Post by star on Dec 29, 2013 11:55:23 GMT
Rocky my res turtle is over 35 years old, I have known her for 32 years and I am afraid she is dying 
, I have her "sister" Elyia who seems fine and is the same age.
Just before Christmas I noticed Rocky was spending more time out of the water than normal and she looked "puffy" although she was attempting to eat, she wasnt eating well. We went to the vets and they said she had a bacterial infection in her throat (strange because our whole family had a throat infection including one of the dogs!).
The vet gave me some steroid and antibiotic medication for her, but it was in liquid form and I had to syringe it into her mouth. The first 3 days it was ok, she took it, as soon as she started feeling a bit better she just spat the medicine out. Now she has gone downhill again, I do have some medicine left, but I know she will just spit it out (she is a smart old devil) any ideas how I can syringe medication into her without her spitting it out again??
I will be ringing the vet tomorrow to see if I can get an appointment and beg him for injectable medication (she had this before when she needed her mouth scraping) I am ok with doing the injections and I think its less stressful for her to have an injection that to be irritated into biting a syringe to take medication (this can take half an hour to get her to take two syringes).
She is not eating properly at all, the only thing I can get her to eat is prawns without the shells cut up into tiny bits, fish cut up into bits and she has eaten (went nuts over) turkey.
I have raised the water temperature to try and encourage her to eat but she spends 90% of her time on the basking rock.
I know at 35+ years old she is an old lady, but I have known her since I was 10 years old I am 43 soon
, and she has been in my care for the last 15 years (I offered to temporarily look after them while my friend sorted out some problems and they never went back). I am just so upset at the state of her and I just want her better and back to her normal grumpy self (she bites).
My final question. Do you know of anyone in the Birmingham area that fosters turtles? we have a florida cooter, goldie who lives with the two res, but she is huge and often knocks poor old Rocky about when she is trying to eat (not aggressive Goldie is just big and clumsy) I am hoping to try and find someone that could possibly take Goldie for a couple of weeks until Rocky is better (think positive think positive)
Hope someone can help.
, I have her "sister" Elyia who seems fine and is the same age.Just before Christmas I noticed Rocky was spending more time out of the water than normal and she looked "puffy" although she was attempting to eat, she wasnt eating well. We went to the vets and they said she had a bacterial infection in her throat (strange because our whole family had a throat infection including one of the dogs!).
The vet gave me some steroid and antibiotic medication for her, but it was in liquid form and I had to syringe it into her mouth. The first 3 days it was ok, she took it, as soon as she started feeling a bit better she just spat the medicine out. Now she has gone downhill again, I do have some medicine left, but I know she will just spit it out (she is a smart old devil) any ideas how I can syringe medication into her without her spitting it out again??
I will be ringing the vet tomorrow to see if I can get an appointment and beg him for injectable medication (she had this before when she needed her mouth scraping) I am ok with doing the injections and I think its less stressful for her to have an injection that to be irritated into biting a syringe to take medication (this can take half an hour to get her to take two syringes).
She is not eating properly at all, the only thing I can get her to eat is prawns without the shells cut up into tiny bits, fish cut up into bits and she has eaten (went nuts over) turkey.
I have raised the water temperature to try and encourage her to eat but she spends 90% of her time on the basking rock.
I know at 35+ years old she is an old lady, but I have known her since I was 10 years old I am 43 soon
, and she has been in my care for the last 15 years (I offered to temporarily look after them while my friend sorted out some problems and they never went back). I am just so upset at the state of her and I just want her better and back to her normal grumpy self (she bites).My final question. Do you know of anyone in the Birmingham area that fosters turtles? we have a florida cooter, goldie who lives with the two res, but she is huge and often knocks poor old Rocky about when she is trying to eat (not aggressive Goldie is just big and clumsy) I am hoping to try and find someone that could possibly take Goldie for a couple of weeks until Rocky is better (think positive think positive)
Hope someone can help.
