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my baby red eared slider

22 16:17:03

Question
Please read before you delete.  I know you say you don't answer health related questions but it's a Sunday and I've called a thousand vets and the only ones that are open treat cats and dogs only.  I have 2 red eared sliders, they're under a year old.  The bigger one looks just fine but the smaller one has an eye infection, I think.  I changed the water in their aquarium and am trying to keep it at 80 degrees.  The small one's eyes look swollen and he's not opening them very much.  He isn't really moving around much either, but he's kind of always been like that.  I'm really confused on vitamin A because I read somewhere that they can get an eye infection from not enough vitamin A and I looked at all their food bottles and none of them say Vitamin A on them, so I was looking at the vitamins on petsmart and none of them have vitamin A either, it said to avoid vitamin A toxicity.  So is vitamin A bad for the turtles or good for them?  And if it's good for them what has vitamin A I can feed to them.  Also, another thing is he's not eating anymore.  I even put him in a separate bowl away from the other turtle and tried to get him to eat but he just sat there.  I also read somewhere that to much UVB light could cause an eye infection.  I think my UVB light is only 19 watts and I only leave it on during the day, as if they were really outside so do you think that's what it is?  I'm thinking it might have been that the aquarium was dirty because I've just been changing it alot because both my filters broke.  Anyways, I also read somewhere that I can get some boric acid eye medication from wal-mart and use that on them.  But I don't really think that will make him eat again, or will it?  I don't know.  I hope you can help cuz I don't know how long they can go without eating but that worries me alot more then his swollen eyes.  Also if you know of any 24/7 reptile vets off the top of your head I could call that would be great.  Thanks so much

Answer
Hello Jessica,

I will try my best to answer your questions in the right order.
So, first:

Eye problems can be caused by a several things, for example..
- Poor water conditions
- Scratches in the eyes (From another turtle)
- RI (Respiratory infection)
- Dehydration
- Lack of vitamin A

Since your turtle doesn't eat, I would guess that the cause of his eye problem is a respiratory infection (Symptoms for that is swollen eyes, refusal to eat, lack of energy, sneezing, breathing problem and a bubbly nose).

You did the right thing to check on the water, that's one of the basic things to do if your turtle has the RI disease. Also make sure to check the temperature of the water (78-80 degrees F for hatchlings and 75-78 degrees F for adults).
Another very important thing is to keep the turtle warm and away from drafts and breezes.

About the vitamin A: Turtles do need the vitamin to remain healthy and strong but, as you said, it can be toxic if it is given in to large doses. The safest way to give the turtle the vitamin, is by the food. For example you can give:
Apricots,Broccoli, leaves and flowerets, Cantaloupe, Carrots, Collard greens,Dandelion greens (beware of lawn treatments)
Kale, Mango, Mustard greens, Nectarines, Papaya, Parsley, Peaches
Sweet potatoes, Spinach, Turnip greens, Yellow squash and Liver.

Your turtle will not automatically eat, just because he is given vitamin A, but it will give him some of the energy that he needs to
recover from the RI. To get him to eat, you have to vary the food (One advice is to try to give him some boiled chicken, that's usually very appreciated, just to get his appetite back).

Unfortunately, I don't know any specific reptile vets in US, but I guess it's the same as for all countries: You'll usually find them in the bigger cities. That's the only tip I can give, I'm afraid.

Best wishes
Sara