sick red ear

Lrptls · 12-27-03, 01:14 PM

my mom got 2 baby red eard sliders a few months ago. she said the one was geting sick (i dont live with her) i went to see it, she said it wasn't eating for a month or so. it was very weak, the other baby was almost twice the size, eating alot, acting normal. but the sick baby was so weak from not eating and his eyes were very swollin and closed. i took the baby and its, for now, in a small tank with a little bit of water and a rock. i got him eye medication and follow the directiosn (2 drops in each eye 3 times a day) the turtle gets in the water on his own and gets out. he doesn't move too well though,i guess cause hes so weak. i'm visiting at some ones house but in a few days i'll be back at my house, get a uvb light on him and try to feed him insects and such. what do you think is wrong with him and what should i do to help. thanks lots

Ciddian · 12-27-03, 01:28 PM

Ohh heavens i rarely see a sick red ear.... the uv light is great and do that as soon as possible. Also separating them is a good idea too.
I have two new babies, one is a yellow bellie and the other is a red ear and they are both really bad gluttons......but i had noticed he yellow bellie would push the smaller red ear away and never let him eat. Maybe this was happening? Does he eat well on his own or ignores the food?
If he's still not eating it could be an impaction or constipation. I once had a red ear (now placed in a happy home

who had a really bad habit of eating undigestable things....nothing smaller than his mouth is aloud in the tank...other than lunch

You can try feeding him some peas and see if that helps at all.
The swollen eyes could be just from bad water... make sure you mum does water changes at least once a week...so one likes to have a bath in their own poop and pee for a month or so....MMmm..

Hope this helps you out a bit...but no worries there are some wonderful people on this site that should be able to give you a hand.

Good luck and have a great new year :mednormal
~Ciddian~

marisa · 12-27-03, 02:03 PM

I have/had a tiny RES who wasn't doing so well. What I would do with yours is raise the water temp a little bit using a underwater heater, 24 hours per day. And definitly make sure he is living alone.

These turtles, weak or not need a hot basking spot. Use a thermometer to make sure its between 90-100. And yes you also need a UV light.

As for food, right now chasing insects really won't help this little guy. I would be feeding him pieces of turtle pellets, which should also be in his diet.

Good luck
Marisa

gfisher2002 · 12-27-03, 10:52 PM

The swollen eyes is most commonly from dirty water. The drops should clear it up. If it's swollen shut, and the drops don't open it in a day or two, take it to the vet! Be sure he is eating. If hes still not eating when on his own, take him to the vet. Supplement his diet with vitamin dust and keep the drops on his eyes. Watch for signs of infection as well.

Good luck,
Garrett

Lrptls · 12-31-03, 09:14 PM

the turtle finally started opening his eyes on the 6th day. he doesn't keep them open though, closed most of the time, but he can open them now, i'll keep checking them good. do you think i should continue puting medicine on them? i plan on taking him to the vet soon. hes starting to move more though, even though he still hasn't eaten. i think he'll be ok

gfisher2002 · 01-01-04, 06:51 PM

Yes, keep giving him drops for awhile. It's good he can open them now. You might want to dim any close lights near him and use a red or a night night for basking. So as not to strain his eyes. Might help. Be sure he is showing continuing signs of improvement. Also keep his water absolutely spotless.