DonnaM

Thanks Alanmin. I'll give you a call. Be more constant then a hottie :roll:

Dont know that he has a blockage as plenty of poo till yesterday and then nothing, but I figure due to not eating. He ate several pieces ox heart etc on Mon nite and Tues ate smaller amount of Ox heart. Poos are normal sausage shape and apart from the slimey green ones on Tues (which may have been from starting oral Abs as well as the IM ABs and vitamins he had at vet on Monday?), they stink but are reasonably usual turtle poo. Vet checked poo under micrscope and no parasites etc on Mon. Good idea about storage bin Navarre. I'll keep working on him.....

Good thinking Livingart. Yes its the sort of thing you think about with humans, but hadnt thought of giving acidopholus to turtles I'm going to phone vet shortly and see about him being in an incubator. I dont know that I have the resources/ability to set him up in a humid, dry environment with a constant temp. Unless someone can give me some ideas? Hes currently in a cat bed thing with light over him. Its one I use to transport or dry-dock turtles. Its a large cube with an opening in one side which I have at the top. Its foam with a thick material covering and is very warm and snug with a hottie and towels and stuff, but I dont have a heat pad which would be a better/ constant heat source. He is taking his ABs when I syringe them in small doses into his mouth and hold him wrapped in a towel in a position similar to angle they eat in the water. Dont seem to get any leaking out of his mouth. But basically he's just 'existing'...

Hes passed plenty of poo the first few days. First lot was pretty dark green and foul! I'd have thought 5 days of antibiotics would have started to show some sign of improvement if he was going to, but no change....

3 wks ago I got a ph call from someone with a 10 yr old male RES turtle not eating well. I suggested complete water change, filter clean, put temp to 26 and try different food. (Turtle eating mainly steak....I've never used steak as a food.. imagine the cost with my lot!) Anyway 3 wks later she brought turt around as he'd suddenly started 'floating'. So when I saw him he had lost skin colouring. His Back legs and tail were very pale grey in colour. He was curling/contracting back toes into his foot and not keen to walk. Skin was sluffing off in huge amounts. His shell had a little 'white shell disease' but not significant. The strangest thing was his eyes. They were puffy and grey around edges but also had small opaque circles that were in the centre of his iris. Kind of like someone getting a cataract. He was really lethargic. Fortunately we have a vet in CHCH who specialises in turtles and is very knowledgeable on their care and treatment. So I sent her straight to him... His X.ray showed pretty much most of his 'insides' as white and not the black colouring of a healthy turtle. He has pneumonia and septiceamia and is on antibiotics. I've got him here now due to the current circumstances of the owner. He just 'sits' in the water. Barely moving. And he smells! I had him in a tank on bench for a couple of days but couldn't handle the smell, even with 2x daily water changes. So now hes in a shallow bath as I can pull the plug and refill easily, (and I'm wary of him drowning.) Hes eaten a little ox heart rolled in the reptile vitamins I got from Oz but nothing for 2 days. Anyone had a turtle this sick thats actually survived? I've had another 'rescue' turtle with significant pneumonia and after 3 weeks she was still passing pus and making no progres....so was euthanased. The owner of this boy is obviously distressed and it would be good to have him survive. Anyone got any 'hopeful' stories to share??

Welcome to the forum Heidy, and I hope you get some positive responses for your study.

Absolutely!! Good thoughts Livingart

Nope, didn't get a $10 flight. Amazing! $10! I'd been quoted over $600 for a return flight from CHCH to Auckland ....I didn't take it! The $10 flights yesterday were going down in lots of about 30 and all gone in about 4mins. It just kept saying "heavy demand" and couldnt process anything we tried. Oh well, no doubt there'll be another one sometime. I'm still trying to get a CHCH to Tauranga flight :roll:

I think its a good thing. Especially as its independant from MAF and DOC, and she has her own reptiles so knows the issues around difficulties with importation etc. The more knowledge gained the better I say Also its confidential and any reptiles discovered with any disease wont be 'reported' or 'removed' or anything, just be part of the confidential study.

I've got that brush fence stuff by a turtle pond. Its great for that, but I did have an 'escape' when the join seperated a bit and Hudini squeezed thru and went sideways between it and the wooden fence, past concrete posts and then out into back garden and then the road! Fortunately her long neck was spotted by a passing motorist and I got her back........... :roll: Depends if you want rock or wood etc. Thick bark can make a good background in the right enclosure as well.

Sorry to hear about Lizzy. Must have been awful for you all. Good on you for the effort you made to save her tho. Hope your other dragon adjusts to being on his own soon. Reptos idea of a mirror sounds like a good one

Sorry, cant answer your question.. ..but welcome to the site and I hope you find it a friendly and informative place.

Thats great! Just as well ox heart is such a 'universal' food Fabulous photos too :bounce:

Congrats! Do you get 'pre-booked' homes for them ? Do we get to call you "grandad?"

Check out if you have a branch of "pack and send" there. Will only be new a service...like 6mths maybe? I know they organise and send all sorts of things safely in purpose built cages, boxes etc. I know the CHCH branch sent some ostriches...or maybe it was emus?.....(one of the 2).. from here to Invercargill. 8)

Have never smoked, but watched parents and friends try to give up time and time again. Parents did both give up eventually and have never looked back! Before Christmas a person I'd watched try and give up for 3 yrs using patches etc, ended up having what looked like a massive stroke...ended up being Bacterial meningitis in the jaw and then into the brain. Was definately caused by sharing cigarettes. A rare type of meningitis in saliva which in other persons mouth was 'normal' but when transferred via cig butt to other person, nearly killed them! Has left brain irritation that may be permanent. Hence to say person has now completely given up and keeps telling others to "give up the filthy weed"... Best of luck Spoon, whatever you decide to do. You can only get healthier by giving up! :bounce: P.s, have finished using rabbit hutch now thanks heaps!

You so lucky VERY cool!

wow fantastic news! :bounce: :bounce: Great the dog thing worked Now I guess its time to chat to that lawn mowing contractor!

my friends border collie has been a great asset in sniffing out the odd escapee turtle...even before I knew they'd escaped, so if you do know of a reasonably placid dog, it might be worth a try? Just the dog showing an interest in an area of the garden might be enough for you to search and find?

At every appointment you can ask for a copy of any letter the Specialist or your GP has written so you know what they are saying about you. You are able to ask for copies of any x.ray, blood test or any other test results. Often your GP can provide all this. (Just phone and ask nurse for anything you want. No cost involved) Best to sign the bit that says "yes" Hosp can send info to your GP.... Good luck with your specialist appointment and remember they're only human and not a 'higher being' Also it may help to write down any questions you have before you get to specialist, that way you wont be kicking yourself for forgetting to ask something. Often having a good friend or family member with you can be helpful, as they'll remember things you may forget. Don't be afraid to ask questions or write down things the Dr says if you want to either. Its your body and you're entitled to the best care and understanding of your condition that you can get. And who cares if you ask a silly or embarrasing question...the specialist isn't going to worry. After they've 'dictaphoned' all the relevant medical info they want to say about you in their report ,after you leave, they're on to the next person and not thinking about you anyway. Best of luck :bounce:

Any news?

Ummm I think thats meant to be rescued BY the SPCA...not From the SPCA.. Glad to hear shes doing well. Does she get outside into garden at all? They like to dig in the dirt and lay eggs.

Really hope he turns up again

Turtles always need access to land or basking area.... half of my snakenecks spend hours basking, other half don't bask. But on odd occasion one of the non baskers will do a 'run around the enclosure' briefly, so will hopefully get used to being out of the water like the others have. :roll: