Red-Ear Slider Question

Question
QUESTION: Hi,

I have a baby Red-Ear Slider (only a little bit over 1 inch long) and lately, he's been sleeping a lot. He doesn't go into the water, and he's been basking or sleeping almost all day long. I keep the water temperature at 79F, provide a UV light during the day, and I feed him pellets, bloodworms, and small fish. I also have 3 other Red-Ear Sliders in the same tank. I am worried that he is sick, but I have no access to a herp vet in my city (I live in Indonesia, where herp vets are rare). Can you give me any suggestions?

Thank you.
William

ANSWER: Besides the UV light do you also have a basking light? Does he have any lesions on his shell? They might look like soft areas or appear slightly red. I have several concerns about your little Slider. He may have intestinal parasites and require deworming which you will not be able to do yourself. He also may have an infection which will require injectable antibiotics, again something you cannot do without the help of a vet. He may not be warm enough either. The water temperature should be between 75-80 but he should be able to  bask in a light that heats him up to 85-90. If he is too cold his immune system will not be able to function properly making him more at risk for infection. Is there a vet in your area that would be willing to learn about the turtles with you and in turn provide you with the medication you need? I am afraid this little guy will not make it without medication and environmental changes. You may wish to separate him from the others in a smaller tank so you can give him individual attention, monitor his environmental temp more closely and also attempt to force feed him because he is probably not eating very well. Make sure there is a filter in your tank and that the water is very clean in case he has an infection. I wish I could help more but sick turtles are a huge challenge even with the best veterinary care available!
Dr. G.

---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------

QUESTION: Dear Dr. G,

Yes, I also have basking light, and the basking temperature is 90F during the day. I dim the light at night time. The room temperature is around 75F. And no, he doesn't have any lesions on his shell. If he does have parasites, do you think applying Rid-All (http://www.hongtai.com.sg/ridall.htm) in the tank will help? It's an anti-parasite solution. And how can I force him to eat? Because I don't think I can stuff food into his mouth. I've tried putting pellets and bloodworm right in front of his mouth but he still doesn't want to eat.

Again, please answer and thank you very much.

William

Answer
William,

I reviewed the contents of the products at the internet link you sent. Unfortunately, none of those will be effective against the internal parasites that your little guy may have. Typically, we use a drug called  Fenbendazole as an all purpose anti-parasitic agent. It has to be given via a tube passed into his esophagus through his mouth. (This is not an easy feat with a turtle as you can imagine.) This is also the same way to force feed them. Are you sure there is not a vet in your community that would be willing to take some advise from me after seeing the turtle? If you relay his weight to me I could tell you the correct dose of medication. But you have to be able to get your hands on the meds and that will only happen with a vets help. I wish I could do more to help you but words can only go so far!
Dr. G.