My Short Neck Murray is sick!!!

by Gina
(Sydney NSW Australia)

I went on a 4 day trip and had to leave my turtle Tumbles with a friend, who also owns a murray short neck turtle, so i thought it would be a good idea to take him to my friends tank to be looked after. Unfortunately he got sick, I was rung and told he didn't look well, that he looked very weak and had no appetite. He also had discharge coming out of his nose and could hardly breathe. I was very shocked to see him when I got back the next night and immediately rang the vet. I took him in straight away where he was given a shot. The vet seems to think he is calcium deficient and has given me a months worth of shots which i have to administer every 3 days. I was also told to leave him out of the water, so i have put my poor little guy in a box with a pillow and a blanket with only his head uncovered to keep him warm during the night. I will be giving him a 20m soak each day with his head out so he doesn't drown. I am very worried I have never seen him like this. How long should it be before the medication starts to work? Could it be an infection from the other tank perhaps? The only reason I don't think its a calcium deficiency is because I give him calcium bites and pellets with calcium in there. Could it be that he got stressed by placing him into the other turtles tank? Is there anything else I can do? PLEASE HELP!