Red eared slider with eyes swollen shut. HELP!

[Alyxx]

My neighbor keeps red eared sliders, and her smallest one suddenly had her eyes swell shut last week. At first they had a kind of white fuzz on them as well, but she has been using some turtle eye drops she found at our LFS and the white stuff has gone away, but the poor thing's eyes are still shut. I was over there today and we could see her kind of trying to open them. I told her I would post on here and see if I could get her some advice.

Now, her setup is kind of abysmal. She has three small red eared sliders (2-4 inch shell) along with one older one (6-8 inch shell) in a 10 gallon with a basking area and a proper basking light. I've tried explaining proper tank sizes, stunting, and bioload before, but she can't really afford larger tanks and doesn't want to give any of them up. Same with the multiple comets and a common pleco in a 10 gallon. She loves them like family members and broke down in tears at work when all of her old goldfish died during Issac related power outages.. She does her best to keep the tanks clean, though, and she has been changing the turtle water daily since the little one developed the eye issues. She feeds turtle pellets, dried shrimp, dried crickets, and occasional aquatic plants. She has been taking the one with the bad eyes out of the main tank at night to rest away from the others and feeding her before she goes in the tank with the others. She is eating, but not as much as she used to.

Any tips I can pass on? Better medicines, good healthy food options? I've never kept turtles before so while I can usually answer all of her fish related questions, i can only give the most general advice on turtle care. I can probably post a picture of the turtle tomorrow, I should have thought to snap a picture with my phone this morning when we were talking about it but I didn't sleep last night and I haven't really had my head together all day.

 

[Andrew McFadden]

This site is my go to for anything turtle related. Unfortunately ive never had the problem so i can only point and say this is what id do. ATP Medical - Eyes and Ears

Check out these sites aswell
Red-Eared Slider Health Problems » Alberta Turtle and Tortoise Society


What's Wrong With My Turtle's Eyes?


I would rinse the eyes with sterile eye solution and keeping it out of the water longer each day maybe only gettng in a few hours mainly to eat. If the problem doesnt start looking better in a couple days then she needs to find a vet.

 

[Alyxx]

Thanks, Andrew. I'll suggest the saline and keeping her out of the water when I see her tomorrow. The meds have cleared up all of the gunk and stuff, but the eyes are still swollen shut. We discussed a reptile vet this morning, and neither of us are sure if there are any in the area. I'll probably do an Internet search tomorrow and check out those sites you linked. I may have some plain saline solution lying around somewhere myself in a first aid kit. The good thing is the turtle is still very active. Kept trying to climb out of the little box we had her in on the couch with us, and her coloration is good and the shell looks healthy.

 

[Coursair]

Does she have a UV light or just a heat light ???
They need Both.

Swollen Eyes are often from dirty water. Vitamin A deficiency or infection. She can use a Water Trough or a large Rubbermaid tub if she can't afford a bigger tank. ANYthing will be better and CLEANER than 4 Turtles in a tiny 10g.

They can eat Earthworms, Carrots, even a little low fat dry dog food or trout chow. A wider variety and better diet will help.

Babies need shallow clean warm water.
I would separate the bigger turtle. It may intimidate or injure the smaller ones OR at least feed the small ones separately in a container of warm dechlorinated water. One at a time perhaps if needed.

At least I would move the three healthy ones to a larger container. She can get a used filter.

Keep the ill one in the 10g.

Also get them out for Sunshine anytime it's warm enough. Window Glass usually filters OUT the UV. Outside with real sun is best.

If it gets a respiratory infection, it may starve. This is serious.

She may "love" them , but she is not offering them what they need to live a healthy life. Females get a foot long !

 

[Andrew McFadden]

Thanks, Andrew. I'll suggest the saline and keeping her out of the water when I see her tomorrow. The meds have cleared up all of the gunk and stuff, but the eyes are still swollen shut. We discussed a reptile vet this morning, and neither of us are sure if there are any in the area. I'll probably do an Internet search tomorrow and check out those sites you linked. I may have some plain saline solution lying around somewhere myself in a first aid kit. The good thing is the turtle is still very active. Kept trying to climb out of the little box we had her in on the couch with us, and her coloration is good and the shell looks healthy.

I know you know that they need a much bigger tank to survive. However the problems are only going to get worse by not having them in proper care. You should keep trying to explain that to her. If she loves them as much as she says she does she is going to need to do something like give them up or get a bigger tank or container. Show her all these link I've posted above including this one http://www.austinsturtlepage.com/Care/caresheet-red_ear_slider.htm maybe that will help on you trying to get her to do something.



Poor turtles

 

[Alyxx]

Thanks, guys. I'll definitely suggest the Rubbermaid tub idea. She does have one of those shallow little turtle lagoons that she used to keep the little ones in, but she put them together once she got the UVB basking light and a basking dock for the 10 gallon that used to just house the larger one. She is planning on getting a second light, filter, and dock for her other 10 gallon tank, which is a slight improvement. If I can talk her into a Rubbermaid, I can help her set it up. What's a good way to light one? I would be afraid the light might melt it if its too close. I can be pretty good at "rigging" things up, though. She would need the tub, a basking platform, a heater, the basking light, anything else? I'll give her the list of good foods, too. I think it may be stemming from a vitamin deficiency, she doesn't feed them any veggies other than occasional aquatic plants. I think she feeds mostly the dried shrimp and pellets. I didn't get a chance to see her today (I slept ridiculously late) but I'll go over tomorrow and talk to her about it.

 

[Coursair]

Thanks, guys. I'll definitely suggest the Rubbermaid tub idea. She does have one of those shallow little turtle lagoons that she used to keep the little ones in, but she put them together once she got the UVB basking light and a basking dock for the 10 gallon that used to just house the larger one. She is planning on getting a second light, filter, and dock for her other 10 gallon tank, which is a slight improvement. If I can talk her into a Rubbermaid, I can help her set it up. What's a good way to light one? I would be afraid the light might melt it if its too close. I can be pretty good at "rigging" things up, though. She would need the tub, a basking platform, a heater, the basking light, anything else? I'll give her the list of good foods, too. I think it may be stemming from a vitamin deficiency, she doesn't feed them any veggies other than occasional aquatic plants. I think she feeds mostly the dried shrimp and pellets. I didn't get a chance to see her today (I slept ridiculously late) but I'll go over tomorrow and talk to her about it.

I've used a long UV Fluorescent tube ( not hot )
You can use a clamp on light ( secured so it can't fall in ) to hold the heat light. You can use a log as a basking spot. Nothing with sharp edges.

 

[Alyxx]

Would a lighting setup meant for topless tanks (the ones with the legs that clamp on) work for a Rubbermaid tub? If I could find a decently priced one that would fit I would buy it for her.

 

[Andrew McFadden]

Would a lighting setup meant for topless tanks (the ones with the legs that clamp on) work for a Rubbermaid tub? If I could find a decently priced one that would fit I would buy it for her.

That might work if you can find one the same length that will clip. The other thing is make sure you can get the bulbs that will fit the fixture.

 

[Alyxx]

Well she decided it would be fir the best to rehome the small ones, and im going to help her rig something up for the bigger one. The one with the eye issue is at our lfs getting some tlc for now. The only one that is originally hers is the large one, family members kind of dumped the little ones on her a while back.