How To Resuscitate A Turtle

As a child I was always bringing home animals - primarily dogs - I swear I was not encouraging them but follow me home they did!

I was always trying to help animals in some form - which funnily enough carried on through to me working for the SPCA and through my role at Eezapet today.

I do just love animals.

So I thought I'd share a story - a story that involves a different kind of animal

 a little red-eared turtle called George.

George joined our house when I was 18 years of age. He was the size of a (current day) two dollar coin.  We got him a super large tank with rocks for landing pads, a heat lamp for heat bathing, chilling spots and copious of fish for him to live with, and then when he got bigger to chase! We'd take George out for walks around the back yard during the days. One of George's favourite things to do was dig - he loved to dig! With the large rock in his tank there was a groove at the bottom which provided an entertaining, challenging spot to do this.

Roll on two years and George was now the size of a small dinner plate. I came home from work one day to find him lifeless at the bottom of the tank. He'd dug so furiously that he managed to wedge himself under the rock, became stuck and with lack of oxygen had drowned.  I was mortified!

I quickly got him out - placed his lifeless body on a towel and put a heat lamp on to warm him back up. I tried everything to bring him back to life.  I gently squeezed his mouth open with my fingers and blew air into his mouth.  I tried and tried for half an hour determined that he would come back to life.

After 30 minutes and still no movement I had resided to the fact that George had left us. I tried for the last two times.

Then suddenly there was a splutter and a cough - all this water came out - he took a breath - lifted his head and looked at me!  I was over the moon! So happy to have my little character back. And with a big feed of mealy bugs he was a happy lad swimming around his tank again.

Needless to say the rock was changed so this couldn't happen again!

So for me it's a story of never give up, even when you think it's the end it's not - perseverance can be the winner!

Long Live Geroge!

Brought to you from the makers of Eezapet - Heather - always trying to save animals - whether it's resuscitation of turtles, saving lives at the SPCA or providing natural treatments through Eezapet. 

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