My Yellow Bellied Slider with RI Problems

around November or December of 2009
***** PLEASE READ ME NOW!!!! *****
This is my baby, a yellow bellied slider.
She had RI (Respiratory Infection)

I figured it out when I notice the turtle hasn't been in the water for more than 2 hours. My breaks are usually my baby; i sit there and either watch her bask or watch her swim. I tried feeding her shrimp, her favorite, and she didn't eat it, that's when i notice something was wrong. I did some research online, took me a good 2 to 3 hours to realize she in fact had RI and if there was a cure. There are two cures:

1st way is taking her to a vet but she was so tiny! if the vet would have given her a injection, chances are they would have missed her muscles and my baby could have not made it so i took the other way.

2nd way, get a heater, and make sure the water is at 75-80 F, feed her vitamins (such as tomatoes or lettuce), and throw in a calcium bone so when she swims in it and breath it in (they need to eat it but most turtles hates or are scared of it)

so i went with the 2nd choice. Thanks to my cousin Jessy for having a spare submersible heater!! ♥


the rest, it's up to the turtle. Turtles fight off their own infections, but you need to keep the water at 75-80 F so they can fight if off. A few days later we notice her back in the water, happy, swimming, and eating again!! =O)

BUT!!!! I was lucky enough to catch her in that stage before it got worse. If it did get any worse then i would have needed to go to the vet... and again, depending how small or big they are, the vet needs to get to their muscles. If the turtle moves, the vet can inject the wrong place and kill the turtle, so be extra careful!!!

So around that time of year when it starts getting cold make sure you have a submersible heater around in case this ever happens!!

Make sure to give your baby tomatoes and lettuce for there is A LOT of vitamins that they NEED in them and the water must be and stay at 75 (THE LEAST) and higher. No more than 90 F, tops!!!

**********MY BABY IS FINE AND MADE IT THROUGH THE INFECTION!!! SHE IS HEALTHY AND ALMOST THE SIZE OF MY HAND!**********

to see a recent video i edit on her behave (being 3 years with us! March 2011) click here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ClpzcZAf-JU

Category:

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• Turtle
• sick
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• acting
• hiccup
• movements
• breathing
• heavily
• what
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• wrong
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• my
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• yellow
• bellied
• slider
• miami
• FL
• Yesenia
• Gonzalez
• respiratory
• infection
• RI

[dk4249]

I had to have my turtle put to sleep yesterday. The vet says he's got a bad ri, his calcium in his shell is low and he didn't have a chance. 

[Sunnygirl305]

@dk4249

im so sorry to hear.... =O(

[gary608608608]

You should put the turtle with warm water

[Sunnygirl305]

@gary608608608

i did. I treated my baby as soon as i saw her doing this. this video is just to show those who are having similar problems, how to treat it. Read the description for more info =O)

[dk4249]

my turtle is having problems right now. It's having trouble breathing, stretching his neck out and it's make moning/ crying sounds. What could this be?

[Sunnygirl305]

@dk4249 is your turtle doing a noise while breathing? (sounds vary from hiccup, sneeze, to a cat screeching even lol) if so then you will need to go to the an exotic pet clinic to get further assist...

[Sunnygirl305]

@dk4249

it could be having Respiratory infection.

do you watch your baby all the time? when did you notice it? if you caught it on time it may be at stage one which can be cured with just warming up the water

get a thermometer and set it to 80 degrees to keep the water warm & let your baby handle the infection on it's own. (thats what i did and my baby turned out fine!) keep a look out though and try feeding it from time to time if it doesn't want it now don't worry, try again later

[Sunnygirl305]

@TheSCstudios

yes get a thermometer ASAP and keep the water at 80 degrees to 85. The turtle will have to fight the infection itself! if that doesn't work within a few days you may need to go to a exotic vet... good luck!

[TheSCstudios]

please help does my turtle have that, Il tell you everything he's breathing through his myth and stretching his neck to full extension , not eatin basking more, foam on his face i think lop sided swimming, but no noises at allg

[Sunnygirl305]

1:36-1:42