Tortoise has bruising on bottom shell due to kidney disorder. What to do?
I don't think we should necessarily conclude that your vet doesn't sound like he knows what he is doing, although that is commonly the case. Injecting vitamins is rarely necessary, as Happy Crazy Bunny said, but it is sometimes called for in cases of severe deficiency when the tortoise isn't eating. This is what the Tortoise Trust has to say on the subject: "Vitamin injections These should only be used to deliver specific vitamins in cases where a specific vitamin deficiency is known to exist. We are totally opposed to the routine use of vitamin injections - in most cases, they serve no useful purpose and indeed are a frequent cause of introduced infection via the injection site. Very few deficiencies are so acute that the much more effective and safer oral delivery route is not a satisfactory mode of treatment. Acute vitamin-A deficiencies may be dealt with by injection, but few other cases require this treatment. The use of a routine "vitamin booster" before or after hibernation is a complete waste of time." The injected antibiotics sounds totally appropriate. What you're describing on her plastron sounds like septicemia (bacteria in the bloodstream) and can be a progression of severe respiratory infection. Unfortunately it has a very poor prognosis. The treatment is with urgent administration of antibiotic injections and supportive care (plenty fluids - which it sounds like you are doing - minimal stress, optimum temperatures, etc.) It can be beneficial for the vet to perform blood tests to determine what bacteria he's dealing with, to ensure it is sensitive to the antibiotic he's chosen, but I don't think that's particularly common practice. Hope she pulls through... I've got my fingers crossed for her.
Dry Docking for a red eared slider with possible respiratory infection...?
I don't think dry docking your turtle is going to help with a respiratory infection. It's really more for fungal infections, like shell rot and that kind of stuff. That being said I cannot say right away what you should do without knowing the symptoms. If your turtle is listing (swimming in an irregular manner, such as swimming in circles, unevenly or lopsided and even swimming upside down.) then you need to take it to the vet immediately. Listing is caused by fluid in the lungs, more specifically, if fluid exists in one lung or there is more fluid in one lung than the other. Then it needs to be taken to a vet immediately. If you are noticing breathing difficulties, coughing, sneezing, open mouth, yawning, wheezing, lethargy, loss of appetite, mucus from the nose (runny) or mouth and bubbling at the nose and mouth then you should consider changing the water in your tank and ambient air temperature and water temperature should be raised 5-10 degrees F. The water temperature should be warm, at least 80°F for healthy babies as it is. If you have any other turtles in the tank with it they need to be separated since R.I. is contagious. If any of the symptoms still persist you should take them to the vet and get it on some anti-biotic.
Do turtles go on heat and bleed as mine is bleeding a small amount and has gone off her food?
Absolutely not, no, so I would get her to a vet, ASAP!!! Bleeding from the cloaca is totally not normal and sounds like a medical emergency. One possibility is damage, internally, if she's had difficulty laying eggs and they've broken inside her. Another is damage from ingesting and being unable to pass something sharp. Yet another would be a *very* severe parasite burden...or possibly a really bad bacterial gastro-intestinal infection. Whatever the cause, only a reptile specialist vet will be able to tell you for sure. Good luck! Alex
My red eared slider turtle opens it mouth when basking. What is it doing?
I am worried that he/she has breathing issues. It scratches its nose time to time. He also made a strange sound from its nose, which i think was it trying to breathe through the nose. Please help i am really worried it will die soon if it is an infection of some sort.
Water Dragon Eye Problem (URGENT!)?
My Water Dragon has had his eyes shut for quite some time now (actually a very long time), and things just went from bad to worse. When I noticed that his eyes where closed several weeks ago I called a vet and got their advice on what to do. They said it could be an infection, or maybe something in the eyes. They suggested flushing the eyes, and seeing them if it didn't work. My family doesn't understand that reptiles are actual pets and require medical attention from time to time, so we never did go to the vet (I'm only 16 and can't afford OR drive my reptile to see the vet in a near-by town). Weeks have pasted and the situation has gotten worse. I haven't seen him open his eyes in over a week, I can't get him to eat, I can't even get him our to raise the humidity because he won't open his eyes and flips out whenever I open the tank! I got him out earlier, and gently restrained him in a torpedo hold to try and open his eyes. I didn't see any puffiness, but instead I saw a skin like film over his eyes (not his eyelids). I did some really quick research, and I guess it could be my coil UVB bulb I was using (it's now cut off and is staying that way). I'm beating myself up over over looking that bit of information when I was researching for my CWD, but now I'm more worried about him going blind. I could really use some advice on what this could be, and what I can do. Before anyone gives me a generic answer about seeing a vet that ISN'T currently an option. I called the vet, and they will be closed until the 15th of this month. So I'm screwed for a week. PLEASE give me some advice. I really don't know what to do...
What do box turtles eat and any other info on them?
hey peeples! i was just wondering because i have a box turtle and i wanted to know some good things on what to feed it and good ways to take care of it? any ideas on the well being and health happiness and other things on the box turtle? all help is appreciated thanks:) most detailed answer =10 points but ill thumbs up every ones answer as long as its appropriate thanks:D
My baby turtle hasnt been opening his eyes, yet it still moves around. what is wrong with him?
its basically says the water is dirty and that its not getting the proper lighting or a lack of a heater. remember turtles NEED uvb and uva light