RES health problems symptoms

Question
QUESTION: hi there jeannie,
i was sending u questions last night and searched for a while now here are all symptoms : sneezing and having running nose, swimming tilted, not being able to dive, not growing at all...
are these pneumonia symptoms and should i start finding antibiotics  here ???

ANSWER: Hi Angy,

Yes, those are all symptoms of respiratory infection/pneumonia.  He does need antibiotics.  There is some chance he'll get better on his own, but it's much more likely that he will get worse and eventually die without treatment.  I'm sorry because I know good vet care is hard to find where you are, but an infection like this in a turtle is very serious.  If you can find Baytril there you have a good chance of saving him.  It will need to be diluted with saline and administered by injection.  You can also give it orally on food, but you have to be sure that he's getting all of it, so injection is really better.  Injections aren't difficult to give.  Fortaz (Ceftazidime) is another antibiotic that is sometimes used, but I can't really tell you much about it other than that.  You'll still have to find a vet or someone who can help you with correct dosage and dilution once you obtain the Baytril.  Good luck, and keep me updated.

BTW, apparently turtles do cough!  I've never seen this, but it seems that they do.  However, because they lack a diaphragm, their ability to cough productively the way we do is compromised, which means that for them coughing is not an effective way to clear the lungs and is why respiratory infections are so dangerous for them.  

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QUESTION: Thanks for answering so much, but i really have a problem finding a vet, there are no vets here and if there are they treat cows and so and thats in the country side not here...
Ill ask for the antibiotic tomorrow, i really wish i can find it.
Abt coughing i noticed he coughs some white substance sometimes...
One more thing i have 2 other ones but they have no problems but i wanna ask also abt my oldest he is 1 year and a half old, he has a white spot on his back when he is not exposed to sun it turns so white and when he does it turns darker and so on.. what does that mean???? does he need calcium ????
thx in advance and thank u so much for all the help u gave me.

ANSWER: If you can't find the antibiotic you'll just have to give him the best care you can and hope for the best.  

I'm not sure what the spot on the other turtle's shell could be.  It sounds like a little fungus or possibly shell rot, but fungus is more likely.  If you look on the web pages I gave you earlier, there should be some information on ways to treat it.  Also make sure that you have a very good filtration system set up, and that your turtles are in a big tank, because water quality will really help to prevent shell problems from occurring.

They do need calcium, so put some chunks of cuttlebone (like what they give to birds) in the tank and they can nibble on it when they need some.

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QUESTION: Thank u for all the help u gave me i owe u so much. I was lucky to find the medicine today but i have a problem the dosage is written as 10 mg/kg and the one i got is tablets 250 mg. I got quarter of the pill and grind it and dissolve it in the water, i also separated him in his own tank to rest.. I really hope that should work with the sun and the warm water, he now makes voices while breathing sometimes and i dont think thats good i really hoping for the best.
As for my older one its not fungus since the color is in the dye of the shell itself not external. I got the cuttlebone too and gave them.
u really have been a gr8 help if it wasn't for u i wouldn't have even have a way to help him i owe u so much.
Ill try to keep u posted with his condition hoping for the best.
God bless u, thank u so much.

Answer
Are you putting the medication in the tank, giving it orally, or with an injection?  Sorry, I wasn't quite sure.  It needs to be given orally or by injection.  Putting it in the tank water won't really help because the turtle has to take it in.  If you have the correct dosage, you may be able to dissolve the tablet in a measured amount of water and dose it that way according to the weight of your turtle in grams.  In the U.S. Baytril is usually prescribed for reptiles in liquid form.  

No, making noises when he breathes isn't good.  Is he still eating?  If he is, that's a good sign that he's still fighting.

It's really hard to say what the problem is with your other turtle's shell without seeing it.  They do shed their scutes (the scales on their shell), so it's possible yours is going to shed that scute.

You're very welcome.  I wish I could do more to help.