Suspected Hypothermia

[Shannon7856]

Hi,
I was wondering if anyone has any experience with suspected hypothermia with their reptile. The turtle tank for our painted turtle is in the living room where our air conditioning is. By accident the aquarium heater was left off for the night, and with the combination of the air, it must have been too much for her because we found her on the bottom of the tank in the morning on her back.

I scooped her out and at first glance thought she had passed (at this point we hadn't realized about the heater). However, she was moving slightly. We got her to a vet immediately but unfortunately didn't have a great experience (this was a new vet who didn't explain things well at all and really didn't attend to our pet). However, they were the ones that suspected hypothermia and started rewarming her as well as gave her antibiotics in case of infection.

She is so much better now in the sense that she is alert and can move her head and legs, but she is not strong enough to move herself at all yet. We have her dry docked while trying to warm her. At the time of this post, it's been about 36 hours since I found her at the bottom of the tank, almost drowning I believe.

I am worried that she is not able to move herself along yet. Has anyone experienced anything like this at all?

 

[wellington]

What kind of turtle? Most likely she may have been trying to hibernate, many do that when weather gets cold, depending of the type she is. Being on her back is a concern though and may be possible that she jumped into hibernating mode without proper prep as it came on so soon, the cold
How cold was the water?
Show pics of the tank, the turtle and what you use for basking and what the temp usually is and what it was when you found her
@Markw84

 

[zovick]

What kind of turtle? Most likely she may have been trying to hibernate, many do that when weather gets cold, depending of the type she is. Being on her back is a concern though and may be possible that she jumped into hibernating mode without proper prep as it came on so soon, the cold
How cold was the water?
Show pics of the tank, the turtle and what you use for basking and what the temp usually is and what it was when you found her
@Markw84

OP said it was a painted turtle in the second sentence of the post.

 

[wellington]

OP said it was a painted turtle in the second sentence of the post.

Missed that, thanks.
So, a painted turtle, hibernates. Not likely to get hyperthermia. We have them in the cold north.

 

[Markw84]

How big/old is your painted turtle? How cold was the water?

Painted turtles are extremely cold tolerant. So hypothermia is not the issue. However when water temperatures are quite cold suddenly, they do slow down and might not swim as well. If disturbed some turtles can submerge in the water without the normal amount of air in their lungs and not be as buoyant as usual. I have never seen this with a painted turtle however. I see them swimming well in water 40° and less.

Finding it on its back usually indicated near drowing. My guess would be it somehow got itself where it could not surface. Trapped or wedged somewhere keeping it from breathing.

 

[Yvonne G]

If the water's not deep enough a turtle that finds itself on its back can't turn back over. Now he has water in his lungs. Hold him with your fingers supporting his head and neck, pointing downward and swing him from the ceiling to the floor to try to force the water out. do this several times then lay him down on his stomach with his head lower than his tail. He's going to need antibiotics for pneumonia.