1063. Update: The gasping terrapin was gasping, crying and not eating 4 days ago.

Thursday Sep 25, 2014

I phoned the wife today at 12 noon. This beloved 6-year-old terrapin came in on Sep 21, 2014, not eating and making crying sounds. The tongue had white membranes peeling off. She was gasping and so it was easy to see the inside of her mouth. She did not pass stools for a few days.What's the problem?

The terrapin had poor uneven shell quality being fed solely on a Taiwanese brand of pellets and nothing else. No sunlight for the past 6 years.  The tank was too small.

"The cause of the poor shell quality could be this particular brand of brand," I said. "It may be toxic causing tongue ulcerations and infections of the mouth. How often do you change the water in the tank?"

"Every two days," the husband said. He would give the medication including multivitamin drops.

I proposed feeding dry shrimps, little fishes and egg yolk (boiled). Today, good news from the wife. The terrapin is eating dry shrimps and this is a good sign.  Small pieces of fresh fish. If the terrapin can swim, little guppies may be interesting.