My red eared slider floats lopsided. Is this normal or a health issue?

As long as he is active, has no discharge from the eyes or nose and is not wheezing or gaping, there is no cause for concern. Consider decreasing the depth of the water to no deeper than twice Franklin's length though.

Thanks for reaching out about Snappy. Sleeping is a sign of lethargy and illness, and a veterinary visit should be scheduled as soon as possible. Floating all the time is an indication of hyper-inflated lungs and possible respiratory infection. Systemic disease require systemic antibiotics, which a veterinarian can prescribe. Good luck.

This could be very normal for him as long as he is still eating normally! If he isn’t eating then I would have your vet look at him. You may consider making his basking platform a little bigger if you’re concerned he is having trouble staying on it. I hope this helps! Red eared slider have great little personalities!

Thanks for reaching out about Curtis. The most likely cause is pneumonia where the lungs are filled with fluid and unable to inflate adequately for buoyancy. A veterinary visit is recommended, most of these are bacterial and the correct antibiotic could be curative. Good luck.

Thanks for reaching out about Tuktuk and including a photo. The foot appears to be infected. Is he housed with another turtle that could have bitten him? Or another type of wound. Water quality needs to be pristine to prevent further infection. Floating with one side dependent is often a sign of a congested lung, i.e. pneumonia. A veterinary visit is highly recommended as soon as possible, as systemic antibiotics are probably needed. Check and correct all husbandry parameters including water and basking temperatures, nutrition, and UVB exposure. Good luck.

Take him out of the water. If he responds or retreats into his shell he is, obviously, alive. Have him examined by your veterinarian or a vet experienced in treating reptiles. If he is floating and lethargic, he may be sick. This could be infection, malnutrition or parasites. Confirm proper environmental parameters for the species of turtle you have. Low temps can affect activity in reptiles. Feed an appropriate diet, commercial pellets supplemented with greens and some protein (crickets, feeder fish, earthworms). Dust food with a calcium/D3 powder and a multivitamin. Provide a UVB lightsource to promote shell health. If you post a new question with the species, I can provide more specific care information and a care sheet for future reference. You can also request a consultation to discuss the case in greater detail.

If possible, separate them until you get a diagnosis. Get a stool sample from the sick turtle and submit it to your veterinarian to diagnose intestinal parasites or bacterial infection. An exam with your veterinarian or a vet experienced in treating reptiles is strongly recommended given the marked weight loss and lethargy. Increase water and ambient temperatures by a few degrees to support the sick turtle. Offer a biologically appropriate, species specific diet as well as proper vitamin and mineral supplementation. Check the UVB bulb and replace it of it is older than 6 months old. The symptoms you describe have multiple causes, so it is important to have an exam and testing to reach a diagnosis. Treatment will depend on the diagnosis. Follow the link below for information regarding care and husbandry of red eared sliders. http://www.anapsid.org/reslider.html