My red-eared slider turtle is sick: eyes swollen, not eating, weak.

This can be due to vitamin A deficiency, infection, poor water quality or lighting that is too intense/direct. You can address environmental concerns but you may need a vet to diagnose and treat infection or deficiency. Feeding a commercial turtle food along with fresh veggies and greens (or prey) will help balance the diet. Vitamin and mineral supplementation is also recommended. Click on the link below for more information. http://www.anapsid.org/reslider.html

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

Thank you for using PetCoach. Your turtle needs to see a reptile veterinarian ASAP. It may be suffering from malnutrition or have a respiratory infection or combination of both. It could be critically ill and likely needs injectable medications. Here is some more info on care. http://www.anapsid.org/reslider.html

Thanks for reaching out about Flippy and including a photo. The eyes and neck are swollen, and by your description, it appears he has a respiratory infection. A veterinary visit is recommended to assess and provide a diagnostic/treatment plan that should include a vitamin A and calcium injections and systemic antibiotics. The diet and husbandry practices need to be reviewed and corrected. Good luck.

Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! It is not possible to know what is exactly going on without a proper evaluation though it does sound like Cutty is quite sick. I would highly recommend that you have Cutty evaluated by a veterinarian for further assessment and treatment. They could check on what may be going on which could be a gastrointestinal condition so that it can be treated accordingly. Best of luck!

Most eye issues in red eared sliders is related to a vitamin A deficiency. This deficiency is caused by improper diet. You must correct his diet in order for him to get well. You also need to make sure everything else is correct - water temperature, basking temperature, cage size, etc. ( https://www.petcoach.co/article/vitamin-a-deficiency-signs-diagnosis-treatment-and-preventi/ ) Please realize that reptiles have a very slow metabolism. It takes a long time for them to show illness and subsequently, a long time to get well. So, this is not a quick fix. It may take months before he is back to normal. Be careful over-supplementing with Vitamin A, more is not better. You can cause an overdose if you give too much. That is why it is best to work with your vet. It sounds like they are on the right track with treatment.

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.