Re: Turtle FAQs work on WWM, call for articles - 1/17/08
Hi Bob,
<Big N>
Here's the other article. There are two separate diseases going on here, so it's a little schizophrenic. Hope it works as it is. You may decide to split into two, in which case, feel free!
Cheers,
Neale
PS. Thanks for the PayPal money! Got that safely yesterday.
<Ah good... more about now. Cheers, B>

Big trouble in Little Turtletown   12/11/07
Hey my turtles drinking his water but isn't eating... I think he's blind.
<Greetings. Not nearly enough information here to go with. What sort of "turtle"? Terrestrial (i.e., tortoise) or amphibious (i.e., slider/terrapin)? How large is it? When you say you think it's blind, why? Does it have puffy or inflamed eyes, or cataracts, or what? Is it ignoring its food because you're offering it the wrong sorts of food items? Most turtles are, to some degree, herbivores, and need/want plant matter in their diet, and quickly become sick when given just pellet or meaty food day in, day out. Let's be very clear on something: almost all turtle sickness comes down to people not providing good care, either because they're unaware of what turtles need (i.e., didn't read up about them first) or are too callous to care (i.e., don't want to make the required effort). Aquatic turtles need warm water, a UV-B lamp for basking, dry land to bask on, a filter to keep the water clean, and regular water changes, at least 50% per week. In the case of things like Red-ear Sliders, the diet needs to be about 50% plant matter when they are young, and as much as 75% plant matter when adult. Some diseases can be fixed using off-the-shelf medications, but many bacterial infections, such as those that cause respiratory tract and eye infections, almost always require a trip to the vet. Reptiles generally take a long time to die, so if you ignore the problem and just 'hope for the best', you are basically condemning the animal to weeks if not months of pain and misery. So get back in touch with some details, and let's save this turtle. Cheers, Neale.>

Baby Turtle With Puffy Eyes  5/11/06
Hi, I've been having some problems with my baby yellow-bellied slider. He's about the size of a quarter, and has been doing great until about the past two or three weeks. He's having trouble opening his eyes (there seems to be some kind of film over them), wasn't eating, and spends most of his day sleeping on the dock. He also does this unusual movement with his neck (it's seems like he's moving it in and out of his shell). I've taken him out of his normal tank last night (there is also a red-eared slider in there) and placed him separately with a stronger heat lamp. As soon as he was placed in there, he ate, jumped in the water and started swimming for about an hour, and soon went back to sleep. Since then, he's only been in the water once today, and I'm pretty sure he hasn't eaten. The vet said that there is nothing wrong with him, but I still have a feeling something is going on. Would it be possible for someone to help me solve this problem? Thank you,
< Clean the tank and treat the eyes with Repti Turtle Eye Drops by Zoo Med. The extra heat was a very good idea. Between the drops and the heat your little turtle should be fine in no time.-Chuck>

Turtle Expert, Turtles With Injuries  8/8/06
Hello Robert, I hope you are a turtle expert.  I have two turtles with problems. 1st Case is a 3 inch Eastern Painted Turtle.  He was bitten by a bigger female (which is no longer with the little guy).  Parts of the back of his shell have fallen off and it appears white, not a fungus, but the scutes seem to be missing.  I use a soft toothbrush to clean it every other day and spray it with HerpCare Skin & Shell Treatment by Mardel letting it dry then putting him back into the water.
2nd Case is a 3 1/2 inch Red-eared Slider.  Recently one of his eyes have become infected.  I don't know if he was injured or what happened.  When she is underwater it looks like fungus.  She can open it and you can see slight puffiness around the eye.  The eye itself looks fine.  I have been treating her daily with Fluker Laboratories' Reptile Eye Rinse.
Both are still active and eating. What would you recommend I do for them?
Thanks! Brian Kallenberg
< Keep the turtles isolated so they don't get worse. Keep the water clean and add a  Dr Turtle Sulpha Block by ZooMed. This should inhibit any bacterial growth. Try ZooMed Repti Wound Healing Aid and the Repti Turtle Sulpha Dip. This should really help with the wounds/trauma. If the eye problem is caused from a deficiency in vitamin A, then look into amending the diet with more vegetables with a vitamin supplement. The ZooMed Turtle Eye Drops really help with these eye problems.-Chuck>

Re: Turtle Expert, Eye Problems In Turtle   8/12/06
Thanks for your help, I have one last question.  Since the infection is only in one eye, can I rule out a vitamin deficiency? Brian
< No, not really. The other eye may come down with the same problem and delaying treatment may only make things worse.-Chuck>

Turtle With Eye/Head Problem   1/4/07
Hi, My boyfriend and I came home yesterday from a three week vacation to find one of our painted turtles completely disoriented.  It's left eye socket is swollen about twice its normal size, his head is cocked completely to the left, as if it is stuck and he cant move it back straight, and he can only swim/walk in a tight circle. We called a pet store in Detroit last night and they told us the turtle may have gotten too hot and suffered brain damage, but I don't see how that is possible. Is there another reason? Some sort of disease that would cause this? Should I attempt to gently pull its head out to straighten it? I appreciate your prompt attention to this matter. I live in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan and have no access to vets or anyone with knowledge of exotic animals. Thank you, Brie
<If your turtle is wild caught then there is a host of parasitic worms that may be at work here. Go to Kingsnake.com and contact a good herp vet that may be able to walk you through a proffered treatment for this problem. In the meantime raising the temperature of the environment to 85 F may work like a fever and help treat the disease.-Chuck>

Yellowed Belly Hatchling Basks With His Eyes Closed   12/31/06
Hi, I have bought a hatchling Yellow-Bellied Slider, and before buying I researched a lot. I have had him for a day, and I'm feeding him on ReptoMin food sticks. He ate yesterday, which seems okay. I have noticed that when he comes out of the water onto his basking area (which is at 85 F), he tends to close his eyes. He keeps them open in the water and when he's sleeping (he sleeps at the top of the water), but when he gets up onto land and basks, he closes his eyes (his eyelids are like a clear-ish film). I just wanted to know if this is normal, or should I be worried? Thanks.
< Basking lights are very bright and the eyelids are there to protect your turtles young eyes from too much light. If the eyes get puffy or do not open then there is a vitamin A deficiency and ZooMed Turtle Eye Drops are needed.-Chuck>