Question
What a Beauty!
Hi Jamie,
My kids found a small eastern box turtle three weeks ago 10/19 on their way home from the school bus. I've always made the kids release the turtles they bring home because they were always good size and when I started reading about their "ideal" habitat, I wasn't going to embark on that undertaking. However, when they brought this little one home I thought, oh, we can keep her in the unoccupied 10 gal fish tank and watch her grow.
The first day went really well, she got a lukewarm bath/swim/drink, some time on the heating pad and then ravenously ate three small worms I dug up from the yard.
I read that I should feed her every other day and that's what I've been trying to do. She doesn't eat every time but she does drink and she finally pooped where I could see it. She pooped a small sticky white drop. Well, I knew that just couldn't be right.
I also noticed that she didn't seem to be using her back legs to crawl or push herself, she would just go around in a circle with her front legs (she is now using her back legs just fine and will kick at me when I try to touch her tail!) Then I noticed that her eyes didn't seem to be open all the way, only about 1/2. So I, being the INexperienced reptile person that I am, applied the mammal theory...well, she's like a baby kitten so she doesn't have good control over her legs yet and her eyes aren't open all the way yet.
Then I noticed that she seemed to have a dry mouth when she was eating because I could see the stickiness from her tongue to the roof of her mouth. My solution? A tiny squirt of water with the eyedropper to help wash down that juicy worm. (I'm so sorry - I had no idea what was going on at the time). After her dinner I put her back on the heating pad for a bit to warm her up before I put her back in her "bed". I noticed that she was breathing with her mouth open (not all the time) and when she would breathe with her mouth open, she would push her neck and front legs out. I thought she was too warm and she was panting so I took her off the pad and put her back in the habitat.
I've been considering that the reason she didn't want to eat was because she's wanting me to leave her alone so she can hibernate. In reading more tonight I realize that I cannot let her hiberate because she's possibly sick.
What an idiot I am! I'm mortified that I didn't WAKE UP before now and see that she could be really sick. I just want to be a good mom and make sure she's healthy and growing just right. She does seem to have grown a bit in the past two weeks but I didn't measure her until tonight either!
I've been examining her shell, beak, eyes, legs, etc. from day one and everything looks really good except for the eyes now and of course the breathing thing.
Sooo, all that to get your input and see if you can hook me up with a Reptivet here in Raleigh that might take a gander at her without costing me a fortune. My husband would prefer I put her out in the cold than spend a dime right now.
Any wisdom you can share would be greatly appreciated.
Thanks for your help in advance!
Beckie
AnswerHey there Beckie,
All is well;.
Do you have a lid on the tank? you can go to the hardware store and for 4 or 5 dollars get a mechanics dome. you place a light bulb in there which provides heat.
Theheat pad is good as well if you place under the tank.
That is fine as well
Odds are she has pneumonia and would need a vet.
She may require soths of certain antibiotics to clear it up. Lack of using limbs is a large concern. That is usually a case of mbd, lack of vit a and other situations that accompany that. There is a lady not to far from you that id like to give her your email can you send that to me please? she may be able to assist you in rehabbing him and then you can still keep it.
BIY check your local laws as well as some are illegal to remove from the wild regardless ofhealth I also would recommend against hibernation as it is not healthy enough,
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