maybe the eyes could have been saved if two weeks with insufficient care hadn't already passed...

So now, I have new questions. If he survives still, what do I do? How happy and healthy will he be without eyes? Obviously he can't be released now...what is the care like?

 

[Macheteslaststep]

I got the Maracyn2 and added it to his water today. I found the...erm...eye It was severely clouded and damaged so if they're that mad maybe it's a good thing it happened. If he's meant to survive as a blind turtle, then he shall. I can at least keep him until he's a bit bigger, but unless I can add him to the 150 gallon community (2 DBTs and a Map, all males and friendly with each other) at some point then he will be rehomed when he is larger and recovered. Maybe I can convinced my boss to set him up in the waiting room...I'd rather not just give him to anyone since he'd be special needs.

When do you suggest I start trying to feed him again? I looked at him more and he does have a little yolk scar left...I guess I missed it yesterday because it's next to his yellow belly marking. The RES I raised didn't even try to eat until a week after the scar disappeared. Should I just hold off and let the antibiotics kick in? Should I take him in to get injectable? He's so little I don't even know if the doctor would do injectable for him

 

[tortoises101]

If he survives (I really hope he does) he can still live even without eyesight. I know of a rescuer/boxie keeper who has a blind river cooter (Pseudemys concinna concinna) and he can still climb trees. Your little Vinnie will just need some extra help with feeding.

 

[Macheteslaststep]

I spoke with the woman who gave him to me and she said if he survives (he does seem like a little fighter, weak, but a fighter) we'll build him a covered habitat at the farm. This way he'll be safe, but will get individual attention as well.

I've been moving him to the basking area for an hour or two at a time, and then moving him back to the edge of the water. He won't do it himself...but he has no problem swimming once in the water. He finds a nice spot to cling on the log I put in and will sit there until I move him again though Right now he's basking - I'm hoping when I go down later he'll have tried to get to the water. That would give me more hope.

 

[Saloli]

melaleuca (melafix) works pretty well for internal an external infections. it sound like he has eye infections (i can't think of the term for it) which the most common cause is dirty water (high amounts of bacteria mainly digesting bacteria)

 

[Macheteslaststep]

He seems slightly stronger today He's clinging to things and starting to "crawl" onto them. The other eye is still hanging in there although it's still very swollen. Also, the other one has blood around it again. Could that be the antibiotic drawing stuff out?

Hmm....maybe I should take him to work with me? The remaining eye just doesn't look like a normal eye infection though. It looks like there was some sort of trauma.

 

[October]

Oh man, I hope this little guy can pull through. What a tough start. Good luck!

 

[Maggie Cummings]

I am so sorry about the Critical Care, I just wasn't thinking right.

I have several blind animals here and they get along just fine. They just need a little bit of individual care.
If you can get some powdered terramycin you can soak him in it and that will help a lot. Also if you could put some eye ointment in his eyes that will help and don't forget the baby food soaks. He sounds like a real fighter I hope you don't give up on him.

I just googled Maracyn2 and that would probably do just as good as the terramycin powder so I'd use that.

 

[Macheteslaststep]

I've been doing the Maracyn2 for 2 days now. Eye has stopped bleeding again - other one is still there. I assume triple antibiotic opthalmic ointment will be ok? Mom found him teetering on the "steps" between the land and water so she put him under the heat lamps. When I came home he was dry and stiff....but after a minute in the water he took off. She said it had been a few hours o.o I know I know, she was trying to help lol. But if that doesn't prove he's a fighter I don't know what will.

 

[Saloli]

yeah maracyn is good try an antibiotic eye wash (i can't think of any of the names)

 

[Macheteslaststep]

Eye is still intact and some of the cloud looks like it's fading. Can't tell if the swelling is going down or not though. I put him on the land area and he took 3 steps! Before he would just sit where ever I set him down. It's the third day for the antibiotic...how long should he be treated for? Thanks for all the help!

 

[Macheteslaststep]

I put him in a sweet potato soak today and....wait for it...

He took two sips! Now he's actually swimming back and forth across the mini tub! Swelling is down slightly, other side still not bleeding and looks to be closing up. He still has the head tilt to that side so I'm wondering if that's permanent as well? I put 2 pellets of food near him. He sniffed it and frantically swam away...

He still won't go to the land or vice versa and seems to just freeze if I pick him up and put him there to bask. Should I aim the UVB and heat lamp over the water instead? *sigh* So little progress...yet so proud.

 

[tortoises101]

I'm very happy to hear on the progress! I wouldn't aim the UVB over the water, UVB doesn't penetrate water and you would just be wasting electricity. Maybe he doesn't like all the light since his eyes are handicapped. I think a CHE (ceramic heat emitter) would work for the basking spot. Just a CHE, nothing else. Good luck!

 

[Macheteslaststep]

I put him in his soak tonight and off he went swimming around the container before settling down. I put him back into his tub and off he went again. He did flip himself over twice though in the water. The first time I helped him...the second I watched. He swam upside down for a few strokes and then flipped himself back. Should I be worried about him drowning tonight? The water is deep enough for him to do a flip and circle. Compared to his nickel size it's about 5-6 inches of water. Will he be ok? Gosh...now that he's getting more active I have more to worry about!

 

[tortoises101]

I put him in his soak tonight and off he went swimming around the container before settling down. I put him back into his tub and off he went again. He did flip himself over twice though in the water. The first time I helped him...the second I watched. He swam upside down for a few strokes and then flipped himself back. Should I be worried about him drowning tonight? The water is deep enough for him to do a flip and circle. Compared to his nickel size it's about 5-6 inches of water. Will he be ok? Gosh...now that he's getting more active I have more to worry about!

Since your water is shallow a nice large clump of hornwort will do.

 

[Macheteslaststep]

So we think he's going to be blind completely, but will try tetramycin ointment just in case. He's now on Vit C and Amikacin inj (getting Vit A during soaks). When I brought him outside today and he felt the sun he was a different little turtle. He was trying to climb out of the container, stretching his neck as far as it would go, and even struck the "Superman" pose a few times. He was so happy!

Now...getting him to eat?

Tony - what's hornwort?

 

[Maggie Cummings]

I would cut up a worm and holding a piece with tweezers bump his nose a couple of times. Rub his nose with the cut section. I haven't had water turtles for such a long time I can't remember what they eat now, but I do remember that they can smell under water so get the smelliest food they eat and using the tweezers bump his nose until he bites at it. Trout chow is pretty smelly, I feed it to my box turtles now but my water turtles ate it too. Maybe try offering him a piece of trout chow. What has he been eating?