HELP NEEDED with a Red Ear Slider Turtle.?

Question

It's not eating at all, and can go on for even a month without food (yes I do offer it food, but it doesn't eat it). Also, one of the turtles has swollen eyes, and when it goes underwater it sometimes does open mouth breathing. They sleep a lot, and always close their eyes.

I know they're sick, but I don't have a reptile veterarinian in our area, and my mom's not willing to pay for a vet.
What should I do?

Answer 1

Try feeding live worms. That is a good indicatio on how sick they are. As they love worms.

Housing
RES, as most turtles, need a considerable amount of space. The essential setup consists of a tank filled with water and a dry basking area. The tank should be as big as you can afford it because RES grow fast and need lots of space. The best size tanks for most sliders are 30, 55 or more gallon aquariums. The tank should be equipped with the next items:

a heater
a filter
a basking light
a basking area
You can enrich this basic setup by adding gravel to the bottom of the tank. It is a nice detail and it also provides a "playground" for the turtles. They adore digging and rumaging it. The problem with the substrate is that it retains the waste that falls on the bottom of the tank. Hovever, a good filtration system will take care of that...
Fake plants will also add to the look of the aquarium, but they must be made from robust and non-toxic materials.

The metabolism of reptiles depends on the temperature of their surrounding. As a consequence, they won't be active if the temperatures are too low. The best temperature range for RES is 24-28°C (around 75°F). In most cases, a heater is needed to achieve such a temperature. There are variuos types of heaters, and the easiest to use is the fully submersible heater because they have a built in thermostat and can be set to the best temperature.

Turtles are very messy animals. Keeping a tank without a good filter is a Sizif's job. Investing in a good filter is investing in the health of your pet and in your free time. Nonetheless, the water in the tank must be changed periodically , and the tank must be carefully cleaned. Dirty water is one of the main causes of ailments, when it comes to turtles.

A dry basking area is essential to the well-being of RES. Basking is one of their main activities, and they must get dry from time to time to prevent many ill states like fungal infections, shell rot and eye infections. The basking area can be made in a variety of ways. The goal is to obtain a dry and easy accessible "land" but retain enough swimming place as well. I solved this problem by placing a smaller aquarium on its side in the tank and placing few rocks on top of it. In this way I didn't loose any precious space. Another common way is to glue a glass "shelf" on the wall of the tank.
Above the basking area you must place a basking light. It can be a common bulb or a broad-spectrum one. A broad-spectrum light is needed for the production of vitamin D which is essential for the metabolism of bones and shell. But, the problem of hypovitaminosis can be also circumvented by adding vitamin supplements in the food of the turtle. If you use a broad-spectrum bulb don't forget that they don't produce enough heat which means that a common, 60 w bulb is still needed. Turtles will hardly enjoy basking with broad-spectrum bulbs as the only source of light. Also, it is very important to respect the natural alternation of day-night periods and don't use any light during the night.


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Health and disease
Turtles, like other living beings can suffer from a number of deseases.

Shell softening
Eye infections
Respiratory infections
Fungal infections
Shell-softening (Metabolic bone disease) is one of the most usual disorders that affect turtles in captivity. It is a consequence of calcium deficiency which can happen for several reasons. Calcium is the building element of all hard tissues in the body and its deficiency leads to severe disorders of bone formation and maintainance. The absorption of calcium in the intestines is mediated by vitamin D3 and the production of D3 in the body is dependent of the UV rays which are present in the sunlight. Glass absorbs UV-rays so turtles in captivity are unable to synthesize their own vitamin D3 which is essential for the metabolism of bones and connective tissue.
Vitamin D3 deficiency is the most usual cause of shell-softening among captive turtles but it also can happen for other reasons. Low calcium diet or some plants like spinach can cause MBD too.
The symptoms of shell softening is the general softening of the shell and bones underneath. White, spongy areas can also appear on the shell (and these white patches are especially typical when hatchlings are affected). The animal will often be apatic, refuse food and be prone to infections. Turtles with shell-softening endure great pain.
This condition is extremely severe and must be cured as soon as possible. The first aid consist of administering vitamin supplements and calcium in increased doses and exposing the animal to direct sunlight. The best calcium supplement is cuttlebone. Scrape off the hard backing and put it in the water.
The housing should be adapted to meet the needs of the sick animal. The water should be warm and shallow and the basking spot must be easily accessed.
A long term answer to the problem of shell-softening can be achieved by placing a full-spectrum light above the basking area. These bulbs can be bought in most pet-shops and are fairly expensive. If you can't afford one, administer vitamin supplements regularly and this will solve the problem.

Eye-problems are not rare among reptiles. Poor quality of the water, lack of vitamines and improper care can easily lead to blindness. Eye infections can be easily treated but many owners do not pay enough attention and the result is the permanent blindness of the animal. An important thing to remember about eye problems is that they are often a sign that something else is wrong. They can be the first symptom of deseases like shell-softening or other infections which are characterized by a drop in the immunity system. Fighting eye infections is rather simple. The eyes should be treated with diluted boric acid (60/40) or sulfamethiazine. The water in the tank must be kept clean to avoid new infections.

RES are particularly susceptible to respiratory infections which can be related to the fact that they spend most of their time in the water. They are usually caused by keeping turtles in drafty spaces which are not properly heated. Also, the majority of respiratory infections are contageous and they can easily spread from one animal to another. The symptoms of such infections include runny noses, lopside swimming, wheezing, lethargy and loss of appetite. The therapy is quite simple. The turtle should be removed from the tank and placed in a clean tank with warm water. The room must be warm and without drafts. If the condition of the turtle doesn't improve, a veterinarian help is needed. He or she will prescribe antibiotic drugs that will eradicate the infection.

Fungal infections usually manifest themselves as grey or white cotton-like layers on slider's shell and skin. They can develop as a consequence of poor husbandry (dirty water, lack of basking or inadequate feeding) or/and in addition to other ailments. Fortunately, if recognized in time, fungal infections are readily curable. The usual therapy cosists of salty baths few times a day.


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Feeding
RES are essentially carnivorous, but they incline toward plant food in adult age. The most important thing to remember is that turtles need a rich and various diet. Turtles in captivity are especially prone to obesity and obesity-linked diseases, due to the almost sedentary way of life and too much food. Hatchlings should be fed once a day and adult turtles once in two days.
There are various categories of food you can offer to your turtles:


Commercial food

Live food

Plant food

Meat and cat/dog-food

Supplements

The essential diet of most turtles in captivity consists of commercial food formulated especially for turtles. There are numerous brands of sticks and pellets and many owners believe that they satisfy all the needs of their turtles. However, some turtles (especially hatchlings and wild-caught turtles) refuse to eat canned food and this can be a source of frustration for many owners. In any case, the commercial food should be only the base of a turtle's diet.

Offering live food to your turtles is the best way to implement their diet. It is usually given as treat as most turtles simply adore it. However, there is no reason live food should not be included in the everyday diet of turtles. Insects, worms and feeder fish are excellent sources of proteins, and they can be obtained without too much trouble. The most popular insects offered to turtles are certainly crickets. They can be bought in pet stores or you can simply catch them in your back yard (provided you have one, of course). Locusts will also be accepted by turtles with great eagerness as a number of other insects.
Earthworms, mealworms and other kinds of worms have a high nutritional value as well. So, don't hesitate to offer them as often as you can. Some pet shops keep the, so called, "feeder fish" which can be placed in the tank and turtles will feed on them. That's also a good idea, especially if you want to provide some exercise to your slider.

Many owners complain that their sliders avoid plant food. RES are essentially carnivorous, although they tend to become herbivorous in adult age. However, some of them readily accept plant food even as hatchlings. It is a good idea to offer your slider carrots, lettuce, cucumbers, dandelion leaves and other vegetables.

Turtles are extremely fond of meat and you can give it as a treat from time to time. It is important not to exaggerate because most types of meat are too fatty to be given regularly. Cat and dog-food can also be given to sliders, but not too often because of their high caloric value.

Vitamin and calcium supplements are an essential part of the diet of turtles in captivity. Vitamin D is especially important because turtles can't synthesize it if not exposed to direct sunlight (or full-spectrum lamp light). As a consequence they develop a condition known as shell softening which is usually deadly if not treated. The deficiency in vitamin A can lead to eye damage and permanent blindness. It is, therefore, important, to provide vitamin supplements in the diet of turtles.
Calcium can be given in the form of powder or block. The most natural, and maybe best source of calcium is cuttlebone.

Answer 2

You need to get the one with the swollen eyes away from the other one, or you will have 2 sick turtles!!! They might not be eating because you dont have a proper setup!

What you need!
- UVB/UVA light , this is very important if you dont have that, thats probably why they are not eating.
- the tank, you need 10 gallons for every one inch of shell. so if the tank isnt very big, you need to get a bigger one. cant afford a tank try a rubbermaid container.
-Heat lamp, should be over basking area. use a regular house bulb
-basking turtle dock, they need to get completely out of the water
- heater- water should be around 72 degrees
-filter. having a good filter will help out. fluvals are great

- next depending how big your turtles are, you should be feeding them greens everyday and the pellets every other day. give them romain lettuce, not iceburg.

also they should sell stuff at the pet store to help with the swollen eyes. but make sure you get that one away from the other and replace the water in the tank. your turtle could have a resiptory infection and if you dont get it to the vet it will most likely die, so you dotn want the other turtle to get it. good luck and i hope everything works out fine

Forgot one thing, try a vitamin bath for your turtle with the swollen eyes, they seel the stuff at the pet store. I recommend doing this ASAP. and to be on the safe side i would do it to the other one too. I just read a little a its a vitamin A difiecency. So when he gets better, you can put a centrum vitamin into there tank once a week. (centrum are alot cheaper than turtle vitamins. and vet says there fine to use)

Answer 3

Red-ear Sliders need a few things to be healthy:

SPACE- at least 10 gallons of water space per inch of shell length.

WARMTH- aim for water temps of 75-80F and basking sites of 90F. Too cool temps are a big reason for a lot of turtle problems.

SUN- turtles need UVB light, and it does not penetrate most glass or plastic, so you need to pop for a rather expensive bulb.

Cleanliness is helpful- a powerful filter, frequent water changes, or a combination of the two.

Finally, you need a good varied diet- up to 50% good pellets, the rest in live or frozen/thawed 'fish foods' like small fish, bugs, worms, shrimp, beef heart, etc. (When they get bigger, add some dark leafy greens.)

Try http://www.austinsturtlepage.com for more help.

Answer 4

We have three turts.. one red eared slider, one map turtle and a three toed box turtle... go to http://www.austinsturtlepage.com this page has a lot of care sheets and stuff. the best page is http://www.turtleforum.com this site has a lot of helpful people that are members and they can usually tell you exactly what your turtle has and how to help it. They're very friendly and always willing to help. I hope this site helps you and your babies!