What to do if the turtle does not eat? How to open a turtle's mouth? If the turtle opens its mouth.
Anastasia Khrustaleva. Moscow, Russia
So, you have a turtle. And no matter how it got to you - you bought it in the market, in a store, in a transition, or they gave it to you, presented it, threw it up ... You now have it, and you are responsible for it.
If you don't have a turtle yet, read this chapter anyway - it will save you from buying a known sick animal and help you recognize signs of illness more quickly in the future.
Like any other animal, a turtle can get sick. Her illnesses are not similar to those of dogs and cats, so the vast majority of doctors in the former USSR do not have the necessary qualifications and education to treat reptiles, including turtles. A list of veterinary herpetologists who can be contacted without fear, as well as a list of doctors whose prescriptions harmed the turtle or caused the death of the animal, can be found on the Turtles.ru website.
Competent literature on this issue is even less than specialists. The Internet is replete with forums and sites compiled by people who are illiterate in this area, most of the advice from such pseudo-specialists will lead your animal to death. The advice of sellers in pet stores is also dangerous, 99% of them are absolutely not true, and even harmful.
In such a situation, most breeders and amateurs have to rely only on their own strength.
The first thing to remember is that 90% of turtle diseases are due to improper maintenance and feeding. Therefore, if you want to have a healthy animal that will delight you with its presence in the house for several decades, provide it with the right conditions. Do not skimp on the purchase of the necessary equipment, treating a turtle can become much more expensive and troublesome.
DO NOT - keep turtles of any species on the floor, feed food that is not characteristic of their species, give as a toy to children, allow contact with other animals.
Most of the turtles in our homes are Central Asian (land) and red-eared (aquatic), European marsh turtles (aquatic) and Far Eastern Chinese trionics (aquatic) are less common. Exotic species are rare and are generally not given away by a housemate, donated by classmates, or sold on the subway. So, for starters, decide on the look of who got to you. Perhaps this advice will cause a smile, but on the forum of the Turtles.ru website, stories about aquatic turtles that have been kept in boxes or on the floor for years are not so rare ...
Having decided on the view, take a closer look at the turtle.
Of course, a change of residence for any animal is stressful, but the turtle still should not be lethargic, indifferent, unresponsive to touch.
Examine the turtle's eyes - they should not be constantly closed, swollen, watery, sunken. A healthy turtle does not drag itself with difficulty along the surface, but steps over with all four paws, stretches its neck, studying the surroundings.
The turtle should not squeak, wheeze, whistle, click (do not confuse all this with hissing when they try to scare you!). Her nose should not run, her nostrils should not be overgrown or clogged with dried mucus. If your turtle is a land turtle, and recently from a store, a yellow coating in the throat and mouth also speaks of a serious illness.
The shell should not have damage, chips, cracks, exfoliating foul-smelling areas, in a turtle larger than 5-6 cm, the shell should not be soft (in young turtles, with a shell that has not yet grown stronger, this is possible). The shell of a healthy tortoise is quite even, without tubercles, hump and depressions, uniformly convex from above (this is a carapace) and even from below (this is a plastron). Red-pink spots should not appear under the shell, this indicates hemorrhage and severe kidney damage.
If you have an aquatic turtle, pay attention to how it swims - is there a list on its side, can the turtle dive.
If any of these signs appear, you should urgently examine the animal, determine other symptoms and begin treatment! Because all the processes in the body of a reptile are slow, and if the disease has become noticeable, it is in full swing, and the drugs that you will administer will not work immediately for the same reasons, and the time when the turtle can still be saved can be missed.
At the same time, the refusal to eat, characteristic of sick mammals, does not always indicate a disease of the turtle, but if the reptile does not eat for more than a few days, even in the absence of other symptoms of malaise, one should be wary and carefully monitor the animal, especially if these problems have not previously appeared. was. And a long refusal of food, more than 1.5 weeks, is a reason to consult a specialist.
Not considering it appropriate to consider all diseases of turtles in this article, we will focus on some of the most common and give general treatment regimens for these diseases (developed by the leading veterinarian-herpetologist D.B. Vasiliev) for owners whose place of residence does not allow them to directly contact a specialist.
Let's make a reservation right away - self-treatment and diagnosis "in the field" are justified only if you are sure that you have no other chances to save the animal, because the symptoms of many diseases are similar, and it is only possible to conduct a qualified examination by a herpetologist.
Rickets
One of the most common diseases of turtles in captivity. Both young and adult turtles are affected. This disease is associated with a lack of calcium and vitamin D3 in the turtle's body.
Causes- improper maintenance and feeding - lack of vitamin supplements and ultraviolet radiation, feeding the animal with feed that leaches calcium from the body (for example, white cabbage).
Symptoms: in young land animals - pyramidal growth of the shell, curvature of the limbs; in young aquatic ones, the shell is soft, as if it is tight for a turtle, the edges are bent upwards, the shell has not hardened by the year; adults - a gap in the back of the carapace, the plastron is often soft, the shell grows uncontrollably; old ones - the shell is not soft, but brightens, resembles plastic, the turtle seems “empty”. It can be observed - fractures, bleeding, the turtle pulls the body on its front legs due to paresis or weakness of the hind legs, the beak resembles a duck, aquatic ones cannot get out onto land and drown. In the last stage - death from pulmonary edema, acute heart failure.
Treatment- When examining rickety turtles, increased caution is necessary - bone fractures and deformation of soft organs are possible. The fall of such turtles, even from a small height, is fraught with serious injuries. Any diagnosis, particularly rickets, must be made by a veterinarian. Softening of the shell may be associated with renal failure, hyperparathyroidism, alimentary osteodystrophy, classic "rickets" (lack of vitamin D-3), etc.
1) Rickets I-II stages (limbs work normally, there are no systemic symptoms: bleeding, swelling and paresis). Treatment will require 2 to 8 weeks.
Inject Calcium gluconate (10% solution) at a dosage of 100 mg/kg or Calcium borgluconate (20% solution) at a dosage of 100 mg/kg, intramuscularly, every 24 or 48 hours (depending on the degree of rickets), for 2-14 days.
Drink Panangin (potassium + magnesium) at 1 ml / kg every other day for 10 days. Panangin helps calcium to go to the bones and shell, and not to the joints.
If the turtle eats on its own, 1-2 times a week sprinkle calcium top dressing for reptiles, for example, from Wardley, or Vitrum calcium, 1-2 times a week on food or in food, 1 tablet at the rate of 100 mg / kg of "pure" calcium per 1 feeding. Food in this case is sprinkled with powder (the tablet must be crushed).
The turtle should be exposed to active UV light (ultraviolet lamp for reptiles 10% UVB). Daily for 10-12 hours.
Aquatic turtles need to adjust their diet by adding more foods containing calcium, such as Nutrafin (Hagen) or Reptomin (Tetra).
2) Rickets stage III-IV (paresis of the limbs and intestines, spontaneous fractures and bleeding, anorexia, lethargy and shortness of breath are noted).
Treatment is prescribed and carried out by a veterinarian. Treatment takes at least 2 - 3 months. During the first year, it is necessary to monitor the diet and, if possible, the biochemical parameters of the blood.
*Calcium injections - there are several ways to administer calcium - intramuscular and subcutaneous. In each case, this issue should be decided by the attending physician or consulting specialist.
Herpesvirosis
Severe infectious disease, high mortality. Most often detected in recently acquired turtles. The impetus for the development of the disease is given by poor conditions of detention, depletion of the body during smuggling or improper hibernation. The disease is highly contagious.
Symptoms: breathing is difficult, hoarseness, squeaking, clicks during breathing, snot, saliva stretching, discharge from the eyes, refusal to feed, lethargy, yellowish coating on the tongue and throat covering erosions. (The presence of plaque at home can be checked by running a Q-tip in the mouth and throat of a turtle). If the turtle has been living in your home for a long time, neither you nor it has come into contact with new turtles - it is more likely pneumonia.
Treatment- performed only by a veterinarian. Currently, Acyclovir (Zovirax) is successfully used.
1. Amikacin 10 mg/kg, every other day, 5 times in total, IM in the upper arm
2. Baytril 2.5% 0.4 ml/kg, every other day, course 7-10 times, intramuscularly in the shoulder. Alternate with point 1 - one day, another day.
3. Ringer-Locke solution 15 ml / kg, adding 1 ml / kg of 5% ascorbic acid to it. A course of 6 injections every other day, under the skin of the thigh.
4. Cut off the tip of the 14-18G injection needle. Rinse the nostrils through this needle 2 times a day with Oftan-Idu eye drops, if they are not available in pharmacies, then with tsiprolet (tsiprovet) eye drops, drawing them into a syringe. After that, open the turtle's mouth and carefully clean out all the purulent overlays from the very root of the tongue.
5. In the morning, crush and pour on the tongue 1/10 of a tablet of septefril (decamethoxin)
6. In the evening, apply a little Zovirax (Acyclovir) cream on the tongue. Washing of the nostrils and treatment of mucous membranes continue for 2 weeks.
7. Crush 100 mg tableted acyclovir (regular tablet = 200 mg, i.e. take 1/2 tablet), then boil the starch solution (take 1/2 tsp starch in a glass of cold water, stir, slowly bring to a boil and cool), measure out 2 ml of this jelly with a syringe, pour into a vial. Then pour and mix the crushed tablet well. Inject deep into the esophagus this mixture through a catheter, 0.2 ml / 100 g, daily, for 5 days. Then make a new batch, and so on. The general course is 10-14 days.
8. Catosal or any B-complex 1 ml/kg once every 4 days IM in the thigh.
9. Bathe the turtle daily (before injections), in warm (32 degrees) water, for 30-40 minutes. In addition to rinsing the nostrils, clean the turtle's mouth when shortness of breath occurs.
Amikacin | human pharmacy
Oftan-Idu or Tsiprolet | 1 vial | human pharmacy or Ciprovet | veterinary pharmacy
Septefril or Decamethoxin | 1 pack of tablets | human pharmacy
Zovirax or Acyclovir | 1 pack of cream | human pharmacy
Acyclovir | 1 pack of tablets | human pharmacy
Baytril | 1 vial | veterinary pharmacy
Catosal or any B-complex | 1 vial | veterinary pharmacy
Starch | grocery store
Tympany
A disease characteristic of aquatic turtles, most often it affects young turtles.
Symptoms- aquatic turtle does not sink in water, falls on its right side. Feces may consist of undigested food. May blow bubbles from the mouth, may vomit. The roll of the turtle can also be on the left side if the gases are already in the distal intestine, in the colon. And in this case, Espumizan to give to no avail.
Causes- tympania (acute dilatation of the stomach) occurs for various reasons. Most often, when overfeeding against the background of general lethargy of the gastrointestinal tract. Sometimes with a deficiency of calcium in the blood, which causes spasms of the intestines and pyloric sphincter. Sometimes due to pylorospasm. Sometimes it is idiopathic (i.e. not caused by obvious causes) tympania, more common in turtles under 2-3 months of age, which is not treated. This could simply be due to overeating or when changing food (most likely, you did not feed her what she received in the store). It is also possible the presence of a foreign object in the pyloric sphincter or in the intestine.
Treatment- it is treated with calcium preparations, enterosorbents, antispasmodics and drugs that stimulate peristalsis, but the last two groups for turtles have limitations.
If the turtle is active, eats well, then for a start it is worth letting it starve for 3-4 days, most often this helps to restore flotation and do without injections. If fasting didn't help...
Treatment regimen:
1. Calcium borgluconate 20% - 1 ml per kg (if not found, then human calcium gluconate 10% at the rate of 2 ml / kg) every other day, the course of treatment is 5-7 times.
2. Dilute Espumizan for children with water 2-3 times and inject it with a probe into the stomach (Espumizan 0.1 ml is diluted with water to 1 ml, injected into the esophagus at the rate of 2 ml per kilogram of animal weight, i.e. 0.2 ml for each 100 grams of weight) every other day, 4-5 times per course.
3. It is advisable to inject Eleovit 0.6 ml per kg (optional)
For treatment you need to buy:
Children's Espumizan | 1 vial | human pharmacy
Calcium Borgluconate | 1 vial | veterinary pharmacy
Eleovit | 1 vial | veterinary pharmacy
Syringes 1 ml, 2 ml | human pharmacy
Probe (tube) | human, veterinary pharmacy.
Helminthiasis
Treatment- Appointed angelmintik. For example, Wolbazen (Albendazole) is a mammalian anthelmintic but works great on turtles. The dosage is indicated on the package, but approximately 40 mg of active ingredient per 1 kg of turtle is recommended. Repeat after 2 weeks. You can also use Nemozol. Reptilife from AVZ is also suitable, preferably in the form of a suspension. It is poured into the turtle's mouth (1 ml with a syringe without a needle) and after 2 weeks it must be repeated. It is better to keep the reptile on paper or napkins during treatment, bathe more often and give grated carrots. Carry out a complete disinfection of the terrarium and equipment (change of soil and treatment with conventional means: hot solutions of bleach, chlorophos, alkalis, etc.).
Hypovitaminosis A (lack of vitamin A)
It is most common in turtles deprived of vitamin supplements and turtles from improper conditions. Vitamin A in turtles is responsible for normal growth and for the condition of skin tissues.
Symptoms- peeling of the skin, detachment of horny shields (especially marginal ones) on the carapace and plastron; blepharoconjunctivitis, swollen eyelids, necrotizing stomatitis; proliferation of horny tissue (hyperkeratosis), a “parrot-shaped” beak is characteristic, prolapse of cloacal organs. Often hypovitaminosis A is similar to bacterial diseases. Possible runny nose (snot transparent). As non-specific symptoms, refusal to feed, exhaustion, and lethargy are usually present.
Treatment- in case of severe hypovitaminosis A, an injection of a vitamin complex is made, which contains vitamin A - Eleovit, Multivit, Multivet (other complexes are not allowed - the composition is not suitable for turtles). An injection intramuscularly, in the back, 1 injection - a break of 2 weeks - the second injection. The dosage of Eleovit and Multivet for land turtles is 0.8 ml / kg, and for water turtles - 0.6 ml / kg. Dosage of injection Introvit (only in the absence of other vitamin preparations!) 0.8 ml / kg one-time, without re-injection.
It is impossible to drip oily vitamin preparations into turtles' mouths, this can lead to an overdose of vitamin A and death of the turtle.
If within 2 weeks there is no obvious improvement, it is necessary to prescribe antibacterial drugs (antibiotics topically and in the form of injections).
Injuries
Turtles, like all other creatures, get hurt.
Causes:
Fracture of the shell - dogs, falling from a balcony, from a terrarium, a man stepped on, a car ran over; paw fracture - any careless action with a lack of calcium, a fall from somewhere on a hard surface; lacerations, bitten paws, tails - an attack by a rat, another turtle, a bacterial infection; small wounds - due to skin friction on the edge of the shell, on the sharp edges of stones; burns - about an incandescent lamp, about a water heater, while bathing by negligent owners; bruises and bruises - when the turtle hits the shore, falls from the house or the second floor in the terrarium onto stone ground, falls to the floor;
Treatment:
Wounds are washed with Dioxidine (solution of Furacilin, solution of Chlorhexidine), in case of bleeding with hydrogen peroxide.
A fresh wound after washing should be treated 1-2 times a day with drying sprays. Suitable for turtles: Chlorphilipt, "silver" or Nikovet - aluminum spray, Kubatol, Septonex, "green" (in extreme cases), Terramycin, Chemi-spray, ZOO MED Repti Wound-Healing Aid. Iodine and alcohol liquids, sprays should not be used.
If the wound is very fresh and bleeding, it is better to transplant the turtle into a container with paper, napkins or a medical diaper to avoid infection. After 2-2 days, when the wound heals, you can reduce the time spent in the container after treating the wound to 1-2 hours, and then return it to the aquarium or terrarium.
After the formation of scabs, the wound is lubricated with healing ointments such as Solcoseryl, Boro-plus, Actovegin, Rescuer, Eplan, etc.
Trionicsam is first treated with Terramycin, which disinfects the wound, then it can be smeared with Eplan gel, which forms a crust. The drug Triderm is used only at the last stage, when successful epithelialization occurs. If Trionics tries to open the wound, then it is necessary to seal it with a band-aid.
Scuffs and small wounds should be treated in the same way as wounds.
Lacerated wounds are sutured, and the sutures are treated with brilliant green / Terramycin. If you did not give the turtle a course of antibiotics, then you need to watch the animal very carefully. The wound should be clean, dry and covered with a crust. There should be no redness around the edges and no discharge.
If an abrasion on the neck is formed from rubbing the skin of the neck against the shell, then you need to carefully grind off this protrusion with this blunt file. After cutting, the place where this growth was, it is necessary to seal the BF with glue (sold in a human pharmacy and serves to treat small wounds). It will take a long time to heal the abrasion, but it's not scary.
Burns - the wounded surface is cleaned, and then drugs are applied to it that promote its speedy healing, for example, Panthenol, Olazol, Levavinisole. For minor burns, use 1% tannin or a similar emollient. In the case of larger and more serious injuries, the course of treatment should be a veterinarian, because he will be able to stitch and hold the wound together.
With redness and peeling, nothing needs to be done. When bubbles appear, they are opened by carefully cutting off the upper part, then the wounds are covered with a 5% aqueous solution of tannin or a 10% percentage solution of nitric acid silver. The crust on the wounds eventually leaves on its own.
The stump can be periodically treated with Eplan, Actovegin, Solcoseryl and up to the removal of sutures.
Bites - the wound is thoroughly cleaned, disinfected, then an antibiotic is prescribed. For deep injuries, surgery is sometimes required. Full healing of the bite site can be expected after 80 days with proper care.
Bruises, bruises - may appear when the turtle hits the shore, as a small hemorrhage under the shell. It goes by itself.
Fractures should only be treated by a herpetologist veterinarian, or you can follow the herpetologist's schedule if you cannot bring a turtle to the appointment.
Closed fracture - you can count on spontaneous treatment.
Open fractures - should be treated with splints, screw clamps. The recovery process is longer than in mammals. When treating, it is necessary that the turtles do not hibernate during the winter. After bone surgery, turtles must be given antibiotics for 10 days.
Fractures of the limbs - are eliminated by the imposition of splints.
Jaw fractures - fixation with pins, using a two-component epoxy adhesive. Its advantage is that it does not generate much heat when in use.
Shell fractures are often associated with the formation of cracks in the stratum corneum, after turtles fall from balconies, if a dog has bitten a turtle, a car or a motor boat has run over.
If an edge piece has broken off from the shell, or a crack has appeared due to injury, it is necessary to check if blood is flowing. If blood flows, then the wound must first be treated with hydrogen peroxide. You need to put the turtle in a clean quarantine pit, on white paper, and keep out the dirt.
Then try to take the turtle to the vet, while it is better not to smear the wound with anything, so that the veterinarian can determine the size of the damage.
The veterinarian should examine the carapace injury and decide if it can be left to heal on its own or should be glued with epoxy. It is better not to glue the turtle on your own. The epoxy resin is removed from the turtle no earlier than a year later, it all depends on how much the shell has healed and overgrown. After the operation, you will need to pierce a course of antibiotics to prevent infection of the tortoise (Baytril for 5-7 days), and if the tortoise does not eat, then daily or every other day inject Ringra-Lock's solution with glucose and ascorbic acid.
Injuries and wounds should be treated with Teramycin, Aluminum spray.
If it is not possible to show the turtle to the veterinarian, then open wounds are washed with dioxidine (terramycin, furacilin solution, chlorhexidine solution), with bleeding - with hydrogen peroxide. Then they are dried with chlorphilipt (or "silver", Nikovet - aluminum spray, covered with a layer of aerosols such as Kubatol, Septonex, brilliant green, Terramycin spray). Then the processing is repeated. After the formation of scabs, the wound is lubricated with healing ointments such as Boro-plus, Solcoseryl, Actovegin, Rescuer, Eplan, etc.
You can give a turtle to drink water from a saucer, but so that the wounds do not get wet, and also try to feed, but it is not a fact that the turtle will eat.
Shell gluing process
When gluing pieces of shell by a veterinarian, the epoxy must not come into contact with the soft tissues of the turtle. If necessary, after a thorough cleaning of the wound, the horny and bone layers are drilled on both sides of the gap and a strong connection is provided with a wire. The wire can be removed after 3-4 months. More often, a mesh is simply superimposed, which is fixed with epoxy resin, if there are no pieces of shell. If there are cracks on the shell, then under anesthesia the edges of the cracks are connected and smeared with epoxy until gluing.
Sometimes the soft bridge between the carapace and the plastron is injured. If it is not broken or torn, then it is enough to wash it with hydrogen peroxide and periodically lubricate it once a day with Terramycin or Chemi-spray or another spray.
Pneumonia (inflammation of the lungs)
The disease is characteristic of both aquatic and land turtles.
There are 2 stages of the course of the disease.
Stage I pneumonia - "wet" or "exudative" pneumonia - occurs suddenly and is acute.
Reasons 1:
It is usually caused by keeping turtles for a short time at low temperatures, without food and under crowded conditions (i.e. during transportation, overexposure, trade in a cold room, on the street or market, etc.). The disease can manifest itself after 3-4 days and in some cases leads to death within a few days or even hours.
Symptoms 1:
The turtle may refuse food, become lethargic and lethargic. Aquatic turtles spend more time on land, land turtles stop returning to a stationary shelter (if any) or do not go out to heat at all. If such a turtle is gently “clicked” on the nose, then with a sharp removal of the head, a vibrating, gurgling sound can be heard, reminiscent of a wet rattle. Transparent, slightly stretchy exudate can be found in the oral cavity and in the choanae. In the future, the accumulation of exudate in the lungs and in the upper respiratory tract can cause suffocation. Excessive exudate can sometimes be released from the mouth or nostrils and dry out in the form of whitish crusts, foam. The mucous membranes of the oral cavity and tongue become pale and sometimes cyanotic. Land tortoises can sharply increase activity: they begin to "run" around the terrarium, make forced movements, sometimes no matter how they see anything around. Attacks of activity are replaced by periods of depression. In aquatic turtles, swimming qualities are disturbed: with a one-sided process, turtles “fall over” when swimming to the side of the affected lung (where the density of spongy tissue increases). In many cases, turtles resort to coughing, sneezing, and panting to clear their nostrils or mouth. Turtles can rub their heads with their front paws, a rather hopeless attempt to "cope" with obstructed nostrils.
Treatment 1:
Symptoms may disappear after the first antibiotic injection (usually within a few hours). The main drug is baytril (2.5% baytril, at a dose of 0.4 ml / kg every other day in the shoulder muscle). Reserve group drugs - oxytetracycline, ceftazidime (20 mg / kg every 72 hours), ampiox-sodium at doses of 200 mg / kg intramuscularly, levomycetin-succinate. If therapy does not cause a clear improvement within 3 to 4 days, it is better to prescribe aminoglycosides. During treatment, the turtle must be kept at daytime temperatures not lower than 30 -32 ° C. Baytril's analogue is enroflon (veterinary) or amikacin (10 mg / kg every other day), but then it is necessary in parallel with injections of Ringer's solution.
For treatment you need to buy:
Baytril 2.5% | 1 vial | veterinary pharmacy
Ringer-Locke solution | 1 vial | human pharmacy
Syringes 1 ml, 5-10 ml | human pharmacy
Stage II pneumonia - "dry" or "purulent" pneumonia - develops when stage I pneumonia stabilizes or occurs as an independent process.
Reason 2:
Prolonged or abrupt cooling combined with dehydration.
Symptoms 2:
The turtle refuses to feed, later the turtle becomes inactive, quickly loses weight and becomes dehydrated. Hanging of the head and incomplete retraction of the limbs, expiratory shortness of breath (after increased exhalation associated with stretching (sometimes tipping) of the head and opening the mouth, a loud click and a prolonged squeak, audible even from a distance of several meters), throat, nasopharynx, choanae are clogged with large yellowish - greenish flakes of pus, which can cause asphyxia in turtles.
Treatment 2:
Treatment should continue until the appearance of positive dynamics on the radiograph. Ideally, the tortoise begins to feed on its own after 2 weeks of therapy. With insufficient duration of treatment, the acute course of stage II pneumonia often becomes chronic.
kidney failure
The disease most often affects land turtles, this is a classic disease of the turtle "outdoor" content. Kidney failure is an increase in the level of uric acid in the body, which destroys the kidneys, slowly but irreversibly. With a prolonged violation of kidney function, the level of phosphates in them begins to increase and the level of calcium decreases, a clinical picture of "rickets" occurs.
Causes- "outdoor" maintenance (low temperatures on the floor, drafts, hibernation at room temperatures), dehydration, excess protein and protein in food, vitamin deficiency, use of nephrotoxic drugs, calcium-phosphorus imbalance, infections.
Symptoms -
* turtles are overweight or normal weight and usually refuse food;
* vomiting may occur - a rather rare symptom in turtles;
* the turtle has very odorous feces and urine;
* Swelling of the hind limbs, possibly the front. The skin becomes almost transparent;
* under the shields of the plastron, a fluctuation of the liquid is noticeable (usually without blood admixture); in the last stages (thermal stage), blood stains spread under the plastron and even the carapace;
* possible symptoms of hypovitaminosis A;
* possible symptoms of osteomalacia;
* There are no salts in the urine.
The turtle stops eating, barely crawls, does not open its eyes well, can periodically open and close its mouth.
In renal failure associated with nephrocalcinosis (plasma calcium levels as high as 20 to 40 mg/dl), additional injections of calcium salts will cause death of the turtle. In the final stage of renal failure, all processes progress rapidly. Growing anemia, hemorrhagic syndrome, osteomalacia processes lead to detachment of the bone plates along the seams and falling off of the horny plates. The causes of death are usually pulmonary edema, pericarditis, or encephalopathy. The turtle in the final stage is able to live 5-10 days.
If left untreated, animals die from uremic coma.
Treatment is complex and should be carried out by a herpetologist veterinarian. In a chronic process, when there is blood under the plastron or even the carapace (osteorenal syndrome), the prognosis is unfavorable and the most humane is euthanasia.
In other cases, it is necessary to restore the functionality of the kidneys. If the turtle does not empty its bladder for a long time, it is necessary to bathe it daily at a temperature of 32-35 ° C for 40-60 minutes. The turtle must be forced to move and not fed. If this does not help to remove salts from the bladder, then it is imperative to drain the urine from the bladder by inserting a little finger or a silicone catheter into its neck. Excess fluid in the bladder will lead to shortness of breath and possibly heart failure. In addition, it is necessary to get rid of salts in the bladder (white curd mass).
It is necessary to pierce the vitamin complex with signs of vitamin deficiency (swollen eyes). It is also necessary to pierce a diuretic (4 injections of Ringer's or Ringer-Locke solution (10-15 ml / kg), adding 0.4 ml / kg of furosimide to the syringe). You need to prick every other day under the skin of the thigh.
In case of inflammation of the extremities, one dose of Dexafort (0.6 ml / kg) should be injected intramuscularly.
To check for the presence of this disease in a turtle, you need to take blood from the tail vein, and do a biochemical study on 5 parameters: calcium, phosphorus, uric acid, urea, total protein.
Treatment regimen for acute renal failure (ARF):
1). Ringer-Locke or Hartman's solution is injected under the skin of the thigh, every other day, 20 ml / kg, adding 1 ml / kg of 5% ascorbic acid to the syringe. 5-6 times.
2). Dexafort (0.8 ml/kg) to any muscle group. Repeat after 2 weeks. OR instead Dexamethasone 0.4 ml/kg for 3-4 days, then decrease by 0.1 ml/kg every 2 days. Course 8 days.
3). Calcium borgluconate is injected under the skin of the thigh, every other day (on other days with point 1), 1.5 ml / kg or gluconate 2 ml / kg, 5 injections in total.
4) Allopurinol orally with 1 ml of water deep into the esophagus, daily, 25 mg/kg, 2-3 weeks
5) Dicynon 0.2 ml/kg daily, 5-7 days, in the shoulder (in the presence of bleeding)
6) Inject Catosal 3 times, 1 ml/kg into the buttock, every 4 days.
7) Bathe daily for 40-60 minutes in water + 30-32 °C.
For treatment you need to buy:
Ringer-Locke or Hartman solution | 1 vial | human pharmacy
Dexafort or Dexamethasone | human pharmacy
Ascorbic acid | 1 pack of ampoules | human pharmacy
Allopurinol | 1 pack | human pharmacy
Dicynon | 1 pack of ampoules | human pharmacy
Calcium borgluconate | 1 vial | veterinary pharmacy
Catosal | 1 vial | veterinary pharmacy
Syringes 1 ml, 2 ml, 10 ml | human pharmacy
You can read more about the diseases and treatment of popular types of turtles on the Turtles.ru website, and on the forum of the same name, ask questions to the herpetologist veterinarian, specialists and experienced consultants about how to give injections, you correctly made a diagnosis, did you calculate correctly the dosage of the medicine, whether your conditions of detention and feeding are correct, what to do if ... And about many other things.
With all my heart I wish you, the reader, as the owner of a turtle, that this multi-page chapter on diseases would never be useful to you, and that your pet would please you with excellent health for many years.
Then you need to regularly pay attention to her behavior. In the event of a change in the nature of the behavior, it is necessary to immediately find out the reason for such behavior, as this may affect the health of your pet.
Suspicious behavior includes moments when the turtle begins to open its mouth quite often and make characteristic sounds. Such behavior can be regarded as such that indicates the presence of some kind of disease in the red-eared turtle.
Possible reasons
- ORZ or. In other words, it is a disease of the respiratory tract of both viral and infectious origin.
- Disorders in the work of the gastrointestinal tract.
- The processes of decay in the oral cavity.
It is very important to pay attention to such a factor as the discharge from the oral cavity of secretions of a different nature with the presence of a large number of air bubbles.
This is necessary in order to indicate the exact characteristics of the animal's abnormal behavior in the course of consultation with a specialist in order to establish a preliminary diagnosis. In the case of an accurate description of the clinical manifestations, the veterinarian, even by phone, can determine the exact diagnosis and give recommendations on the method of treatment.
In no case should you self-medicate, as this can lead to disastrous results. The best option is to take the animal and take it to a veterinarian who has some knowledge and experience. The doctor will quickly and accurately determine the diagnosis of the existing ailment and prescribe a qualified treatment.
Such diseases, especially pneumonia, are quite difficult to cure without the use of antibiotics, which are injected into the turtle's body.
In any case, you should pay attention to the conditions of keeping a pet. As a rule, most diseases, such as pneumonia or acute respiratory infections, develop under conditions when the temperature conditions are low and unsanitary conditions are observed within the habitat of the reptile.
Disorders in the work of the gastrointestinal tract are treated with the help of normalization of nutrition.
In good conditions, turtles can live for decades, but it also happens that pets get sick. Diseases can be the result of injuries, malnutrition, colds, contact with sick animals. The most common diseases of turtles will be discussed in our article.
Rickets in turtles. It is found not only in humans, but also in our smaller brothers. The turtle softens the shell and bones. The reason is the lack of vitamin D and calcium, it can develop as a result of malnutrition and insufficient lighting. First, soft areas appear on the shell, then the disease progresses: the shell is deformed, the bones soften, and spontaneous fractures are possible. A twisted shell is an incorrigible pathology. As soon as possible, you need to adjust the diet, increase daylight hours under an ultraviolet lamp or walk under the sun, calcium borgluconate is injected under the skin (4-10 injections).
Fungus, saprolegnia.Dots on the shell begin to appear in the turtle, it peels off. Affected plates must be taken for analysis, after confirmation they must be cleaned to prevent pathogenic bacteria from penetrating deeper. The affected areas are lubricated with antifungal and antibacterial ointments (they will be prescribed by a veterinarian). Saprolegniosis is more common in aquatic turtles: it seems that translucent threads stretch behind the paws of the animal. It is necessary to disinfect the water, make baths with special preparations, take a course of antibiotics.
Pneumonia in turtles. Often found in turtles: a small draft or a walk on a cold floor is enough. Often, animals catch a cold during transportation or violation of the temperature regime. Breathing is hoarse, mucus appears in the mouth, bubbly fluid is discharged from the nose. The turtle opens its mouth more and more often, breathing intermittently. A course of antibiotics is required for 5-7 days (Amikacin 5 mg, Baytril 5 mg per kilogram of weight and other drugs), they also give ReptoCal and ReptoLife, vitamin complexes. Turtles need to be kept warm and comfortable.
Rhinitis and sinusitis. They can be unilateral or bilateral. First, mucous secretions appear from the nose, the turtle behaves sluggishly, apathetically. If the disease is not treated, rhinitis can affect the turtle's eyes and ears. The animal must be kept warm away from drafts, maintain a temperature regime, rinse the nasal passages with antiseptics using a syringe with a catheter (chlorhexidine, sea salt), and give vitamin complexes. If necessary, the veterinarian may prescribe a course of antibiotics.
Prolapse of the rectum or cloaca.The cause may be trauma to the intestinal mucosa (for example, if the turtle has eaten soil or hard food). Males also experience prolapse of the penis, it would be better if it is set by a veterinarian. Also, the cloaca can fall out due to constipation and enteritis. After the cloaca is set, the tail is fixed with adhesive tape, vaseline oil is administered orally. A few days you need to watch the pet, if there will be a relapse, if there are any problems with bowel movements.
Turtle conjunctivitis. There is redness and inflammation of the eyelids and conjunctival sacs, the turtle behaves uneasily, rubs its eyes with its paws. The disease can be caused by a streptococcal or staphylococcal infection. The course of treatment includes antiseptic ointments (chloramphenicol, tetracycline), antibiotics, immunomodulators.
Maladaptation Syndrome.If the turtle was transported incorrectly or the conditions were changed, the digestive system may be disrupted. The animal refuses food, there is dehydration, lethargy, drowsiness. It is necessary to give the turtle an anthelmintic agent, bathe regularly in warm water, and feed it. If there is severe weight loss, the veterinarian may prescribe drips. Antibiotics may also be prescribed.
Necrosis, osteomyelitis.Cracks often appear in the shell, through which infection can penetrate. If necrosis begins, damaged shields should be removed, then antifungal and antibacterial ointments should be applied daily. Osteomyelitis manifests itself in the form of reddish rough spots, in an advanced stage it leads to the death of the shell and damage to internal organs. The turtle is given injections of chloramphenicol or aminoglycoside, baths with antiseptic preparations, vitamin complexes, calcium.
Many owners, faced with such a problem, are perplexed what to do if they do not eat. There can be several reasons for refusing food, including both natural and harmless ones, and those associated with a violation of your pet's health.
Why doesn't the red-eared turtle eat anything?
Natural and fairly safe reasons may include the following: the desire of the turtle to hibernate and puberty. The turtle is a cold-blooded animal and with some changes in the conditions of detention (lighting, water temperature), it can hibernate. This is a completely normal state. Another reason for refusing food is the puberty of the individual. In general, turtles can go without food for up to two months without compromising their own health.
More serious reasons why he does not eat and opens his mouth may be constipation or an improper diet. Finally, the most dangerous diseases that deprive turtles of their appetite include various infections and the growth of a “beak”, which prevents the animal from eating normally.
How to feed a turtle if it does not eat?
If you are sure that your turtle is not going to fall asleep, then you should carefully analyze the conditions of detention. The water in the aquarium should be warm enough, and the presence of a UV lamp is mandatory. Perhaps the turtle does not have enough light, this can happen in autumn or winter. Then you need to add another llama to illuminate the aquarium. Review your pet's diet. Turtles are predators, therefore, in addition to dry food, it should include fish and seafood. Cucumber, seaweed or lettuce leaves are suitable as a herbal supplement. If you suspect your turtle is constipated, give her a warm bath. It will also solve the thirst problem. The "beak" is removed only after consulting a veterinarian, and to prevent its formation in the future, a little chalk is added to the turtles' food. But most importantly, if you have any suspicions that the turtle is sick, urgently show it to the veterinarian and then proceed according to his instructions.
For their slowness and sluggishness, as well as the interested turn of the head and the inspiring look of cute animals, turtles can be called royal. They are both unpretentious and require a little free space to accommodate an aquarium / terrarium.
At the same time, be sure that you will spend more than one evening looking at rich drawings with various shades of green. How do kids love turtles? Watching the behavior and grace of these little creatures is a pleasure. Naturally, in the pet store you examine the purchased pet, stop your eyes on a healthier individual. It often happens that in a store with an animal, everything seems to be fine at first glance, and when you move a new friend to an unusual habitat for him, the question arises about the behavior of the reptile - why does the turtle squeak? The root cause may be directly the move itself and the stress of the animal, which is reflected in just such a reaction. This does not mean that you should rush back to the store with a live purchase. It also does not mean that your new pet is sick or debilitating.
The reasons why a turtle (most often the problem concerns the red-eared turtle) makes a squeak can be as follows:
- The most common cause of turtle squeaking is sexual maturity. When the reptile reaches puberty and prepares for reproduction, it attracts the attention of individuals of the opposite sex with a squeak. If you have only one turtle in your apartment, it is unlikely that this is the reason for the squeak.
- By squeaking, the turtle may be trying to convey its displeasure. Carefully study the conditions in which your pet is kept - perhaps some external factor simply causes inconvenience to him.
- If your turtle is squeaking, carefully inspect it. With a squeak, a pet can express pain. Often it is with a squeak that a reptile announces an injury. Examine her skin and shell.
- The most unpleasant reason why a turtle can make a squeak is a disease. Many diseases of the lungs and respiratory system in general have just such a symptom. It is not recommended to independently prescribe treatment without special knowledge - this can only do harm.
In any case, if your pet has been squeaking for more than 7 days, a visit to the veterinarian is recommended. If your animal has lived with you for a long time (several months or more) and you begin to notice some sound reaction to certain actions of yours, such as pulling it out of the aquarium, the pet’s lack of desire to get out on a dry island, some changes in the skin, then you should immediately contact qualified professionals.
Turtle symptoms?
First of all, examine the appearance of your pets for possible symptoms of diseases. Danger signs can be swollen eyes, mucous discharge from the nose, trailing saliva in the mouth, yellow plaque or ulcers. In this case, you can be afraid that your turtle has caught pneumonia, and qualified intervention is required. However, in any case, first observe the pet. Perhaps the "squeak" occurs when the turtle eats succulent food. In addition, red-eared turtles make a similar sound during the breeding season.
Combined with other symptoms (refusal to land, eat, go into hibernation), squeaking can be a stress response as a result of improper containment.
What problems can a veterinarian identify?
To make a diagnosis (and this may be hypovitaminosis, rickets, for example), you should bring the animal to the doctor, and also write down in detail the conditions for keeping the pet. This will help eliminate irritating factors (it can be an ordinary lamp or household water filter, as well as the wrong temperature for keeping) from the life of the animal and prevent the development of the disease and deterioration.
Pneumonia and other respiratory diseases
Speaking of serious diseases during which turtles squeak, one cannot but mention pneumonia. If your turtle has pneumonia, it must be urgently treated with medication. Ulcers, saliva oozing from the mouth, mucous discharge, swollen eyes, and a yellow coating will help determine pneumonia in a turtle. If any of the signs is present in your turtle, urgently show it to the veterinarian.
A turtle's squeaking when breathing only means that there is an obstacle in the larynx area that causes sound vibration. This may be pulmonary sputum, but most often saliva, food fragments or mucus from the stomach, accidentally caught in the trachea. If these episodes are repeated, then a drop of 24% aminophylline can be injected into the trachea during inhalation.
The course of the procedure:
- Open your mouth, press on the throat from below, so that the root of the tongue rises.
- There is an entrance to the laryngeal fissure.
- During inhalation, it opens (two petals diverge to the sides).
- At this moment, drip aminophylline there, through a thick syringe needle, sawing off its sharp tip.
Other Turtle Sounds
It is believed that turtles are the most silent animals in the world and do not know how to make sounds. Most often, you can hear the "screams" of male tortoises when, during mating, they climb on a female or on what they think is a female. It is believed that each species has its own "voice" by which this species can be recognized. Females usually do not make any sounds during mating.
Some turtles, once in captivity, make different sounds, but then, getting used to it, “go numb”. But in addition to screams, turtles can occasionally make various sounds that can scare the owner or hostess.
Sometimes, when closing the mouth in aquatic turtles, a “clicking” of the tips of the horny jaws against each other is heard. If a large turtle abruptly draws its head into the shell, then the air forced out of the lungs can emit a “hiss”, and the turtle itself can hiss if it is very frightened (and again sharply pulls its head in).
Red-eared turtles can whistle when they stick their nose or face out of the water. Often this happens when they are unhappy with something, or just like that. If there are no alarming symptoms, then such whistling is normal, and nothing can be done about it. For example, red-eared turtles make a sound similar to "croaking" for no particular reason.
But if your turtle regularly opens its mouth, stretches its neck and squeaks, start sounding the alarm and at the same time lethargic and refuses to eat. This is very likely a sign of pneumonia, which turtles don't live long with. So start looking for herpetologists in your city.
Scientists' opinion
According to the researchers, adult turtles communicate with each other and with hatchlings using at least six types of different sounds. The results, published in the journal Herpetologica, suggest that turtles live more complex social lives than previously thought.
The study was conducted from 2009 to 2011 on the Trombetas River, located in the Brazilian state of Pará in the north of the country. With the help of microphones and hydrophones, scientists were able to record over 250 sounds made by river turtles. They then analyzed them into six types that correlated with certain turtle behaviors.
“The exact meaning of these sounds is unclear. However, we believe that the turtles exchange information,” said Dr. Camila Ferrara, who took part in the study, in an interview with the BBC. “We believe the sounds help the animals coordinate their actions during the laying season,” added Ferrara. The sounds made by the turtles differed slightly from each other depending on what the animals were doing at the moment.
For example, a turtle made a specific sound when adults swam across a river. When the rest of the turtles gathered on the shore where the clutches were made, she made a different sound. According to Dr. Ferrara, female turtles use sounds to guide newly hatched offspring into the water and back to the shore. Since many turtles live for decades, scientists suggest that in the course of life, young turtles learn to communicate using sounds from more experienced relatives.
conclusions
If your turtle has reached the age of 7-10 years and began to squeak, then most likely its squeak is associated with reaching puberty. If suddenly your turtle began to squeak - inspect its body. Often such sounds can be accompanied by pain - make sure that there are no injuries on the turtle's body. If there are no injuries, and the age of puberty is not reached, but at the same time the turtle squeaks and refuses to eat or go to land - make sure that this is not a reaction to the improper maintenance of the pet, as turtles are demanding on habitat conditions.
