What are the prevention and treatment methods for pulmonary water aspiration (choking) in turtles?

Turtles are divided into terrestrial turtles, aquatic turtles, and semi-aquatic turtles. Terrestrial turtles live year-round on land or in mountainous areas, aquatic turtles live in rivers, lakes, ditches, streams, and farmland, and semi-aquatic turtles live year-round in environments at the junction of water and land. Under natural conditions, turtles are not prone to choking on water or dying from suffocation as a result, but under artificial rearing conditions, deaths from pulmonary water aspiration caused by differences among species, environmental conditions, or improper human handling occur from time to time in breeding farms.

1. Causes of choking

1. Artificially bred ponds are often too small. If water quality deteriorates and fresh water is not added in time, low atmospheric pressure during hot seasons causes the dissolved oxygen content in the water to decrease; or if the pond water is too deep and the dissolved oxygen in the lower part of the pond water is relatively low, the turtle lurks underwater in an oxygen-deficient environment for too long and does not surface or come ashore in time to breathe, and so on. All of these can cause pulmonary water aspiration in turtles.

2. After a turtle loses water or becomes dehydrated during transport, if it is abruptly put into pond water by human action, the turtle is likely to plunge into the water and choke. Sometimes in cold winter seasons when the water temperature is too low, quickly placing the turtle into the water can also easily cause choking.

3. Weak turtles and sick turtles, if not handled carefully when being stocked, are also prone to pulmonary water aspiration.

After a turtle develops choking syndrome, it often sinks to the bottom of the water and cannot move, and some float on the surface and cannot move, showing weakness in the limbs, which are stretched out of the body. Dissection shows water-filled lungs, increased volume, and blood appearing blackish-purple due to oxygen deficiency.

2. Methods for preventing and treating choking

1. Normally, the water level of the pond should be basically fixed, and increased or decreased according to the needs of different turtle species, different regions, and different seasons. The water level must not be raised or lowered sharply. For example, for the common turtle, maintaining a water level of 60-100 cm is sufficient; by all means avoid too deep a level.

2. The feeding platform, slope, and basking platform in the pond should have a suitably larger area, and the slope angle should be less than 45 degrees, which helps turtles come ashore to move about and reduces crowding when foraging, so as to prevent them from suddenly falling into the water and choking.

3. When patrolling the pond or feeding, keepers should walk lightly, first walking at a distance, so that turtles on the bank slowly crawl into the water to move about, so as to avoid suddenly driving the turtles into the water and causing them to choke.

4. In stuffy and hot summer weather, the pond water should be changed regularly and in a timely manner to keep the water clean and fresh. Turtle ponds should be suitably large; if the pond is too small, it is better to keep the pond water suitably shallow to help increase dissolved oxygen. To prevent heat stress, shade sheds can be built to reduce the occurrence of choking.

5. After turtles have been transported, upon arriving at the destination they should first be allowed to move about on land, then slowly placed on the basking platform to let them enter the water naturally. They must not be thrown into the water by human action.

6. Sick turtles and weak turtles, if they are to be stocked in a pond, must first be placed in shallow water for a period of temporary holding, and only after they return to normal should they be transferred into the breeding pond.

7. Turtles that are choking should be rescued promptly. The turtle can be held head-down so that its neck hangs down, and the limbs can be stretched and retracted several times rhythmically by hand to force the water in its lungs to flow out, then the turtle should be placed in a ventilated, cool place and allowed to gradually revive. You can also hold the turtle tightly by hand and swing it forcefully several times head-down to shake the water out of its lungs, then blow a few breaths with your mouth toward the turtle's nostrils; generally they can all be rescued back.