Please h*lp -- I just went to feed my turtles and I
noticed that one of them has swollen feet. I am new
to this list but have had turtles for 12 years. This
pair that I have now are Diamondback terrapins (water
turtles) and one of them has all of her feet swollen
so badly. Can someone please tell me what may have
caused this and more importantly what I can do about
it to help her? Her tank is very clean, I have proper
heating and lighting (UV) and she is eating. I wonder
if she is sick, but I have never seen this before. I called a vet and spoke to someone at the desk who said it may be her kidneys??
Please email me with any information you may have that
will be helpful and thanks.
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Swollen Feet
madenton
Oct 08, 2003 08:32 PM
Replies (5)
honuman
Oct 08, 2003 10:16 PM
The person you spoke to may be correct. Sudden swelling is indicative of organ failure like kidney or liver and sometimes parasite overload can be the cause for organ failure. You must take the turtle to the vet ASAP.
madenton
Oct 08, 2003 10:19 PM
Thank you for your response. I am so worried. She is eating...but is a bit lethargic. What will they do? Give her antibiotics? SHe is also listing (SP?) a little when in the water. (floating a bit lopsided) I KNOW this is not good. Oh boy...I have already called the vet...
honuman
Oct 08, 2003 11:15 PM
That could even be a respiratory infection (which is favorable thing to kidney or liver failure). I guess they need to determine the exact problem before they can treat him. Glad you are getting the poor thing to vet fast.
erico
Oct 10, 2003 11:00 AM
It occurs as a terminal event in a general organ failure accompanying overwhelming bacterial sepsis, but it is a bacterial syndrome on its own that can be sucessfully treated with a full course of injectable antibiotics, althought the actual swelling may take weeks longer to resolve. Put it on Baytril (10 doses, 10mg/kg) or Amikacin (6 doses, one every other day at 10 mg/kg) and hope for the best, unless your vet REALLY knows what they are doing and has an alternative threaphy.
madenton
Oct 10, 2003 04:32 PM
Thank you for this info...I am suspecting that an antibiotic regime will be the best thing for it at this point. Appreciate the input!
