Just like any other animal, red eared sliders as a species are prone to certain conditions and easily get sick – especially when they are kept in captivity. Most of the illnesses associated with sliders can easily be avoided by following the popular guidelines to taking care of these reptiles. Most of the causes of illness in sliders can be narrowed down to two categories: problems with their diet or their environment.
Red eared sliders, when kept in captivity, need a proper diet. In the wild, they forage for the things that naturally occur around them, and by simulating this to the best of your ability you can keep them healthy. If your slider has a soft shell or weakened legs that lead to problems eating, it has a calcium deficiency that can easily be prevented with proper supplementation. A vitamin D3 deficiency can cause similar symptoms.
You red eared slider’s environment is a huge factor in determining its health. Imagine your home, full of smoke and foul smells. Would you want to live there? Would you be healthy and happy? The same applies to your turtle’s tank. Sliders don’t breathe water, but they spend a great deal of time in it and are therefore very susceptible to illness when housed in dirty or too-cold water. Dirty or too-cold water can cause eye infections, bacterial infections in the mouth, respiratory infections, bodily infections caused by skin abrasions exposed to dirty water, blood poisoning, and swelling of the head. As you can see, dirty water is a real issue. When your slider’s water isn’t properly filtered, it is essentially swimming in its own filth and exposed to harmful bacteria that could ultimately kill your pet.
Keeping your red eared slider’s water clean and at the proper temperature is the simple solution to most illnesses. A high-powered filter rated for double the size of your turtle’s tank is necessary, as sliders are messy eaters and produce a lot of waste. Also, perform bi-weekly 50% water changes to keep it even cleaner. Your slider’s water should be kept at 75-86 degrees Fahrenheit to keep its immune system operating at peak efficiency so that it can fight off any possible infections.
A lot of the details here are part and parcel of Animal Keeping 101. Think about your pet and where it would live in the wild. Would your slider be living in a cold sewer full of its own waste? Probably not, so make sure he has warm, clean water and a balanced diet to keep your red eared slider away from the common illnesses!
