Red eared sliders, just like any pet, come with their fair share of problems. Although sliders are notoriously resilient, there are some things that can cause them harm or make them sick. Fortunately, many of these issues can be remedied by the owner, keeping costly vet bills out of your future unless things get particularly hairy. It’s good to familiarize yourself with these products and the procedures with which you will use them due to the simple fact that there really aren’t a lot of good herpetological vets out there in comparison to the number of standard vets. You may not even have one within hours of your home and even if you did, the vet may use the same treatment you can give your turtle at home.
The first thing you want to have in your first aid kit is bath salts, which you can get at any drug store. Bath salts are great to have when you need to treat a fungal infection, which is very common in red eared sliders. You can use bath salts to let your turtle go for a warm, cleansing saltwater swim 30 minutes a day when he has a fungal infection. Make sure that it is just bath salt that you buy, with no perfumes or other ingredients.
You also want to have a sponge that you use only for the slider. It probably goes without saying, but you don’t want to expose your turtle to dish soap or detergent that may linger on a sponge used for other purposes, and you certainly don’t want to use your turtle sponge on anything else.
Povidone-iodine, commonly just called iodine, is another integral part of your turtle first aid kit. Iodine is a mild antiseptic that is good for treating fungal infections and shell rot. You can get iodine at any pharmacy.
You will also want to have some hydrogen peroxide and cotton balls in your turtle first aid kit; the same stuff you use to clean your own cuts and abrasions to ward off infection. Hydrogen peroxide is good for treating shell rot; just dab it on with your cotton balls. As with the sponge, don’t use the same bottle of peroxide or cotton balls that you use on you and your family; give your turtles their own stash so you reduce the chance of cross-contamination.
The final product you need to deal with red eared slider problems is sulfa dip. Sulfa dip, which is made up of sodium chloride, neomycin sulfate and sulfisoxazole, is good for preventing fungal infections and treating bacterial infections. Sulfa dip can be usually be found at any pet store that sells reptile supplies or purchased online.
Recommended: Repta-Aid Critical Care Formula
