Reptile & Amphibian Forums

My adult male wood turtle is pretty sick. He has been lethargic and arching his head back and opening his mouth as if he were gagging on something. His eyes also seem runny. Normally I would let him hibernate outside but I took him inside thinking he would surely die if left to hibernate. Does anyone have any clues about this?
Thanks in advance,
jeff

Sounds like it is gasping for air, possible respiratory infection. Don't waste anymore time posting here, go to a vet ASAP tomorrow morning! Keep it plenty warm the entire time.
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...the oldest task in human history: to live on a piece of land without spoiling it."
Aldo Leopold (1938)

"Sometimes I think the surest sign that intelligent life exists elsewhere in the universe is that none of it has tried to contact us."
Calvin and Hobbes

Unfortunately I live in an area in which keeping a wood makes me a criminal. A vet is not an option. There must be some research somewhere that can give me some options.

Take the Turtle to a vet and Lie say it is captive bred or whatever you have to do or check and see if there is a licensing system unless you are in Canada,Virginia ,or Michigan then you should be o.k. Just do not let him die or put return him to the wild remember that could infect and wipe out an entire pop. So do everything in your power to get him better.

Let's not forget that the turtle is suffering, and probably has been for quite a while. Even if it is illegal to have, it is just as criminal to deny it proper treatment (it is a felony offense in many places). You have not only a legal obligation to get this animal proper veterinary treatment, but also a *gasp* moral obligation. If you can't take it to a vet, why the heck do you have it in the first place when EVERY animal will need to go to a vet SOMETIME? If every serious ailment had a homemade cure, why the heck do we have vets who spend 10 yrs of their life getting an education? The symptoms you describe sound grave in the most serious sense. Bottom line: If you can’t take care of it, give it to someone who will spare no expense to give it the best possible care, cuz there are plenty of people like that out there.
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...the oldest task in human history: to live on a piece of land without spoiling it."
Aldo Leopold (1938)

"Sometimes I think the surest sign that intelligent life exists elsewhere in the universe is that none of it has tried to contact us."
Calvin and Hobbes (Scientific Progress Goes 'Boink', 1991)

a vet doesn't care about that.. i have brought all sorts of stuff to vets before....you might get a lecture but they aqre not going to call the authorities on you and you may save the life of the animal. Just do it.

Definitely sounds like a bad respiratory infection. If you can't take the turtle to a vet for treatment you will most likely lose him. Is there a wildlife rehab organization or a herp group that could take the turtle and legally get it treatment? You may need to consider giving him up to one of those. Hope you can work something out to save him.

The arching of the head suggests a microbial or parasitic neuological infection rather than a simple respiratory infection. I have never seen a turtle recover from these symptoms in many years of experience, but there may be hope. Good luck.