Reptile & Amphibian Forums

Please help! I have had my RES for a little over a week now, she is a rescue (see posts below). I have been unable to get her to eat at all, I have offered cooked chicken, cooked meat, carrots, Reptomin, and she hasn't eaten any of it! I took her to the vet and he said our main concern right now is that she is malnourished. Does anyone have any recommendations on appetite stiumulants?

Thanks in advance.
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"We can judge the heart of a man by his treatment of animals"
--Immanual Kant

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1 Dog (Tyson)
2 RES (Siggy- 9 years old, Lucky- Hatchling)

Give it some more time and keep trying. Try canned dog
food and dry cat food soaked in warm water until soft.
Turtles can go along time without eating. Keep it in
a quiet place and make sure it has proper lighting and
heating. Do not give it anything that is not prescribed by
a vet that has experience with turtles.

I think once it gets acclimated, barring any other illness,
it will start eating.

Linda

You may also want to try and raise the temptures of the water a little bit to help. This may or may not help but the warmer the water is the better then tend to eat and heal as well if they are sick or hurt at all. I would put the temptures between 80 and 82 and that should help out.

Mitch

Yeah, raise the water temps. You can easily do this by putting it in a small, plastic container, then placing a light about 12" from it. This will heat up the water a little, depending on the wattage of the bulb and how you place the light.

Make sure, however, it's faced with its food. Try tiny worms too. If worse comes to worse, try raw and rear hamburger meat.

Oops! I meant "rare."

Update:

I took "Lucky" to the vet several weeks ago. They said he did not have a respiratory infection, but is malnourished for sure. This was prior to Memorial Day weekend. Approximately 1 week later "Lucky" ate a little bit of Reptomin, but has had nothing since then and it has been over a week and a half. Everyday I put her/him into a small container (with a little water of course) and attempt to feed it. I have presented it with worms, cooked chicken, cooked hamburger meat, and some sort of food that I found at the pet store that claimed to be an appetite stiumulant based on its color and smell...still NOTHING!! She/he has begun basking and does so everyday which is good, because she wasn't doing that before. Any other suggestions?
-----
"We can judge the heart of a man by his treatment of animals"
--Immanual Kant

------------------------------
1 Dog (Tyson)
2 RES (Siggy- 9 years old, Lucky- Hatchling)

leave her in her enclosure to feed her. I think you are
handling her too much. She will only eat when comfortable.

Put some canned dog food or soaked (until soft) cat
food in her enclosure and leave her alone. Just a little
at a time. It does sound like she is a little more
comfortable if beginning to bask. I would give her as
much privacy as possible, even putting her in a room
that people are not in all of the time.

You are doing a good job but try to be a little more
hands off. I know it's hard but is probably necessary
at this point.

Linda