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What would you do?

Iguanagirl8662

Iguanagirl8662

Katie
I've had a baby Red Eared Slider for 2 years now, a guy just left them at my work in the smallest critter keeper they make with less then an inch of water. I don't know how long he had them, but since I've had them one died after a few months and the other has not grown at all. I have an 18'' flourescent UV light, a basking light and basking spot and a filter and I clean the tank once a week. The turtle eats normally just is not growing and his shell will not harden, it's still very soft. I've tried giving him foods high in calcium, cuttle bone and I've tried calcium shots and none have helped. I've raised baby sliders before and have other types of turtles and I've never had this problem. I'm just wondering if it's a failure to thrive and if I should have him put to sleep because I know he isn't healthy and I'm afraid he is suffering. My first two RESs grew atleast 6'' in 2 years and this one hasn't grown a bit, so I just don't know what to do with this little one. What would you do if he was yours?
 
If it were me, I'd get it out in unfiltered sunlight as much as possible. Maybe even swap the current lighting situation for a good mercury vapor bulb (they appear to put off much stronger/more useable UVB radiation than the fluorescent ones). I have to wonder if he's not getting enough UVB from the current bulb.

Do you know for sure it was a hatchling when you got it? I know of a member over on Tortoise Forum who has an RES that was 9 years old when she got it, and hardly bigger than a hatchling. From my understanding, it still hasn't grown much, if at all, under her care. The previous owners' atrocious care regiment over its initial 9 years, for all intents and purposes, seems to have stunted the turtle's growth to a new, possibly permanent, extreme. I'm wondering if yours is a similar case. After all, if it were a failure to thrive, it seems like it wouldn't have lasted so long with you, good care or not...

That's all I can think of. Hope it helps some...
 
Floof said:
If it were me, I'd get it out in unfiltered sunlight as much as possible. Maybe even swap the current lighting situation for a good mercury vapor bulb (they appear to put off much stronger/more useable UVB radiation than the fluorescent ones). I have to wonder if he's not getting enough UVB from the current bulb.

Do you know for sure it was a hatchling when you got it? I know of a member over on Tortoise Forum who has an RES that was 9 years old when she got it, and hardly bigger than a hatchling. From my understanding, it still hasn't grown much, if at all, under her care. The previous owners' atrocious care regiment over its initial 9 years, for all intents and purposes, seems to have stunted the turtle's growth to a new, possibly permanent, extreme. I'm wondering if yours is a similar case. After all, if it were a failure to thrive, it seems like it wouldn't have lasted so long with you, good care or not...

That's all I can think of. Hope it helps some...
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It appeared to be a hatchling when I got it but like I said I didn't get to talk to the guy so who knows. It has spent the last two summers outside and it hasn't done any good. During the winter it has been under a Repti sun 10.0. I won't use the MVB read too many bad things about them and my vet doesn't trust them either. I'm pretty sure he is getting enough UV but it doesn't seem to help. I wouldn't be too concerned if his shell wasn't so soft, I've had other stunted reptiles but I'm afraid to touch him it's so soft.
 
What makes you think it's suffering? My first thought would be to spare its life. It may well be quite happy even with a soft shell and small size, if it likes where it lives and what it's fed.

What does your vet say?
 
Irish Eyes (Mrs.Z) said:
What makes you think it's suffering? My first thought would be to spare its life. It may well be quite happy even with a soft shell and small size, if it likes where it lives and what it's fed.

What does your vet say?
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I don't know if it's suffering that's the problem. It's obvisously not healthy because it isn't growing and its shell is not harding. It has also had a chip taken out of the edge of its shell some how and at one point what I think was a rib bone was sticking out through one of the scutes. This was when I thought it was going to die it wasn't eating or moving really but then it started to eat again and the rib bone disappeared. The vet gave me the calcium shots for him because we thought it may have been a lack of calcium but that didn't help.

I'm mainly concerned with the fact that its shell is so soft that it could rip or break, it alrady has twice next time maybe worse then it will definitely be suffering.
 
Well, with luck, "next time" won't happen :).

I really don't know what you'll do, but I know that I wouldn't euthanize the animal unless it was in unending, untreatable, incurable pain. I am not a fan of euthanzia, though. Many people feel differently about it.
 
Irish Eyes (Mrs.Z) said:
Well, with luck, "next time" won't happen :).

I really don't know what you'll do, but I know that I wouldn't euthanize the animal unless it was in unending, untreatable, incurable pain. I am not a fan of euthanzia, though. Many people feel differently about it.
Click to expand...

I'm not a person who will put an animal to sleep if can be fixed or live a decent life but I believe this turtle isn't living a decent life due to all its "issues". Not only is its shell soft but it seems like it is getting shell rot too due to it not sheding.
 
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