>>The last time I spoke to the vet he told me that she had not eaten but that she may not do so for a while due to the stress.
Getting food into her is going to help her a lot, it'll start to relieve some of the stress & help her heal. My Chip didn't get enough food & he started to jaundice after a week so that's why the vet tubed him.
>>They really didn't tell me anything else when I went to pick her up yesterday so I am a little bit in the dark here.
Call them & ask questions as much as you need to. I know sometimes people feel like they're bothering the vet but if the vet gives off the 'tude that you are bothering them, that's when I look for another vet.
>>I do know that he did give her antibiotics and some other medication for shock last week. I think all they did was give her meds and glue her face back together.
Ok that's good she was given antibiotics so most likely she doesn't need more. If she starts to smell bad then you'd need to call the vet
> When you say give her a bath, do I just put her in a small tub with water in the bottom?
Yes that's just what I mean, a shallow bath with tepid water- not too cool, not too warm. I leave them long enough to get hydrated. Usually they'll sit for a while then when they start moving around they're ready to come out of the bath. That's also when I try feeding them.
>>>How long can a turtle go without eating anyway?
Normally a healthy one in the wild can go for a while without eating but when they're hurt they really do need to start eating by the time they've been without food for 2 weeks or so.
Otherwise like my Chip they'll start to jaundice caused by lack of food which is not a good thing because it'll lead to other internal problems.
>> What would you suggest I do as far as feeding if she doesn't eat on her own. Could I try the syringe method and see how it goes? If so, should I use a soft dog food or some kind of "slurry" of veggies mixed with a protein? I admit, injured turtle care is new to me but I want to give this girl the best care possible. Thank you for your reply.
I read what Lisa posted about using baby food & Pedialyte, that'd work. You could use different slurries using Gerber's meats, veggies, and fruits. You could make turtle pellet foods into a slurry- like Mazuri or Jurassi turtle or tortoise pellets. Mix up a different combination each day & that way the turtle would get a variety and might find something that tastes so good she won't fight you on it.
I've had some fight like crazy never wanting to be syringe fed, I've had others who's eyes were closed get used to it & open up for me without a fight. Depends on the turtle.
Be sure to place the food in the front of the turtle's mouth then let the turtle swallow it on her own. Usually for me they'll do that so I don't have to shoot the food down their throats. Shooting food down their throats is dangerous because if it gets into their lungs then they're in worse trouble.
Chip fought all the time- the tube made it safe to feed him against his will. That food helped him so much, I really don't think he would've made it without being forced to eat because he was so weak.
This is wonderful of you to try so hard.
I wish you the best of luck in your efforts for this turtle!
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PHRatz
