My turtle is cold, not moving, and has bubbles. Is it alive or dead?

Take him out of the water. If he responds or retreats into his shell he is, obviously, alive. Have him examined by your veterinarian or a vet experienced in treating reptiles. If he is floating and lethargic, he may be sick. This could be infection, malnutrition or parasites. Confirm proper environmental parameters for the species of turtle you have. Low temps can affect activity in reptiles. Feed an appropriate diet, commercial pellets supplemented with greens and some protein (crickets, feeder fish, earthworms). Dust food with a calcium/D3 powder and a multivitamin. Provide a UVB lightsource to promote shell health. If you post a new question with the species, I can provide more specific care information and a care sheet for future reference. You can also request a consultation to discuss the case in greater detail.

I am sorry to hear about Nokta. I too, am worried about what you describe. Although when they hibernate their limbs are usually in the shell, not out. I do worry that she could be gravely ill and very weak. It can be hard to tell if a turtle is deceased. It is impossible to find a heartbeat, and reptiles can survive on only breathing very infrequently. I would recommend having her evaluated by your veterinarian as soon as possible. If that is not available then try to warm her up and see if she will Move. If she is alive she likely needs veterinary care to survive. Best of luck and thank you for using Pet Coach.

First of all if he is in the house, then he is most likely dead as it is too warm to go into hibernation. If he is outside it's not easy to tell, at least not in the beginning, eventually you will know as you will see him start to decompose after a few days of being dead, it will start smelling as well.

Check the water, ambient and basking spot temperatures. Low temps can affect activity in reptiles. Ideally, the turtle should be in a 10 gallon tank. Water depth should be no more than twice the shell length. Use a filter to maintain water quality and a small heater to keep it between 82F and 85F. There should also be a basking area easily reached out of the water that should range between 85F and 88F. A UVB light source, proper diet and calcium and vitamin supplementation will promote shell health. If all this is provided and the turtle is still lethargic, consider a physical exam with your veterinarian or a vet experienced in treating reptiles. You can find one at the link below. The second link will provide more information regarding the care of sliders. http://arav.site-ym.com/search/custom.asp?id=3661 http://www.anapsid.org/reslider.html

Thanks for reaching out about your turtle. Removed from the water to a dry enclosure with a warm towel, to prevent drowning. A veterinary visit this morning is highly recommended, as the high water temperatures have probably caused some internal thermal damage, maybe brain swelling. Anti-inflammatories and possible medications to decrease brain swelling. This is an emergency by your description. Good luck.

I didn't see that you mentioned what kind of turtle Mr. Giggle Bottom is - if there was water involved, he may have inhaled some water. If that is the case, he needs to go to the veterinarian immediately. If there was not water involved, I would recommend monitoring him for a few hours to see if he improves. When a turtle ends up on his back, all of the organs in the body will put pressure on the lungs which makes it hard for them to breathe. Depending on how long he was stuck, it may have been quite stressful for him and he is recovering. The longer the time, the more stress he was put under. I see that your question was posted a couple of hours ago. If he has not improved at all in that time, I would consider taking him to the veterinarian. They can perform an examination on him, and can help to make husbandry changes to try to prevent this from occurring in the future.

Tortoises have been known to appear dead for several hours and then start moving again. Please have a reptile vet see Freda asap, as they can help you determine what is going on. Check https://findavet.rcvs.org.uk/home/ for reptile vets in your area, and good luck.