Respiratory Infection in Turtles: Symptoms and how to treat at home

[@frozenarrow7930]

Thank you for coming on here and trying to help the turtles🐢

[@remhk6672]

My stinkpot musk turtle was showing symptoms of respiratory infection. I decided to set up a small hospital tank for him. Had the water level only high enough to cover his entire shell. Add water conditioner and turtle fix. I did daily water change in the hospital tank. Gave him oral treatment of goldenseal root that specifically treats respiratory infection. I just so happen to have them in my medicine cabinet. Each capsule is 500 mg. I removed the capsule and separated the powder. I then lightly soaked 1 reptomin pellet and coated it in the goldenseal root powder that i removed from the capsule. I did this for 2 days and my turtle has since recovered. Hes now back in the main tank which is a 40 breeder.

[@turtleholic]

Wow that’s amazing, I’ve never heard of goldenseal root. Sounds like a good option if you can’t take your turtle to the vet

[@remhk6672]

@turtleholic it's not proven medically but it seems to work for both me and my turtle.👍 it is definitely cheaper than the vet! I panicked initially but with quick thinking I was able to find a temporary solution.

[@nicoleoaks4310]

Thank you your video was very helpful in figuring out what to do for a wild turtle living in our pond

[@turtleholic]

Thanks!

[@rhondaleate560]

My 4 y/o painted has had a URI every fall cleared up by injections of antibiotics. This time tho..she’s been sick for 10 months! Multi rounds of oral & injections antibiotics, force feeding a purée etc etc - spent 30 days at the vet hospital & is finally home - she’s back to showing symptoms again!!! Her tank mate & sister, died of this a few months ago. Turtles got all vitamins, minerals, fresh & commercial foods, very clean tank, proper lighting .. I’m at my wit’s end!! She & sister have been in my care since they were hatchlings & had been pawed by a big dog on a speed bump leaving a neurological deficit in rear legs, which is why I have them. They cannot be returned to the wild.

[@turtleholic]

I’m so sorry. I haven’t heard of a reoccurring URI. I know it’s a lot of work, but the only suggestion I can think of is to do a complete tank clean and replace your filter.

[@EricGalarza-n9o]

Turtle fix or weekly carrot baths/ soak will prevent this🤗

[@turtleholic]

Yeah I’ve heard good things about carrot baths. Have you ever tried it?

[@EricGalarza-n9o]

@@turtleholic yes, its a must with my turtles! Every water change! For bout 30 mins

[@jiaweilim2482]

How do you do a carrot baths

[@EricGalarza-n9o]

@@jiaweilim2482 i just let my turtles soak in carrot juice for about 30 mins, i also feed them cut up carrots!

[@jiaweilim2482]

@@EricGalarza-n9o Thanks for the tip. I hope it works

[@michelecampbell5075]

My turtle has been gasping for air. Took her for antiobiotics and i don't know if it helped. She's not moving, has no reflexes, and her eyes have been open for over 8 hours. Their open with a glassy look. I can't tell if she's even breathing. I feel she has passed, but I'm so unsure. Why would she be in this kind of state?

[@funguscrepes]

My turtle is sneezing, and I can hear him wheezing. He is moving and eating normally, so this is the only problem we've seen. The vet is too expensive so I'd like to know how I could help. Thanks!

[@turtleholic]

I would suggest increasing the temperature of the water and basking platform by a couple degrees. I also recommend feeding your turtle vegetables high in vitamin A

[@parranoic]

Tetracycline worked for mine but you have to be extremely careful with the doses

[@turtleholic]

That’s helpful to know, thank you.

[@jennymoran46]

What was the dose??

[@parranoic]

@@jennymoran46 I am not a vet and I don't recommend at all doing like me. Read the dosage per weight marked on the prescription of the pills, you will have to calculate, lets say the pill is 5g, and the turtle needs 0.5g, dissolve it in 10ml of water and you have 10 days worth of 1ml antibiotics.

[@subhasish5445]

where should we give the medications?? in water or add on foods or directly in their mouths with dropper??

[@Alugod_123]

HI, i have no idea what kind of respiratory infection my red eared slider has but it keeps gasping for air alot, pls tell me how to treat it without going to the vet because its very expensive.

[@turtleholic]

You should try to increase the water temperature to 85-90 degrees Fahrenheit, as that could help your turtle naturally fight off the infection. Is your turtle still eating?

[@Alugod_123]

@@turtleholic thanks for the advice!

[@koala_craft]

My turtle has been breathing with open moth and stretched neck for almost three months and no home caring worked. So I took him to the vet. My turtle is using cephalexin syrup orally for the past 2 weeks ( it means two complete periods) and he still has the same symptoms and is breathing with stretched neck and open mouth. I don't know what to do anymore. I'm very scared 😭😭😭😭😭

[@turtleholic]

It looks like cephalexin is used for bacterial infections, so your turtle might have a fungal infection or viral infection

[@knetge]

I just had one of my 2 turtles pass away. I think she was 22 years old she was 4" when I got her and that was 17 years ago. I was trying to feed her but she would only eat once every two weeks if I was lucky. this last year was overly stressful for them. we had a lot of construction on the house that just dragged on. I had to keep moving them from room to room. Also, we had a lot of sporadic dips in the temperature at night. I think this was all too much for her. been out of work for almost 2 years now and I thought I could bring her back like I did last year without going to the vet. I wish I had known about this karet bath treatment. I would have tried it on her. I have always had problems getting both of them to eat vegetables. The only thing they would eat is fish or shrimp. my older turtle who is 29 years old and 8" long. { I have had her since she was 2" long } She has been breathing heavily with a bit of a gurgling sound for the last several weeks. I'm worried she has a respiratory infection. the soft sides of her skin where her back legs are tucked in are pinkish. She is still eating all the shrimp I feed her. And she is still somewhat active. She may have slowed down a bit. it's been a little hard to tell from everything going on this last year. I'm going to try and increase the temperature as you suggested along with the karat bath. I will ask this. I used to keep them in the same tank years ago but separated them after they started fighting. I started keeping them in tanks next to one another. They have been with each other this way for years. do you think my one turtle will miss the other one? I read somewhere that they do mourn the loss buddy sometimes.

[@turtleholic]

Sorry for my late reply. Was your turtle able to recover?

[@marcelbesters538]

My musk turtle sometimes makes weird choking sounds but is active and easts well pls help i dont want to lose it to a sicknes

[@turtleholic]

When it makes the sounds, does it stretch out it’s neck and look like it is having trouble breathing?

[@z-smasher2017]

does my baby turtle require a heater or should i use the uv bulb

[@turtleholic]

Their water temperature needs to be between 75-85 degrees Fahrenheit, so if you can’t reach that then you’ll need a heater. But you should also have a uv bulb for your turtle to bask

[@TheTashaBeats.22]

My turtle is not eating anything for last 5 days his eyes are also swollen and bandaged in between his nose is bubbling and toh is very quiet and he is flooting on water what should I do???

[@turtleholic]

Hey I'm really sorry to hear that. The first thing you should do is try to wipe off any liquid that might be building up near their nose and mouth, since this can restrict their breathing. Next, you should make sure your water temperature is between 80 and 85 degrees fahrenheight and that you basking platform is around 95 degrees fahrenheight. If your turtle doesn't improve after a day or two, you should try giving them a carrot soak. You can see how in this video -> kzbin.info/www/bejne/opvYpJiwjayKjbM

[@TheTashaBeats.22]

@@turtleholic okay thank you

[@Oni-cr9yg]

What antibiotic should I use and how much if my turtle is 3-4 months old

[@turtleholic]

I’m sorry but I don’t have experience giving my turtle antibiotics so don’t feel comfortable recommending a specific one. Your best bet would be searching google or a turtle forum

[@MichealSchmidt-nu8sq]

Hi my 2 baby red eared slider turtles had not been eating for 2 months or so when I try to give them food sometimes they eat it but then spit it out what should I do?

[@turtleholic]

What type of food are you currently feeding them? Also, do you know what the temperature of your water is?

[@alexx_smith8905]

Took both my turtles to the vet couple days ago and they received a shot. Still showing symptoms. Any advice what I should do?

[@turtleholic]

It can take a couple weeks for them to completely heal, but you should start to see some improvement in a week. Just try to make their tank as clean as possible and make sure the water temperature is around 84 degrees Fahrenheit. Are they eating?

[@alexx_smith8905]

@@turtleholic Okay I’ll make sure to do that and yes they been eating as well.

[@onshotgamer1562]

@@alexx_smith8905 hey how are they doing now?

[@Chelmon_lol]

I had my red ear slider for 8 years and it’s still strong and healthy to this day, since it turned 7 I basically allowed it to free roam the apartment. But it hisses a lot, whenever there are fast movements in front of it or whenever he was picked up, he hisses, does that have anything to do with respiratory issues?

[@turtleholic]

Hi, hissing is very common in pet turtles, and it just means they are scared or feel threatened. It doesn't mean they have any respiratory issues. My turtle hisses almost every time I pick her up.

[@kathleenfoley8794]

I have discovered a turtle that lives outside and is exhibiting signs of a respiratory infection. Any suggestions?

[@turtleholic]

That’s too bad. Unfortunately it might put them at risk if you try to intervene, so it’s best to let it be. If you the turtle is barely moving, you could try feeding them some turtle food or insects. If it’s an aquatic turtle you will want to put the food into water for them to be able to eat it

[@Ilovekdrama00]

Hi my turtle is not a water turtle and is having trouble breathing and it's putting it's head up what should i do?

[@turtleholic]

My expertise is more with aquatic turtles, but you should try to increase the temperature in their enclosure. Also, you could try try blending up some carrots and water and let your turtle soak in that for a little bit.

[@youknoweverything7643]

I dont have a pet turtle but i do have 6 wild turtles thst have chosen my frint patio and area around the water spiket thier home and my yard thier breeding grounds and egg and nesting grounds for these sputh eastern box turtles. There is one that is bleeding from his mouth and nose and looks like a runny nose but its blood. I know they are wild turtles and it happens and just let them be but curious to what causes that bleeding from nose and mouth and one thing i found was respiratory unfection on google can be a cause so i found your video. I did some of these steps and few days later the bleeding has stopped. I gave him baytril and amoxicillin cause my vet when k saw her saif it would be ok and thst its ok to treat the wild turtle

[@turtleholic]

It's wonderful that you've taken an interest in caring for the wild turtles that have made your yard their home! It sounds like you're doing your best to provide them with the care they need, especially regarding the sick one. Bleeding from the nose and mouth in turtles can indeed be concerning, and respiratory infections are a common cause, especially in wild turtles. It's great to hear that you took the initiative to research and provide treatment for the affected turtle. Administering antibiotics like baytril and amoxicillin can help treat bacterial infections and help the turtle recover. Since the bleeding has stopped (and other turtles haven't developed symptoms), it sounds like you were successful!

[@youknoweverything7643]

@@turtleholic yea it was successful thank goodness because the one I treated was actually a female that laid eggs yesterday a few hours after I posted that comment. I gave her amoxicillin and bactril that my vet gave me for free cause it's for wild turtles. I also have 4 gopher turtles that have made my front and backyard their home and nesting grounds and breeding grounds thiers as well. And my golden retriever has learned not to touch a single turtle that it's bad to lick them up and carry them inside in his mouth like he used to do. Everytime I caught him with a turtle in hisouth carrying it and trying to come into the house with it and put it on his doggy bed and lay there and watch it I kenneled him up as a time out. He hates going into time out. But anyways thanks for the videos I have learned a lot from you about turtles. And the gopher turtle is a protected and endangered species the system of Alabama says. Your not supposed to touch or move them at all and if you get caught picking one up or you hing one it's a huge fine and 30 days In jail as max sentence for messing with them. And it's pretty cool having turtles around all the time they are really neat and cool animals to watch and observe the way they socialize with each other and their habits. I got 3 of them that love to sit under the water spicket and just let the water pour over them and they are waiting under it every morning around the same time everyday for those water spicket bath

[@CAJainkapil879]

Hi ... Redear turtle is not eating and there is some infections on his mouth ... please advise

[@turtleholic]

Sorry to hear that! Best advice is to take to vet. If that isn't an option, you should try a carrot soak. You can learn more about it here -> kzbin.info/www/bejne/opvYpJiwjayKjbM&ab_channel=Chewy%27sBroAquatics . Increasing the water temperature and basking platform temperature can also help your turtle fight off infection.

[@khushitiwari4343]

My turtle has RI from last 4-5 days. He has not eaten anything from last 2 weeks. I have taken him to the vet he injected antibiotics shots for 3 days but my turtle condition is still same and he also have some orange stcky liquid around his mouth.... I am keeping him dry all time with uvb light giving him steam for 15 mint every day and also giving him carrot soak 2 times everyday but still he is not recovering Please tell me what should i do,I want to cure him as soon as possible 🙏

[@turtleholic]

I’m really sorry to hear that. It sounds like you are doing all the right things. The only other thing I’d suggest is to actually let your turtle swim around for a couple minutes per day, as this can help prevent them from becoming dehydrated.

[@z-smasher2017]

how often do i need to clean my tank

[@turtleholic]

You should clean your tank at least once a month.

[@FriedChickenCOOL]

My turtle has something yellow on his neck what is that? It also has yellow thing in its tail pls help

[@turtleholic]

Unfortunately it’s hard for me to know exactly what it is. It could potentially be an abscess, ulcer, blister, or parasite. Is your turtle still eating and acting normally? My suggestion would be to do a very thorough clean of their tank and replace their water. Also, make their water temperature between 80-95 F and make sure you have a good basking light.

[@onshotgamer1562]

My turtle became very inactive and stopped eating, I took it to vet he injected Vitamin A and asked me to try bloodworms and my turtle started eating bloodworms, but he is still opening his mouth frequently to gasp air what should i do?

[@turtleholic]

You should try to give him a carrot soak-> kzbin.info/www/bejne/e5bXeIiQiLBnh7s

[@onshotgamer1562]

@@turtleholic My turtle died 😢

[@onshotgamer1562]

@@turtleholic Everything was fine according to vet we all were shocked how did he die

[@knetge]

@@onshotgamer1562 I'm sorry to hear about your loss. One of my turtles just passed away the other day. :( It has been a very stressful year for her Also despite my taking her to the vet a year ago and getting shots, I don't think she ever fully recovered from a respiratory infection I suspected she had.

[@161_abhishekmane3]

Guys if your turtle goes through any minor infection like respiratory infection and swallow eyes get to the doctor first and take care of them bcz I lose my turtle

[@turtleholic]

I'm sorry about your turtle. And yes, it's very important to take to the vet as soon as possible, as respiratory infections can kill a turtle in a couple days.

[@message___deleted]

My turtle is literally dying in her tank rn bc her vet is on vacation and she’s very sick suddenly. 🤷‍♂️

[@YajseeVega]

Is it normal for Red Eared Sliders to "yawn"?

[@turtleholic]

It’s not abnormal. As long as your turtle is still eating, basking, and breathing normally, it should be fine.

[@anujbarve5939]

My turtle is not eating and having breathing problems and have swollen eyes, please help

[@parranoic]

I'm not a vet but I had the same situation last year with our map turtle. We had to force feed her with a syringe a mixture of water and ground pellets. We kept her in a different aquarium so she would not infect her brothers, the water needs to be 2-3* warmer than recommended it helps their immune system fight. we also had to use the syringe to give her antibiotics, the local vet gave us a pill that didn't work, we tried with metronidazole nothing. With tetracycline she recovered within a week. Again I am not a vet, the best thing you could do is bring your turtle to a specialist, sadly in my country there are none and I just tried my best to keep her alive. We've struggled for a month but she made a full recovery and she's twice the size. TLDR : go to vet, warm water, force feed

[@turtleholic]

You can also try to give your turtle a carrot soak: kzbin.info/www/bejne/e5bXeIiQiLBnh7ssi=22IpH8ynXP2kiAxv

[@memfis3858]

Help! My red ear slider was lethargic and coughing under water, like drowning and he rushed up for air😢 took it to the wet, he made rentgen, lungs were clear, no runny nose. He gave my turtle antybiotics. But month later my turtle is still doing that weird cough like he is filled wirh water😢 I took him to dry, he has uv, but every time he has to go to water to eat or not go dyhydrated, he like chokes with water😢 any1 help? Vets here dunno what it could be?😢?😢😢😢 also he sheds horribly like never before. Salt baths and turtle med for skin do not stop that sheding his skin looks slimy😢 he is very lethargic but he eats, ge is 30 yeara old pls any1 know how to help??

[@turtleholic]

I'm really sorry to hear about your red ear slider's health issues. It sounds like you've been through a lot trying to help him. Since the vet hasn't been able to provide a definitive solution, it might be worth seeking a second opinion from another experienced reptile veterinarian, if possible. In the meantime, make sure the water quality in his tank is optimal and that he has a proper basking area with UV light. Additionally, continue with any prescribed medications and treatments as directed by your vet. Keep observing his behavior and note any changes to provide more information to the vet. Unfortunately, 30 years is pretty old for a red-eared slider, so there is a chance that his body is just starting to slow down. Wishing him a speedy recovery! 🐢❤️

[@memfis3858]

@@turtleholic thanks! Maybe some1 sees this and had same issue and knows what to do!:( I was already at 4 vets with my turle :( :( still not solved :( He is vwery lethargic all the time, but he is fine when on dry land, he just walks slowly or sits there :( But on dry he doesn't cough or choke. When I put him into shallow water so he won't drown, he emedietly starts choking and coughing :( Like he is choking on water :( He eats, he eate a lot today but then he just sits there or sleeps :( I am afraid he could drown so I keep him dry now, in water just to drink or eat :(

[@turtleholic]

@@memfis3858 there is a chance he has a vitamin deficiency. If that’s the case, you could give him a carrot soak. I made a video about it here: Carrot Soak for Turtles: How to Make and the Benefits kzbin.info/www/bejne/e5bXeIiQiLBnh7s

[@moracle1801]

my vet had suggest this soak your turtle in 1ml vitamin a injection in 100ml water for 30 min soak ur turtle in 1ml vertivet turtle multivitamin in 100 ml water for 30 min and finally 1 mil enrofloxacin in 100 ml water for 30 min reply for any enquiries ill ask my vet hope this helps

[@khushitiwari4343]

My turtle has RI from last 4-5 days. He has not eaten anything from last 2 weeks. I have taken him to the vet he injected antibiotics shots for 3 days but my turtle condition is still same.... I am keeping him dry all time with uvb light giving him steam for 15 mint every day and also giving him carrot soak 2 times everyday but still he is not recovering Please help me I want to cure him as soon as possible 🙏

[@khushitiwari4343]

And also some orange sticky liquid is also around his mouth

[@moracle1801]

@@khushitiwari4343 dont do that. go to a pharmacy adn buy mox, im not sure how much to put (probably 1 capsule in 100ml of water)

[@koala_craft]

Please help me. My turtle kept opening and closing his mouth on the surface of the water to make bubbles and I found it very cute but these few days he keeps doing the same (opening and closing his mouth fast and too much/ exactly like when he sees a food and wants to eat one but he does this more than once) when his head is completely out of water. I was wondering if he has any sort of problems and what I should do. Any tips can be helpful. I'm stressed out please help me. Ps: his neck is mostly not stretched when he is doing this but is sometimes stretched and he is very active and eats well. His tank is clean and the water temperature is about 75 degrees of Fahrenheit. I am soooo stressed please help me. 😢😢😢😢😢😢😢😢😢😢😢😢❤❤❤❤

[@turtleholic]

Hi, I'm sorry to hear that. Does he do this only when you are near the tank? He might just be exited to see you. If you are afraid he is sick, try increasing the water temperature to 80 degrees fahrenheight because that can help strengthen their immune system.

[@koala_craft]

@@turtleholic thank you so much for responding 😢❤️ No he does this and it doesn't matter if I am near the tank. It seems like he wants to catch invisible food from the surface the water and sometimes from the air (not that often), but his other behaviors seem normal and the same.

[@turtleholic]

@@koala_craft oh gotcha. Well as long as he is still behaving normally (eating, swimming, basking), I think he should be fine!

[@koala_craft]

@@turtleholic omg I feel soooo relieved thank you so so much for taking the time and responding to me. Me and my turtle are both so thankful to you. I will try to increase his water temperature. I wish you the best. Have a nice day. ❤️❤️❤️❤️

[@koala_craft]

​@@turtleholichi it's me again.Would you please help me?? 😭❤️❤️❤️❤️ My turtle started to stretch his neck and open his mouth to gasp for air. It happened only one time in the first day. Second day nothing. The next day again one time. Two days without gasping for air and the next day three times a day!! Next day again nothing. My question is how far should the gasps be to be concerning??? (he basks and eats well)

[@z-smasher2017]

i dont use a filter my tank is small

[@turtleholic]

If that’s the case, you should do water changes at least once per week

[@elia4530]

I was quoted 150 for a scheduled visit (not including any treatment and the cheapest treatment woukd be 300 minimum..) i literally hate living this has to be a crime aae you serious

[@turtleholic]

I'm so sorry. If you don't have any other options, you may want to research antibiotics that you can give your turtle, and see if you are able to get it without a subscription.

[@elia4530]

@@turtleholic (i did) for legal reasons i did not) LMAO but i did get one and then also got a bunch of immune boost for reptiles and have been giving it to her she seems to be slowly getting better

[@TheCritterHouse2008]

i bought a baby yellow belly turtle And Hes not eating Off and on seems to be gasping And is swimming too one side Her water is 78 degrees F What can i do without taking it to a vet

[@turtleholic]

First you should try increasing the water temperature to around 84 degrees Fahrenheit. You can also try giving her a carrot soak: kzbin.info/www/bejne/e5bXeIiQiLBnh7ssi=sfncflUaRlEjMgJT

[@devv2xx39]

my turtle is dying what should i do???

[@turtleholic]

Unfortunately if you can’t take them to the vet, there’s not much you can do.

[@devv2xx39]

@@turtleholic thanks he was still gasping for air and i tried to get someone to take care of him and maybe want to help him but no one did so i just put him in a shoe box brought him to my local park where there was a lake and i set him down close by the water only because every time he would gasp for air he would always move forward so i thought maybe he can survive and end up going in the water and there we also other turtles. RIP Raphaelo love you ❤️

[@turtleholic]

@@devv2xx39 I'm sorry to hear that!!

[@kylerchapman2972]

if my turtles slightly whistling when it breathes but only some of the time is that a deadly infection??

[@turtleholic]

How long has this been happening? And does your turtle stick it’s neck out when it starts whistling?

[@kylerchapman2972]

@@turtleholic she only does it when her heads out of the water chasing food and into the last day i haven’t heard it at all today so im guessing she’s okau

[@natalielopez988]

My turtle also makes a whistling sound sometimes. Really not sure if I should worry because all other behavior has been normal ??

[@turtleholic]

@@kylerchapman2972 oh okay yeah it’s most likely just your turtle getting excited when they see food

[@turtleholic]

@@natalielopez988 if your turtle struggles with their breathing and extends their neck, then it could be the sign of a respiratory infection. But if she is breathing fine and has no other symptoms then your turtle is most likely fine.

[@michelecampbell5075]

My turtle has been gasping for air. Took her for antiobiotics and i don't know if it helped. She's not moving, has no reflexes, and her eyes have been open for over 8 hours. Their open with a glassy look. I can't tell if she's even breathing. I feel she has passed, but I'm so unsure. Why would she be in this kind of state?

[@turtleholic]

Unfortunately, the respiratory infection might be too advanced for antibiotics. You should still give her the antibiotics, and maybe if she’s able to start eating again her body can fight it off