Vet Q&A-Reptile

Really Need your help! Our turtle tank is all cloudy. Changed water put alges a Really NEED YOUR help. Our turtle Aquarian is all cloudy. Can see the turtle even. Changed water and put in alges cleaner. But this is the 2nd time this has happened. It looks like it would disturb the turtle but seems ok. WHATS HAPPENING?

The cloudiness can be due to elevated ammonia or nitrite levels or algae blooms. If the tank was previously cycled, the water change may have disrupted the nitrogen cycle resulting in cloudy water. Check the water temperature and chemistry. It is okay to cycle a tank with a turtle in it. They are hardier than fish and can withstand the elevated ammonia and nitrites until the tank chemistry "settles" down.

My green iguana is walking in circles and with his head tilted to one side and his eyes seem to be inflamed and closed. The weather in Hong Kong lately seems to be very humid with a lot of rain. What could be the cause and treatment for this illness?

The symptoms may be a result of middle ear issue, trauma, infection (bacterial, fungal, viral) or nerve damage. Vestibular disease has also been reported in iguanas. A physical exam with your veterinarian or an experienced herp vet would be recommended to diagnose illness or injury. Treatment will depend on the diagnosis. In the meantime, maintain proper environmental parameters, make sure she continues to eat and remain hydrated. Remove or lower high branches or perches to avoid injury from falls. Keep stress at a minimum until she sees the vet.

I Have A Flapshell Turtle,Ent Bite In Her Eye he can't open full His Eye What Should I Do and He doesn't Eat last 3-4 days ?

Thanks for reaching out about your turtle. A wound to the eye and anorexia for several days is worrisome. A veterinary visit is needed to prescribe systemic and ophthalmic antibiotics, at the minimum. Keeping water quality good is very important also, to prevent infection through the damaged eye. Good luck.

Hi, I'm a Mississippi Map Turtle owner, I recently discovered that turtles are meant to shed their scutes. I didn't know as this is my first turtle and he hasn't shed before, I've now had him for 2+ years. There was a lot of algae build up on his shell, and I've slowly worked to gently clean it off. Since cleaning it I've noticed spots on his shell that seem to be chipping away, and spots where the algae grew underneath the shell and created small bubbles. Is this shell rot? How can I help him?

Hi there! So sorry to hear about Willow's shell troubles. You can try dry-docking him and just letting him into the water for an hour a day to defecate to let the shell really dry out. You can clean the shell with some very dilute betadine or iodine, or chlorhexidine solution mixed one part solution with 10 parts water 2-3 times per day while you dry dock. Keep in mind, when trying to feed him a couple times per week, he'll want to be in the water for that as well as for going to the bathroom. They will not eat when being dry docked. If here is no improvement at all in a week or so, he may need some prescription cream to apply to the shell. Shell rot usually will be a result of water quality not being ideal. Below is a link to Austin's turtle page, one of my favorite turtle husbandry pages, as well as a link about treating shell rot. I hope you find this answer helpful. Best of luck! http://www.austinsturtlepage.com/Care/caresheet-mississippi_map.htm https://www.vettails.com/vettails/2016/2/21/how-i-treat-shell-rot-in-turtles

My Red ear Slider's shell is feeling a bit soft around the edges. If it touch it, it bends slightly. It this a sign of MBD? My turtle is still young. He's only around 2.5 inches

Hello, Yes, this could absolutely be a sign of MBD, or NSHP (Nutritional Secondary Hyperparathyroidism). It unfortunately occurs even more often in younger reptiles. I recommend scheduling Leo an appointment with a reptile veterinarian to have him physically examined. They may recommend x-rays as well to best assess bone health. Here is a link from a website I trust to learn more: https://veterinarypartner.vin.com/default.aspx?pid=19239&catId=102919&id=8012396 I hope this helps. Thanks for using Boop by Petco.

My bearded dragon has had clogged pores and I’ve been giving him soaks to help unclog his pores . Tonight I noticed his pores are now puffy and red. We plan on taking him to the vet as soon as we can but as it is the weekend our vet is not in until Monday . I’m super concerned about him rite now as I know infections are not good in reptiles. Is there anything I can do? Will he be okay waiting to see a vet? Thank you for any help.

Continue the soaks in warm water. You can use a soft bristled toothbrush to gently scrub the pores. Do not squeeze them as this will likely cause pain. Be sure to provide rough surfaces (rocks, branches, etc.) so he can rub against them. This will help remove some of the discharge and prevent excess accumulation. As long as he is behaving and eating normally, you can likely wait until Monday to see your veterinarian.

Is it safe to buy a UV Sterilizer Green killer filter for my turtles? The water gets dirty really fast and I've pretty much tried everything, but the algae keeps growing fast. The problem is that I've seen a lot of negative reviews on that filter, saying that it got their fish killed. Now, I've done some research on that and found out that that UV lights could damage both animals and humans, however the very few reviews that were written by turtle owners were positive. Is it totally safe?

A UV sterilizer is safe to use in a turtle tank. To maximize benefits, be sure the water filter is rated for at least twice the volume of the tank, remove uneaten food promptly, monitor water temp closely, perform regular partial water changes and use a timer for the "regular" light. These actions will minimize algae growth.

Hello I sent a message on here recently about my gecko not eating or opening his one eye. Was told to give him a 50/50 warm water and pedialyte bath, which I did and it seemed to help! Also keeping him under a warm lamp. My concern now is he has finally opened the one eye and it doesn’t look good. It isn’t almost all black and has a film on top with a small bubble. I have attached a photo of his normal eye and two of the bad one. What should I do?

This looks like it may be a retained eyelid lining from an improper shed. It would be best to have him examined by a vet. Eyes are very delicate and you can really damage the eyeball if you treat him incorrectly at home.

My pet baby turtle haven’t opened it’s eye for a few days and have been rubbing it and unable to open . It has some infection on its feet and a lump on the neck . It has not eaten for 10 days . I’m not sure if it also have a rotten shell .

Thanks for reaching out about your baby turtle and including photos. This turtle appears to be very ill and is need of seeing a veterinarian, as soon as possible. Check and correct water quality for temperature and water quality. Heat support should be warm. Good luck.