Injured Turtle Arm 5/12/08 Hello Crew, <Hiya Justin, Darrel here> I have a small yellow bellied slider (around 2.5 inches) that recently got its front right limb bitten by a larger (6 inch) red eared slider. <ouch!> The arm is still intact and seems to not have been fractured in any way. However, it is now somewhat brown in color, and the smaller turtle swims around with it tucked to its side, only swimming with both arms occasionally. <You would too if someone bit your arm. That he uses it sometimes is a good sign> I already separated the smaller turtle to its previous tank (10 gallons). He/She now lives in the tank with two gold fish (originally meant to be fed, but ended up becoming... "companions"). <That happens all the time, I have some "feeder" goldfish that have almost become Koi> First, I realize I probably need to disinfect the wound, but I don't know how, and with what. Second, after disinfecting, I need to let it scab over, but what if the wound has already scabbed over? or you can't tell because its kinda.. soggy looking and brown. <First, lets take the turtle from the water and keep him dry for a week. Nothing overly complex, even a cardboard box with high enough sides is OK. We want the wound to be DRY and stay dry until healed. Do this right away.> <Once dry, get some iodine solution (Betadine or something like that from a local drug store should be very cheap) and pour some on the leg each day for about a week> <It will be hard for him to move around because turtles don't "limp" very well, but using the leg is great and keeping it dry is critical> Third, is there anything I need to add to the water to keep it cleaner? and how often should I change the water? <I'll give you a link with simple care instructions, but basically filtration is needed to keep the water clean and you should change the water frequently enough that it looks and "smells" clean.> Also, will the two gold fish, shrimp, or crickets that are fed, contaminate the water? <Umm, well, once he's healed, the goldfish are now part of the 'family' and you shouldn't be feeding crickets or shrimp anyway. Small koi pellets (read the article in the link) is the best quality food you can give the turtle and the goldfish will thrive on it, too.> Thank you very much! <yer welcome! Re: Injured Turtle Arm 5/13/08 How do I give him food and water while keeping him out of the water? <While it's true that turtles eat in water (or at least eat BEST in water) food isn't our # 1 concern. We're worried about infection and water and moisture are what we need to fight here.> And now that I look a little closer, the back leg is also bitten, but this one is just a cut, the front leg however now looks swollen and I can't tell if this... equivalent of the wrist area is broken. The front limb is so swollen (or broken) that it's always bent downward, but he still uses it and walks on it when I take him out of the water. <And walking around on it is probably painful for him as well. Given more time and resources you could keep in something small enough that his activities are limited -- no ability to use the arm means he rests it. But mainly I WANT THAT ARM DRY AND COATED IN DISINFECTANT RIGHT AWAY. If he's other wise healthy he can go a long time without food and water ... plus after a few days of being very dry and disinfected, you can put him in a small dish of water for about 5 minutes every other day and offer him some food at that time. But right now, get it dry, keep it dry and disinfect it. After about two weeks you'll have an idea how well it's healing and whether or not he's ready to get wet again.> Thanks again. Justin <No problem! Regards/Darrel> Re: Injured Turtle Arm 5/19/08 Hello Crew, <Hiya Justin, Darrel again> He looks like he can bend his wrist area again, hopefully meaning its not broken. <good> Is it better to leave him in a small container that he tries to climb out of (to limit his space.. will he just give up and stop moving)? or just leave him in the.. 1ft by 2/3ft tub he's in that he's in? he sometimes walks on it.. and tries to crawl out still... it has a heating lamp and a shaded area. <that sounds fine. Dry plus the ability to regulate temperature is fine> When do I know I can put him in water to eat/drink? and should I keep him out of the tank until he's completely healed? <5 minutes at a time, 3 times a week - shallow pan, just so he can drink. Wait a 3-5 weeks until the skin looks WELL healed before putting back in his habitat> Also, his tail is shorter... the thinnest part of it is gone seemingly.. will this have much of an effect on his life (just noticed...)? <Not at all, Justin. Turtles are very resilient given half a chance!> Thanks again! He seems to be getting better. <Glad to hear it -- keep up the good work!> Re: Injured Turtle Arm   5/23/08 <Hiya Justin -- Darrel here> So, I try to feed my turtle when I give him his 'baths' now, but I don't know what to feed him. He ate carrots, and I'm out of crickets and meal worms (haven't fed him those since he was injured, but he eats them), but I've always tried getting him to eat either the Koi pellets or the Turtle Pellets, and he won't eat either. Is there any approved or effective method of turning turtles to pellet food? <Generally speaking -- if you have a turtle that's otherwise healthy all you have to do is wait and when he gets hungry ENOUGH ... he'll eat the pellets. In this case he may not eat at all in the strange and different surroundings and mainly what we want is hydration (drinking) -- much more important to him in the short term than nutrition> Thanks again, his arm is making progress, but he doesn't ever bend it at the wrist area, leading me to believe it may be broken after all, the swollenness of the hand area hasn't entirely disappeared yet either. His back legs are still cut, but that's about it, they look like they'll heal over time. I'm just worried about his front arm (and I guess his tail is a hopeless cause?). <Nothing is ever hopeless, Justin. I have a rescued Slider in my pond that lost his entire front leg to a raccoon, Needless to say her 'walking' is strange and comical -- more of a flopping around that really walking -- yet she thrives enough to lay fertile eggs every year! Once the cuts on the skin (front & rear) have healed over and you're sure that you've got a handle on preventing infection, you can place him in the main tank (away from the meanie that snapped at him in the first place) for an hour or two -- you might find that after a half hour or so his appetite returns. As long as he gets dry after that and back to his healing routine, a few hours in the water will be good for him. Darrel>

Problem with RES and white stock above head  05/08/08 Hello WWM, <Hiya, Darrel here tonight> We have 3 red eye sliders, with the temp been 78-82, feeding them ReptoMin, two filtering system and all Reptisafe for the water treatment. I Also have uv light that I cant not remember at this time the ratings on it. Now about the wound or whatever. It started as a white spot and now today its showing what appears to be reddish color and the skin is peeling... <The water temp is a little high -- 65 to 78 would be fine -- let then bask under a heat lamp to get any warmer. I'll include a link at the bottom of the page. Reptomin is a fine food, a good quality Koi pellets are essentially the same food for a lot less money> I've attached a link to my photobucket so you can see the pictures. Hopefully be a better explanation for the turtle...can you please inform me on what this might be perhaps?? <Good pictures, Gino. Everything I see points to simple mechanical damage -- that means rubbing or cutting on something, even on the top of his carapace (top shell) as he climbs in or out of the water. It is too localized and right near where the neck tends to rub on the shell to be a systemic infection.> <Read below for my recommendations? Thank you. Gino PS: Is it possible that rocks might have gotten in its neck and cause it to get injured???(there tank we put them into when clean has rocks in it) <Yes, somehow this is an injury and we want to heal it before an infection sets in. First, take him OUT of the water and keep him out until the neck heals. You don't have to go to any great expense ... even a cardboard box with high enough sides that he can't climb out will be just fine. An animal is as generally good shape as this one appears to be can be without water and/or UV for months if necessary, so don't worry about that. (A) Take him out to some place dry (B) After his skin is actually dry, dribble or drop some Betadine or any kind of iodine solution on the neck (C) Every day, place him in a shallow bowl of water for 5 minutes to hydrate and eat -- he may NOT eat, don't worry about that yet -- and then when he's back in his box and dry, repeat the Betadine. Keep this up for a week or so and the skin should heal nicely.> <In the mean time, observe his behavior for how & why he was straining & rubbing his neck -- or look for the sharp rock or corner in his permanent home. Once he's healed and you've found & fixed the source of the abrasion, he can move home again an get what otherwise looks like GREAT care from you.> <Regards, Darrel P.S. read this: http://www.wetwebmedia.com/FWSubWebIndex/RESCareBarton.htm > http://i8.photobucket.com/albums/a46/gEE805/IMAGE_203.jpg http://i8.photobucket.com/albums/a46/gEE805/IMAGE_201.jpg http://i8.photobucket.com/albums/a46/gEE805/IMAGE_199.jpg http://i8.photobucket.com/albums/a46/gEE805/IMAGE_197.jpg this picture shows how the neck looks from a profile shot http://i8.photobucket.com/albums/a46/gEE805/IMAGE_194.jpg http://i8.photobucket.com/albums/a46/gEE805/IMAGE_191.jpg http://i8.photobucket.com/albums/a46/gEE805/IMAGE_188.jpg

Turtle floats on water has pale shell and doesn't eat – 4/12/08 Dear crew I got two RES turtles from a pet store last November they seemed to be healthy and active back then. Two months ago one of them started having some problems, his eyes swelled shut and he wouldn't eat. I took him to a vet who gave me some antibiotic eye drops and antibiotic to put in his bowl. He seemed to be ok for 10 days and regained his appetite but after a few days he stopped eating again, his shell has become pale, he floats on water usually tilted on one side, blows bubbles from his mouth and it sometimes sounds as if he is sneezing. I'm really worried about him. please help. Im having exams this month and couldn't go through all the FAQ's and the ones I did, none of them had all these problems combined in one. he is an inch long and I feed him turtle pellets twice a day the pet store owner told me that) The other one has some white patches on his shell, ive tried to research what it might be but came up with no answers. Any idea what this might be? he is otherwise healthy and active and has a good appetite. your quick response will be appreciated <Without any additional information, I'm going to assume the turtle is being maintained in conditions lacking in these ways: * Too cold. Check the temperature. Should be around 25 C/77 F. * Not enough UV light. Reptiles MUST have a UV-B lamp for basking under. Non-negotiable for indoor specimens. Turtles kept outdoors will obviously get enough UV-B for the sunshine. Please note that regular aquarium lamps aren't adequate for this. The lamp must explicitly be stated as a UV-B output lamp. Your local reptile store will be able to offer a range of suitable lamps. * Wrong diet. Red Ear Sliders are herbivores. Second only to insufficient UV-B, the quickest way to kill a terrapin of this type is to give it a meat/pellet based diet. It must have green foods. Juveniles need 50% fresh greens, adults more than 75% fresh greens. Review the FAQs on this topic here for details, but the easiest options are cheap pond plants (Elodea, Cabomba, etc.). http://www.wetwebmedia.com/FWSubWebIndex/resfdgfaqs.htm * Dirty aquarium. Red Ear Sliders are messy but also sensitive to ammonia/nitrite. A 20-gallon tank with a filter offering at least 4-6 times the volume of the tank in turnover per hour is mandatory for juveniles up to about 3 inches shell length. After that, you need to bear in mind adults get to dinner plate size, and expect to get nothing less than 55 gallon system. Water changes should be as close to 100% per week as is viable. In other words, siphon out as much water as you can without necessarily taking the tank apart of exposing a hot heater to cold air (it will crack). Clean the filter media every few weeks (likely 1-2 times per month, depending on how big the filter is; the bigger the filter, the less often you'll need to clean it). *Swollen eyes and respiratory infections (which yours have) are classic symptoms of terrapins (and indeed reptiles generally) kept badly. So review the needs of the species you're keeping and act accordingly. http://www.wetwebmedia.com/FWSubWebIndex/turteyedisart.htm http://www.wetwebmedia.com/FWSubWebIndex/turtrespart.htm Simple as that! If your vet doesn't specialise in reptiles, feel free to print off these articles and let him/her have a read. Note that a Vitamin A injection, perhaps along with antibiotics, is the key step in palliative care from the perspective of the vet. Your main job is to review conditions, diet, UV-B, etc. I can't state this strongly enough: reptiles of any type are not "cheap and easy" pets, so if you don't have time to read things, then quite possibly a reptile isn't the best choice pet for you, at least not right now. Cheers, Neale.> Re: turtle floats on water has pale shell and doesn't eat – 4/12/08 Dear crew, Thanks for your quick response. <Happy to help.> Just to fill you in with a little more details, I am keeping my turtles in a bowl which I was told will be sufficient and also that they will not grow any bigger than they presently are (this again told by the pet store owner). <Garbage! Your pet store owner took advantage of you, I'm afraid. Please do get, and read, a book on keeping pet turtles. They need big enclosures and easily reach 20 cm/8" in captivity, and potentially more.> However, I change the water every day making sure its warm enough and place them in sunlight everyday for a few hours too. <No heater? Changing old, cold water with new, warm water won't work. You do need to change the water at least weekly of course, using dechlorinator as well, but you also need a heater and a filter.> but when indoors I use a regular 40-60 watt bulb. <Placing the turtle outdoors for a few hours when the weather suits probably won't work either, unless you have ambient outdoor temperatures of at least 18 C/64 F for at least 9 months of the year. The turtle will need a good 8-10 hours of good basking time. In other words, the climate and day length has to be identical to that of their natural habitat, the warmer states of the southern US.> should I stop taking them outside in direct sunlight and use a UV B lamp instead? <Yes.> Thanks again for all your help. You don't know how much I appreciate it. I've printed the articles and will take them with me to the vet tomorrow. <Very good. Do also visit the excellent RES site, here: http://redearslider.com/ Best of luck! Neale.>

Terrapin- R infection. - 4/3/08 Dear crew, I got myself a little red ear slider approximately 2 mths ago now, it stopped eating for a week n the half and I brought it to the vet which gave it antibiotic solutions. It didn't do too well, so on the second trip to the vet, we started it on antibiotic injections instead. After that it started eating, not much but it put on 2 grams. I have been feeding/soaking it in mashed up pellets, fish meat/soup, prawns, boiled egg white and egg shells. It started becoming more active, however suddenly it slowed down and stopped eating again and the shell became soft really quickly. This brings me to the 3rd trip to the vet, which prescribed vitamin/calcium injections. It's shell is continuing to soften and I recently noticed that the skin around its body is becoming flaky white. It also started to do the 'statue' position where it will just sometimes stagnate itself. I noticed that currently it is not moving it's front left leg.. The vet said that it has Metabolic Bone Disease and gave it a prognosis of 50/50%. I have been caring for it for a month, am getting tired and feeling helpless. The vet said that because it is only young (couple months old) that it is harder for it recover. Can you please advise me of how else I can help it? I have attached a few pictures of Meeno. Breaks my heart to see him/her suffer. Thank you.-Su <Greetings. Do need some more information here, specifically about water quality and most importantly basking. Terrapins, and indeed all reptiles, need access to UV-B light to properly metabolise their food and build strong bones and shells. More specifically, it helps them produce Vitamin D, and without UV-B, they end up with a set of problems somewhat similar to Rickets in humans. No matter how well you feed them otherwise, without UV-B, they cannot stay healthy. To provide UV-B you need a special sort of lamp held above the basking area. The lamp will need to be replaced periodically (consult with the manufacturer for specifics here). From what you're describing, a lack of Vitamin D could definitely be one thing worth considering. Do also remember they need plant food as well as meat. Your terrapins in the wild eat about 50% plant material, and adults more than 75% plant material. There are plenty of FAQs and articles on terrapin/turtle diet here at WWM, but as a quick thought I'd recommend plain pondweed (Elodea/Anacharis) as a cheap and safe vegetable food for reptiles. Put a bunch in the water, and let your pet graze at its leisure. Cheers, Neale.> Re: Terrapin- R infection. - 4/3/08 Dear Neale, <Hello again!> Thank you so much for the prompt reply. I will be getting a basking lamp with uv-b light tomorrow. As I am from Singapore, I usually just put them near the window from morning till night as some sun light do come through. <Ah, but glass stops UV-B light! While they will get enough UV-B if kept outdoors, they will not get enough UV-B behind glass.> After that I use plain spotlight bulbs at night for a couple of hours for the turtle to bask. I turn off the lights at 11pm and put them out again near the window at 8am. I also use plain tap water. <Ordinary spotlights don't really do anything. Reptiles will certainly bask under them and enjoy it, but it won't provide enough UV-B. So replace the spotlight with the UV-B lamp, and you should be fine!> At this point in time Meeno has stopped eating, are there any food recommended that will entice it to eat? <I wouldn't worry about it. Once the reptile has some good UV-B light, he will hopefully get better and hungrier. But some plant material, like aquarium plants, as mentioned before, will be good.> I have visited the vet in total 4 times, and am very embarrassed to disturb the vet so many times. <Don't be. It's good to care about our pets. It's the people who *don't* care, who *don't* go to the vet, who should be embarrassed.> Is the skin condition dangerous? <Long term, yes.> Kind regards, Suyi <Cheers, Neale.>

RES with weird behaviors, hlth. issues, reading  – 03/18/08
Hi WWM Crew,
<Doris>
This is my first time writing to a webpage with a question so I'm not quite sure if I'm doing it right or not. I have 4 RES. One RES is older by two years. About 45-50 days ago I purchased 3 baby RES. I've recently changed the 20 gallon tank to a 40 gallon tank, with a floating island and a basking light. When I came home I noticed that one of my turtles weren't moving in the water. I took him/her out to see if anything is wrong, it seems that the right eye isn't fully opened kind of like a lazy eye. I placed it on land and realized it stretched out its neck and opened its mouth like it's trying to take in oxygen. After taking oxygen the RES "lazy eye" opened like before. Is my RES not ready to be in such a big tank with that much water?
<Reads like it is having troubles... with both breathing and its eyes...>
Or could it be lack of oxygen? Is my RES sick?
<The latter>
I hope you have an answer to my questions. By the way this is a great site. Thanks for having this site for people who have questions like me.
Sincerely,
Doris.
<Please make use of it. Read here: http://wetwebmedia.com/FWSubWebIndex/fwlvstkind2.htm
toward the bottom... on Turtle Diseases. Bob Fenner>

Worried about my RES 1/31/08
Hello Crew,
<Hiya Amanda - Darrel here tonight!>
I have looked over almost every question on your site and haven't found the answer I need.
<let's see if we can't fix that here tonight>
I'm not sure how old my sliders are but I have two one male one female, Both about 6 inches long.
<Respectable size for a female .... HUGE for a male. Does he have the elongated front claws that males get?>
The female had an eye infection a few months ago so I did what I was told and separated them, and gave her a sulfa- dip 3 hours a day for 7 days. The infection seemed to be gone and she was more then ready to get back in her bigger tank. A couple days ago I noticed she was spending extra time on the basking platform under her light. Every time I come near the tank she stretches her neck out, puffs it up and starts opening and closing her mouth. I called the store where I got (they helped me with the eye infection) and all they said was she is going blind.
<Perhaps they are turtle psychics?>
That doesn't make sense to me.
<Nor to me ... in the first place, if the turtle is going blind how would it see you to puff up and snap at you?>
Do you have any idea what she is doing? Her eyes are clear and not puffy, the tank is clean and running well. She has a basking lamp, filter and a heater which is set at 76 degrees. Please help me.
<I'd like to see the temperature under the basking lamp to be 88-92 degrees and no heater at all in the water (unless you live in Alaska or keep them in an unheated room. General rule, no heater for turtles!>
<Now down to Miss Snappy. Let's start simply -- is she active and eating? Swims well? Has no trouble hauling out to bask and regardless of how often ... does eventually dip back into the water all by herself? If the answer to all of these is "yes" then my guess is that each time you walk up to the tank she puffs up & gapes at you as if to say "I'M NOT GOING BACK INTO THAT ICKY SULFA WITHOUT A FIGHT, MISSY!!!!" If that's the case, giver her time to get over the feeling of being threatened>
<If any answer is "no" then write back and give us more information>
Thank you very much.
Amanda

PLEASE HELP!! RES hlth.  1/31/08
Dear Crew,
<Hiya Ed>
My girlfriend decided to buy a poor little Red Eared Slider that was slightly larger than a quarter and had me take care of it.
<One of the many drawbacks to having a girlfriend is that they are ALWAYS bringing their turtles over ... day & night ....>
I've only had it for 4 days and today when I got home he stuffed himself in a corner. When I moved him out to see him he had a huge blister between his head and his right claw. The blister was easily bigger than his head and the skin had completely peeled off. It was a clear blister with red blood I assume pooled at the bottom of the blister. It looks horrible. As soon as I saw I made some calls to the local vets but all the reptile vets where closed for the day and the emergency center told me to wait till tomorrow to call a rep vet. I tried putting him in a sulfa dip but the E.R. vet said not to because of the blister. I took him out put him in a 10 gallon tank with a heater set to 78 degrees with clean water only an inch and a half deep with a basking rock and a heating lamp. The rock is far enough out of the water where he can stay relatively dry and still have easy access to the water. What should I do? Put him back in the dip or what kind of meds should I get him.
<He doesn't need to be in the water at all right now, Ed. Take him out and place him somewhere warm and dry. If you CAN ... coat the blister with Betadine (Iodine solution) if you can coat the blister without getting it into his eyes, nose or mouth -- just a drop or two -- and wait to see the Vet>
I'm planning on visiting the vet but am afraid its going to cost me a lot. I don't mind paying but if its an excessive amount I'm not sure if that's an option for me at this point.
<I understand. Most people don't realize that a veterinarian goes through the same length of training as a human doctor (MD) and has to deal with dozens of different types of patients, none of which can even tell him or her where it hurts. Often a Vet visit is even more costly that a human visit.>
I really want this turtle to live because I already have another Red Eared Slider in a similar tank that is already 4 inches big. I've never had a single problem with him so that's why I'm so shocked about what happened to this little guy. Please help.
<I hope you can arrange a visit with the Vet, Ed. The cost will be well worth the piece of mind for the office visit and I doubt that actual treatment will be that complicated. My guess is the vet will aspirate the blister, coat it with a topical antibiotic and tell you to keep him warm & dry for 8-9 days.>
Ed

Red Eared Slider - Black Lines  -01/30/08
Hello!
<Hiya Samson, Darrel here>
I have a quick question about my Red Eared Sliders. They are about 1.5 to 2 inches in diameter. Recently, I have noticed that the lines between their plates are getting black and becoming thicker. I was wondering if this is natural, because when I see other turtle pictures, their shell has no black lines between the plates and it appears shiny. Could it be from my turtle's diet? My turtles are in a 20 gallon tank with a UVB light, heat lamp, and heater. I used to feed them a few pellets a day, feeder fish (once in a while), and veggies (once in a while). After reading your help tips I plan on feeding them a larger amount, because before, I did not feed them a lot since I feared they would get fat :] Anyways, I am worried about the black lines on their shell. Is there any way I can make their shell look better? Thank You!
<So far, everything seems just fine. The black lines in the margins (between the scutes) is completely normal in juveniles and that fact that you can see it clearly is a credit to your efforts as a pet keeper. Keep up the good work!!! one thing -- skip the feeder fish, OK? When it's treat time, feed them a couple night crawlers (earth worms) from the pet store -- they usually come in a container of a dozen, so feed them a couple and put the rest out in a garden.>
Samson

VERY sick little turtle 12/20/07
Hi guys hope you can help me with this.
<Hello again>
I'll try make it short -I have a sick 5gm red eared slider-symptoms are gasping for air /not eating since 3 months/wasting/tilt in water/doesn't like water anymore/swollen eyes/red marks between scutes [looks like blood]/bones are becoming softer lately. She still passes urine ,sometimes stool. There is absolutely no vets familiar with turtles here N.B. I just graduated from medical school and I can give her IM injections in hind limb
<The first thing to say here is that a 5 gram baby turtle that has been ill for 90 days in usually in very bad shape and at this point the odds don't favor her. This is not to say we won't give it a try>
My attempts for treatment:
1-a course of Chloramphenicol 50mg/kg for 11 days---->made the neck swelling nearly go away till reaching a point of no further improvement then I stopped it
<You've written about this before, Ahmed and I'm going to tell you the same thing again -- Chloramphenicol is an antimicrobial used mainly in treating amphibians and certain fungal infections and not normally prescribed for turtles>
<*>
<*>
<OK everyone, listen up and pay attention. As I've told you all and Ahmed on previous occasions, I'm not a veterinarian nor, as far as I've been told, is anyone here on Wet Web. Consequently it is not our position or desire to recommend drugs, dosages, courses of treatment that IN ANY WAY SHAPE OR FORM is to be taken as a substitute for actual veterinary medicine, OK?>
<*>
<When you have an animal that is noticeably ill, it is my advice and the advice of WWM that you seek out proper medical advice from a trained professional and that you follow that advice.
<*>
2-after about weeks of the first course Lincospectin for 4 days [I wasn't sure about the dose and there was nearly no improvement so I quit it ] +3 injections of {vitamin A, C and E} with a day or 2 interval between each other
<Continue the vitamins and add calcium unless you're sure she's getting enough in her diet, otherwise her body is leeching the calcium from her bones to keep her heart pumping>
3-then I tried putting dissolving Oxytetracycline in the water {a fish vet told me to} I did that for 5 days and today is day 6------>not sure if there is an improvement
4-tank water is dechlorinated and I change it everyday ,temperature is about 27C/UVB she is quarantined N.B: these were not the conditions before she gets sick {was worse}
<Take her out of the water and keep her warm and dry. Continually being wet when she's unable to properly regulate is an invitation to a secondary infection and/or fungus even in the best of cases. Put her in water for 5 minutes a day to hydrate and perhaps eat and then out again. warm and dry!>
5-the site of injection I use is indurated and shows swelling after injections wonder if the antibiotics get absorbed -
what I am asking for is:
1-what do u think about the condition and about what we can do?
2-Shall I use another course of antibiotics? if so----PLEASE mention the names and their doses the antibiotics that I can get are:
1-enrofloxacin
<This is generic Baytril, which I've recommended to you in prior emails. 10 mg/Kg once a day for 15 days. You'll have to dilute it with sterile water in order to bring the dose down AND because it has a tendency to burn the skin at the injection site -- and you already have a problem with finding useable sites now.>
hope u can help me
waiting for your reply
thanks for your time
<That's all I have for now, Ahmed -- I hope it helps -- Darrel>

Turtle Egg Problems   12/9/07
Hi there,
<Hello - Darrel here>
A few weeks ago I got my red eared slider from a cousin, who kept her in poor conditions (no UV light, water often dirty, fed raw chicken). She now has proper environmental conditions here.
<Glad to hear that>
For the past week she has been in nesting mode and has laid several eggs but is unable to lay the rest (at least 5, as seen in x-ray at vet). She seems satisfied with nesting conditions (access to potting soil, plenty of warmth, light etc) and her appetite is still robust. She is unresponsive to Oxytocin and calcium injections.
<OK, she's having access to good veterinary care as well, congratulations. Are you giving the injections or the vet? The only reason I ask is that I ran into someone once who'd been sent home with Oxytocin that was administering the injections in the front limbs as you would an antibiotic when it has to be injected in the rear of the animal to be effective. Just a double check on that detail>
Instead, she is excreting stringy material, some bright yellow, some pinkish or red, from 1 to 3 cm in length. The yellow ones are more common. They are curly. What are these? Embryos and yolk strings? Dead parasites (they do not move)?
<It's likely that they are the crushed/destroyed remnants of some eggs as well as some dried blood from the process. This would indicate that the Oxytocin IS working but that the eggs were just too old to move smoothly. Without examination that would be my best guess.>
I'd rather try everything before we move on to surgery. Suggestions? Could an infection be to blame? Does she just need more time? Problems from poor nutrition at her prior home?
<All of the above can be playing a role. Many of the attributes from poor conditions and diet linger and a few never go away. What you could do (in this case ask the Vet to do) is to irrigate & flush the ova tract with fluid once a day for a few days. Dried eggs stick to the tract as if they were glued in place yet they will soften just a bit and it reduces the tearing of the duct walls. Whether this will be any real benefit remains to be seen. If it were me, I wouldn't delay the surgery because at this point there's nothing to be gained from letting those eggs remain in place. Eventually they'll calcify and become so attached to the duct walls that surgery would leave her unable to lay more eggs>
Your comments are much appreciated!
<Let us know how it works out>
 

A swollen turtle needs examination  11/12/07 Hi, <Hello> I have a Red Eared Slider, I have had him for a while now and he has been doing fine. I'm not to sure what's wrong with him now, this morning he was swimming around and looked healthy, but when I came home from work he doesn't want to move, his eyes stay shut, and he looks swollen on his legs and around his tail (butt). It's very swollen looking and it looks like a clear skin... is he ok? <I'm sorry to hear this, Angela. I'm not sure what's wrong either but it sure doesn't sound good.> <First, let's get him out of the water. If he's in distress at all, he doesn't need the added work of trying to swim or regulate temperature. Put him somewhere warm (around 90 degrees, no hotter) and dry and allow him to rest. When you say he's swollen you mean everything, correct? The skin seems puffy and the spaces inside where the legs go and the skin attaches to the shell seem inflated? These can be signs of internal gas build-up brought on by an infection, but also from a number of other sources. The best thing to do, of course, is have him seen by a competent veterinarian.> What can I do? <In this instance, your turtle needs to be physically examined by someone with experience possibly, if there is a store near you that specializes in reptiles, someone there might give you better advice than you'd get from a regular pet shop. Also, look on the Internet for a turtle or tortoise club near you. Usually they have a phone number for someone who can get you in touch with an experienced keeper that can examine him and help you determine the cause. Until then, keep him warm and dry and place him in water for just a few minutes each day to drink and possibly eat.> Please help!! <One of the more frustrating elements of keeping fish and reptiles or almost any 'exotic' animal is that they're very stoic -- which is to say that they hide any and all signs of their weakness or illness very well. In the wild, it makes sense to never let the predators see that you're weak or injured -- it's a viable survival technique. But in captivity, they also disguise their conditions from us ... until they are so ill or so weak that they can't hide it anymore. So to us, our fish and reptiles often look healthy and then very suddenly they appear very, very sick. I hope you can find a veterinarian or experienced keeper in your area to help you examine him and find out what's wrong.> <Regards, Darrel> Re: A swollen turtle needs examination 11/19/07 Thank you so much!! He is already starting to look better and his legs are starting to get back to normal. I have a very small amount of water in the tank right now with the rock he sits on.. he finally jumped off the rock and back in the water :) speedy says thank you.. and so does my daughter) thanks again for responding!!! <We're always happy to help, Angela!>

Hatchling Slider with odd behavior 10/21/07
I wrote you recently about a hatchling Red Eared Slider that was exhibiting some strange behavior; spinning in circles as it swims, flipping on it's back and stretching it's neck up and back over it's shell. It has a great appetite, basks regularly and spends equal time in the water. I keep the water temp around 80 deg. and the air temp in the aquarium basking area at 90. The turtle cannot swim below the surface. It spins in circles as it swims because it is trying to get to the bottom and cannot. When it wants to go to the bottom it clings to objects in the aquarium and descends them holding on with its claws. The flipping on it's back is also a result of it's struggle to get to and explore the bottom. I have even held the turtle to the bottom for a sec. or two and then let go and it quickly rises to the top like a fishing bobber submerged and then released. The Slider's' appearance is healthy and maintains a good appetite. It is fed a balanced diet 3 times a week. Could the turtle have underdeveloped lungs, one working lung, or some sort of equilibrium imbalance?
<Those are all possibilities, Lorie. In addition to those sometimes a pocket of gas can be generated from an internal infection and I've actually seen turtles act this way temporarily because they simply had ... gas!>
<At the moment, your best course of action and treatment is to pay SCRUPULOUS attention to detail regarding habitat, water quality and hygiene. Read and re-read the article here: (http://www.wetwebmedia.com/FWSubWebIndex/RESCareBarton.htm) and compare your keeping to the suggestions. First off, I'd lower the water temp to something around 72 degrees (That's around 22.5 for those of you living in the developed world) and give him a wider "choice" for his thermoregulation pleasure. Next I'd make sure that he's getting unfiltered UV lighting when he is basking.>
It seems to have poor judgment skills; when it eats, it attacks the food but often misjudges and misses them. <One of the endearing traits of turtles is their often comical behavior -- but let's stay away from terms like "Poor Judgment" unless you catch him ordering products from late night TV infomercials or sending money to a Nigerian lawyer.>
I'm searching for answers about its condition have been unsuccessful.
<It's difficult TO answer because what you're describing is a consequence of some condition -- much like seeing someone with a limp and trying to guess how he got it>
I wonder if it is a permanent condition, or will it grow out of it.....or worse, die?
<Once again, yes -- it could be any of those things. GENERALLY speaking ... if an animal is thriving, which is to say "active, alert, feeding and growing" then they will either grow out of or learn to compensate for any handicaps they may have. Once in a while an animal can exhibit every trait of thriving and compensating and then one day, suddenly and unexpectedly, succumb to a condition or disease that they've been carrying almost since birth. Technically, a trip to an experienced Herp Veterinarian and the resulting $698.20 medical bill would yield a guess from an expert ... but still only a guess ... with the likely result being that you're told to pay attention to habitat, water quality and hygiene until a more clear-up symptom appeared. When the responsible pet keeper does his or her part in providing a superior habitat, Red Eared Sliders can be amazingly hardy.>
<regards -- Darrel>

Re: Slider in crisis - past? 10/30/07
Thank you guys you are the best
<We try>
I didn't reply earlier as I was waiting to see what happens next
<Story of MY life, too>
I have some good news and some bad news 1st bad news: about the injections, I couldn't do it she is too tiny (5gm)
<I'm not sure I get the connection there, but O.K.>
I went to the reptile specialist of the zoo (shockingly he didn't know much more than I did)
<Not as shocking to me, either>
Good news is someone told me about applying cod liver oil drops to her eyes I did and it improved dramatically (she became awake nearly all day) I got her some worms and she seems to love them she now eats exclusively worms and she moves (she was not moving freely for about a month)
<There's nothing particularly about Cold Liver Oil that would clear up a respiratory infection, but there's a saying that dates back to the earliest medical treatment in the cave man days: Nothing succeeds like success -- if she's up & eating and we're not merely disguising a bigger problem, then we just be happy! >
SO MY FIRST QUESTION IS :IS THIS AN IMPROVEMENT??
<You're there with her and we're all WAYYYYY over here ... so you tell us>
Anyway later I stopped applying the oil drops to her eyes instead I was putting it on the worms (dried) then after about 4 days she closed 1 eye then the other
<Off hand I'd say this doesn't seem like an improvement>
Q.2: SHALL I USE IT AGAIN AS EYE DROPS??
<I'm not as convinced as you are that they did anything other than provide her some comfort>
I noticed something else though through out the period when she opened her eyes its color was white (other than the pupil) not greenish as it used to be
<The Iris is white? Or the eye is surrounded by a fungal coating? I'd need a much deeper description to discern anything meaningful here, but it's beginning to sound like an eye infection, which I would treat with topical Neomycin OR the Chloramphenicol you keep mention.>
3rd:IS THIS DUE TO AN INFECTION???
CAN I USE ANTIBIOTICS FOR IT??
<I think we covered antibiotics earlier, didn't we? You couldn't use them>
About the calcium deficiency which is increasing she doesn't eat other than worms she doesn't want to eat cuttlefish bone I tried spraying calcium carbonate on the food but I guess I do it wrong (doesn't seem to work) I read about getting the worms gut loaded with calcium but I don't know how
<Let's try to get her off of a diet that's not healthy for her in the first place, OK? Obtain some Repto-Min food sticks and feed her one or two of those soaked in water. Sliders are omnivorous eaters and it's highly unlikely that she'll refuse them if she's really hungry. You can dust the sticks with ReptiCal for a general-purpose vitamin supplement.>
4th: How can I supply calcium or get the worms gut loaded with it?
<See above>
About the antibiotics I don't have except Chloramphenicol and I read that its dose for turtles is 50mg/kg I might try doing it again if it's the only way
<The advice I gave you in the past letter was an emergency situation that included the possibility of imminent death. If that isn't the case then I repeat that you need to seek competent veterinary advice>
Q.6: Is there an antibiotic that CAN BE GIVEN ORALLY? IS THE DOSE THAT I MENTIONED RIGHT?
<There are no oral forms of the common antibiotics used to treat internal infections in turtles that can be administered to such a small animal, Ahmed. The oral forms are enclosed in HUGE pills including 99.97% inactive ingredients to protect the animal's stomach (usually a horse, llama or camel) from the caustic active ingredients -- just not terribly appropriate for your needs. Your case presents as an indication of injectibles.>
<1 Make sure she's warm and dry and access to very CLEAN water>
<2 Make sure she has access to very direct (completely unfiltered even by window screen) sunlight -or failing that- direct exposure to UV light>
<3 Moderate amounts of food>
<4.Address [possible] the eye infection, any fungal patches and/or skin ulcerations individually>
<Best of luck - Darrel>

Please help, RES hlth., Neale chimes in  10/16/07
I seriously need help and hope somebody replies.
<we'll see what we can do - Darrel here>
I have a baby Red Eared Slider. It has been my pet for about 7 months now.
She has been sick over the past month through which she ate only 2 bites of fish.
About the nutritional history she didn't like any kinds of food except cooked chicken and meat and fish and egg white.
She was the best in health and was too active all the time she used to like basking in the sun (than the other) at 1st it stopped eating at all then her eyes were swollen and kinda white and maybe I saw her sneezing or coughing and having a nose bubble a few times all that disappeared except not eating and swollen eyes.
<There are some nutritional issues here, but we'll get back to them>
Then I took her to a vet (the most popular I know) and he looked very not experienced with them he said its the disease of the eye its herpes and its fatal and its non treatable I kinda wasn't convinced) but its really kinda difficult here to find a vet who is good with turtles.
<True>
Anyway after that she started GASPING FOR AIR and making noise from time to time while breathing and her neck is swollen too (ears) I suspected a respiratory infection I raised the temperature of the water to 30 C for two weeks now with no improvement and now she always stands on the hind limbs (as if standing on legs )while she is leaning on the walls of the container NOW maybe the swelling around eyes is not that much instead the skin around the eyes is darker and she kinda cant open them the neck is swollen she is very wasted doesn't eat anything the most posterior part of the shell (the part she stands on) is going soft she sometimes does an EXAGGERATED gasping that looks scary but goes away if I make her stand as she likes.
<I see ...>
IS THERE ANYTHING I CAN DO I want 2 give her antibiotic injections but I don't know how or where exactly in the forearms and I don't know about the dose and we don't have Baytril so I was planning to give her either Ampicillin or Chloramphenicol wish somebody can help me with that.
<I'm truly sorry for your troubles, Ahmed. Your turtle is truly sick and there may be not all that much that can be done. I'm not sure about a Herpes diagnosis and your guess about upper respiratory infection seems more in line -- certainly more typical. Baytril would be the treatment of choice but it's expensive, hard to administer and strange as it may seem, is very stressful to an already stressed animal.>
<The first thing I'd do is remove her from the water except for a few minutes each day to bathe, drink and eat. Other than that, keep her warm (around 31-32 C) but not cooked under a heat lamp. Natural sunlight is a very potent ally in this fight, but getting enough without overheating her is going to be a challenge. I'd like to hear more about what treatment the veterinarian gave her. I'd also like a second opinion here. Neale?>
<Darrel,
I agree with you the Herpes diagnosis sounds dubious. The description is much more like a standard bacterial infection of the respiratory tract (essentially pneumonia-like infections). Pretty common among reptiles when kept in less than perfect conditions. Anyway, the only way to cure this particular little terrapin is for the owner to find a vet experienced in treating reptiles. Most are not, and such vets will be a complete waste of time and money. In the short term the owner must take special care to avoid chilling the reptile. But without antibiotics it isn't going to get better, and only a vet can decide the precise antibiotic to use for this particular infection. In fact because the infection is probably caused by multiple bacteria, the vet is likely going to have to use a cocktail of drugs. Your correspondent could point their vet at the following page of the Merck Manual for more. http://www.merckvetmanual.com/mvm/index.jsp?cfile=htm/bc/171407.htm
Hope this helps,
Cheers, Neale>
<So there's your second opinion and he brings up a good point. If you can't find a good reptile vet in your area, it is certainly reasonable to print out some information for him.>

Re: please help: RES hlth.  – 10/18/07
First of all
Thanks for your reply Darrel
<You're welcome>
about the vet he didn't suggest any treatment he said either she is going to live or die and there is no treatment for viral infection. I suggested that if he was sure we can use antiviral (acyclovir) which is used in human and iguanid herpes he said its not effective (but he looked like he didn't know).
<Neale and I agree that a viral cause is not likely. Hoof beats=horses, not zebras. Think URI>
I searched up the net and I found a little about herpes except for sea turtles and it looked awful (fibropapillomatosis) and I found a lot about pneumonia and that if I had these symptoms I should see a vet which is useless in our case.
<My friend Doug Mader DVM does a significant amount of surgery for the Sea Turtle Rescue program in Marathon Key, Fl and I can assure you that your turtle doesn't have that.>
SO if I am going to do something its going to be done by ME even if it was injections I know its going to be difficult as she is sooo tiny (about an inch and half) but if I can do something its better than watch her die
<Welcome to the club Ahmed. We routinely spend ridiculous amounts of time and money on our pets -- often way out of proportion to our budgets -- for that very reason>
The 2nd problem here is that in case it is bacterial not viral, there is no "Baytril" that's why I suggested Chloramphenicol
<Well, the vet IS right about one thing. If it is viral there is little to be done, but it's not. Everything you describe sounds bacterial.>
The 3rd is the dose and site of injection I read in an article that it should be 2 mg/kg (mine is in grams) about the site I read that it should be in the front legs (but which part???????!!!!)
<*>
<READERS Please note: The following is an emergency condition under which I am violating a basic principle of responsible pet care. I am giving specific medical advice without myself being a medical professional or even examining the patient. I am doing this based on an ongoing communications with the pet owner and after consultation with a colleague in which we both believe that (A) there is no other path available to the pet owner and that (B) doing nothing will result in certain death for the pet and that (C) - read below - the pet owner has a reasonable chance of being able to obtain and administer the required treatment.>
<*>
<This is NOT to be taken even REMOTELY as standard advice or even worse, to be thought of as a reasonable standard of care: A reasonable standard of care in cases such as this is to find a responsible and experienced Herp (reptile) veterinarian and follow his of her advice to the letter! PERIOD!>
<*>
<I'd have no problem doubling that dose to 5 or even 8mg/kg for a case that's been going on this long. The injections may be given intra-muscular (into a thick part of a muscle) or subcutaneous (just under the skin.) Evidence suggests that it's quite irritating to the animal, so diluting it 50/50 with sterile saline AND then injecting that half in each front leg is acceptable. Reduce to 3-4 mg after 3 days for the balance of 21 days.>
There is another problem though which is she doesn't eat (it's been a month now) and she doesn't open her eyes except if I keep bothering her till she only opens one eye but they're not much swollen now but their skin is dark.
<A tiny bit of liquid calcium and liquid vitamins orally (grimace - or even injectable) wouldn't hurt>
About the condition I am keeping her in 12x6 inches with little water only enough for her to walk not swim (she usually even doesn't walk she just stands on 2 back legs resting on the wall) the water is always clean and dechlorinated and the temp is 30 C is this enough????!!
<At the moment, I'd rather see her dry & warm and only hydrated (bathed) a few minutes a day.>
If you can help teach me about the injection thing or tell me what to do that would be great
<That's the best we can tell you right now, Ahmed and we're all hoping it helps>
N.B: I am in medical school (last year) so um kinda familiar with scientific talk an injections but not to turtles of course
<Ahmed the sad truth about reptile and fish medicine is that by the time we keepers notice their illness, it's usually in a very advanced state. The reason so many exotics (which in this case includes turtles and fish) are lost under veterinary care has as much to do with the fact that only very advanced cases are even noticed by us as it does finding a qualified vet. Never in the history of the world has the phrase "an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure" been more a reality than in animal husbandry. We're doing everything we can do for your little girl and we're all hopeful, but at the same time, as I think you realize, the odds do not favor us. Still, move ever forward with hope as our light>
Thanks again
<Best Wishes. Darrel, Neale, Bob & everyone else at WWM>

My Red Eared Slider is sick! 10/16/07
Hi,
<Hiya -- Darrel here>
I found a baby Red Eared Slider turtle in a dry plastic container 1 year ago. It was the size of a toonie.
<You're Canadian, eh?>
I rescued the poor little turtle and I noticed that his shell was really soft and there was a slimy white guck around his mouth. I would remove it with a q-tip everyday so he could eat and I would brush his shell with soap. The slime disappeared after treating him with a fungal medication and his shell became hard. I always had to hand feed him because he wasn't able to do it by himself. I have a feeling he is blind due to the fungal infection he previously had. He has no sense of directions and he keeps knocking his head in the glass. He panics all the time and splashes the water everywhere.
<While it sounds like he has some problems, YOU seem to be doing a great job>
Today after I cleaned his tank, I noticed that his mouth was open under the water. After examining him for a couple of minutes, some orange stuff came out of his mouth. He puked like three times. I don't know what's wrong with him. I noticed that there was some green spots on his floating bridge. I wonder if that's making him sick. Is there anything I can do? How do I make him eat on his own? I was also wondering about how to keep his tank clean. I seriously need to wash his 15 gallon tank once a day because it stinks so badly. I tried three different kinds of filters and none of them worked. Any info would be great.
<The first thing is that you're right -- one turtle under three inches (7.6 cm) should not be fowling a 15 gallon tank in a day. Put him in a different container for a day or two, scrub this one thoroughly with bleach (take safety precautions) and kill any and all kinds of organics. If there's gravel, wash it in beach as well. Filters, filter tubes, logs .. everything that comes in contact with the water. I suspect that you have some waterborne parasites, fungus and/or mold.>
<Meanwhile, let him stay dry and warm, clean the shell and mouth area as you have been doing and see that he gets ample amounts of sunlight or UVA/B lighting. When you finally put the tank back together (after rinsing 3 or 4 times and letting it sit for a day or two) don't feed him in there. Take him out to a small container, bowl or whatever and feed him there. My guess is that keeping his habitat cleaner will go a long way to keeping him healthier.>
<Now, as to the regurgitation, you could be looking at a severe parasite infestation or even an advanced infection. Without a trip to the vet you won't know for sure, but being dry and warm for a few days will help both possible conditions.>
Thank you for your time.
<Hope it helps>

Turtle Care - 10/08/2007
Dear WWM Crew,
<Greetings,>
I have emailed you previously regarding to a sick turtle of mine. Thank you very much for your reply, I really appreciate it. Unfortunately, the turtle died on the fourth day after purchase. I suspect her death was caused by pneumonia. Frankly, I'm still feeling very sad about it.
<Hmm... pneumonia relatively uncommon, and without access to a microbiology lab, not something you can prove. Mostly turtles die from not enough warmth, poor water quality, lack of vitamins, wrong diet, etc. Review basic care before justifying your conclusion here.>
The other turtle, Alphonse, is quite healthy. He's grown to about 1.5 inches. I've noticed that he likes to bite a lot. When the other turtle was alive, I noticed that he bit her feet and shell for a few times. Is that normal?
<Yes.>
I thought about getting another turtle, but I am afraid that Alphonse might attack, so I did not.
<Red-ears are basically tolerant, but males at least will try and establish a pecking order. No harm is done, provided there's enough space. They don't *need* friends though, so if you don't want to buy another specimen, don't.>
Currently, I have a 10 gallon tank, a floating dock for him to bask on, UVA and UVB lamps, and a submersible heater. I change his water and clean the tank every 3-4 days.
<Too small... these animals need a 20 gallon tank from the start simply to maintain good water quality, and once a few inches long you need something closer to 55 gallons. Please bear in mind these are BIG animals. You also don't mention a filter. A filter is more useful that water changes, because a filter removes ammonia in "real time", while water changes merely dilute it periodically. Of course, you need to do water changes *as well*. When shopping for filters, look for one providing 5-6 times the volume of the water in turnover per hour. So in a 55 gallon tank, let's say half-filled with water, you want at least 5 times 22.2 gallons = 112.5 gallons per hour. You'll find the turnover rating on the filter pump and/or packaging.>
Also, I was wondering how long could RES babies go without food.
<Many days, even weeks. Reptiles are very good at fasting, especially when the temperature drops. But this isn't an issue for Red-ears. When you're away on holidays, simply stick a couple of bunches of Elodea or Cabomba in the aquarium. You can buy these plants in bunches from any aquarium shop, very cheaply (around here, they're around £1/$2 a bunch). The Red-ears will happily eat them while you're gone, and being plants, they don't pollute the water. They also stay alive until eaten, so can be used indefinitely.>
Currently, I feed him everyday in the morning (ZooMed aquatic turtle food + shrimp treats). But I need to travel in December, and I am quite concerned about leaving him by himself for 3 weeks. Should I find someone to take care of him while I'm away?
<Add more greens! Red-ears should receive about 50% their diet as green food when young, and 70%+ when adult. This is ESSENTIAL for their vitamins. Dried turtle food is best used as a treat: it lacks moisture, and many reptile keepers believe causes problems with constipation if used as the exclusive diet. So, try this, alternate between green and meaty foods each, i.e., one day they get greens, the next day dry or frozen foods.>
Thanks!
Allison
<Cheers, Neale>

Illegal Turtle, RES not on the lam, but sick-env.    – 08/26/07
Hi Crew,
I got my Red Eared Slider in Chinatown and later found that he was illegal.
<Hi Amanda -- First, you need to understand that your turtle is NOT illegal. He has done nothing wrong, broken no laws and is not subject to any penalties. Please make sure he understands this, OK? I'd hate to have him go through the rest of his life looking over his shoulder. Same goes for you. Nothing illegal about having him. It's illegal to sell or offer for sale any of a group of turtles with a carapace length of less than 4 inches except for a few purposes, one of which is educational. Are you learning? Then everything is fine -- so tell him it's OK!>
I've had my Red Eared Slider for about 6 months and it hasn't really grown. It's a hatchling about 1.5-2 inches in size. It's shell has gotten really soft and slightly deformed one side is caved in a little the other side is rounded), and he has pyramiding. This is probably due to not getting his UVB rays so I've begun taking him outside more and have ordered a UVB ray bulb. But lately he's been acting really strange, he's slow and lethargic and hasn't eaten much in the past few weeks, and within the last few days he's stopped eating all together. He also gets really stiff and doesn't always move when he is touched, even if his head gets touched. I don't know what is wrong with him or what to do, please help!
<I'm sorry to hear that, Amanda. And I agree with you, it seems like a lack of proper lighting, maybe diet and general conditions, too. I'm enclosing a link that I'd like you to read and really REALLY measure your care aga