and my big male turtle just died he was just swimming around fine and within five minutes he just died.i heard once a turtle shell gets soft its going to die.what can i do
2007-06-27 15:38:47 · 4 answers · asked by Anonymous in Pets ➔ Reptiles
If it has soft shell, there isn't much you can do. The first step that you need to take is to completely clean and disinfect everything in the tank before you continue to let your living turtle live in it. If they are babies, they either had a disease when you bought them or you do not have the proper set up. Do you have a basking area? Is the water 75 degrees and the basking area 90? Do you have UVB lighting? Not having UVB lighting is one of the major causes of soft shell and also not basking is. It is deadly and there isn't much that you can do now. Your best bet is to take it to a vet who can prescribe you medicine that can help it but there aren't home remidies, besides adding UVB lighting and improving their diet (1/2 feed fish, snails, waxworms, silkworms, crickets, and grasshoppers, and 1/2 a good pelet food).
2007-06-28 07:02:26 · answer #1 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
Yes, it is probably too late. If you want to try and save it, take it to a vet that works with reptiles. Call around and find one if you don't already know of one. You should have known ahead of time though. Getting a pet means researching as to what they need and where you'll go when they need help. If you had given your turtles UV-B lighting and calcium, they would not be in the condition they are in now. They also have alot of other special needs which they may not be getting. Be responsible and go take it to someone who knows what to do with it. Those turtles are actually called "red-eared sliders" (RESs).
2007-06-28 00:51:33 · answer #2 · answered by Amanda 6 · 1⤊ 0⤋
I know very little about turtles, but I'll ask you a few questions and maybe one of them will click.
How often do you change his water?
Are you feeding him vet-approved food?
What do you do when his shell gets dirty or soft?
Does he have any "sunshine" time when he can get fresh air and bathe in the sun?
Do you have an algae eater in his bowl?
I remember when I was little, my mom would take a toothbrush and brush our itsy bitsy turtle's back when it got gunky.
The turtles at the pond right now are coming out for several hours in the afternoon just to enjoy the sun.
I don't know if this is even a possibility or necessity, but if algae and goo build up in his bowl, maybe getting an algae eater would help (plicasthemus?). You'd have to ask the pet store people about that.
I'm sorry I don't know more about turtles. I hope I helped.
2007-06-27 23:00:59 · answer #3 · answered by TX Mom 7 · 1⤊ 1⤋
Yes, your turtle is probably doomed.
They get soft shell due to lack of calcium/uvb.
You should have researched turtle care before this happened.
Incidentally, there is no such thing as a "red streak turtle"
2007-06-27 22:51:23 · answer #4 · answered by Dion J 7 · 3⤊ 1⤋