Reptile & Amphibian Forums

ok, i dont know this person, but im trying to get advice for him and his mississippi map turtle. he says its head is bobbing around out of the water (i dont know what this means), hes blowing lots of bubbles and is making weird noises. it sounds like a turtle cold, does anyone think otherwise? he doesnt want to take it to the vet because he just spent $250 on his dog and doesnt have money. what are the problems leading to the sickness, and is there a way to alleviate the problems so the turtle regains its health?

Unfortunately it will probably die with out any treatment. The only thing you can try is to increase the temperature in the turtle cage to the high 80s - low 90s. He might improve if the infection is not too bad. But the best option would be to locate a reptile rescue, or wildlife rehabilitator.

At this point, the outlook is grim, as you describe the symptoms of severe pneumonia. It will DEFINITELY not recover unless injectable anitibiotics are used ( Baytrill or Amikacin). Often a vet will provide you with a loaded syringe and dosage and injection instructions, but it will not be cheap. You just cannot cure this on the cheap and the animal may still be too far gone to recover.