My turtle got bitten in eye by an ant.

Question
Hi, I'm thirteen and I just bought a red-eared slider yesterday... I let it walk around for a few seconds but when I got back I noticed that an ant was on it... I got it off immediately but soon noticed (gradually) that it's eyes have become more and more swollen over a few hours. It hasn't eaten either and it won't eat anytime soon as well. What should I do??? I'm panicking and I don't want it to die of starvation... ;( help??

Answer
I am sorry for the delayed answer, and in that I cannot offer any real help- I am not a vet. I also do not generally answer turtle questions.

A few things:

1. It takes a healthy turtle a long time to die of starvation.

2. If the basic cares are good, the turtle should be fine.

A quick review of the basic cares: There are three main points-

GOOD WATER- give it a lot of warm, clean water. Aim for at about 10 gallons of water per inch of shell length. Warm it to 80-85F with a protected tank heater, and use a big, strong filter.

GOOD SUN- give it a safe, non-rock basking area it can get on easily, then light and warm the basking area well, getting it to about 90F. Light the tank as well but make sure there are shadowy places to hide.

GOOD FOOD- aim for a mix of about 1/2 good quality pellets (avoid the cheap stuff. Reptomin is a safe starting point) and 1/2 real food- live or frozen/thawed small fish, worms of all types especially bloodworms for young turtles, shrimp, beef liver bits, cooked chicken, etc.

Try http://www.redearslider.com and http://www.turtleforum.com for more help.