what to feed a sick red eared slider

Below is a complete list of foods safe for red-eared sliders to eat:

• Crickets
• Mealworms
• Minnows
• Tadpoles
• Frogs
• Earthworms
• Redworms
• Feeder goldfish
• Waxworms
• Aquatic snails
• Bloodworms
• Daphnia
• Shrimp
• Water ferns
• Duckweed
• Elodea
• Romaine lettuce (in small amounts)
• Kale
• Mustard greens
• Turnip greens
• Swiss chard
• Bell pepper
• Carrots
• Carrot tops
• Zucchini
• Cucumber
• Squash
• Corn
• Okra
• Celery
• Green beans
• Cactus
• Commercial fish food

Full Answer

How should you give your red eared slider its food?

Providing Good Nutrients for Your Red-Eared Slider

• Animal Protein. As protein is a part of your pet’s dietary needs, you will include this in its meal but make sure you do not feed it with more than ...
• Plants. There are a variety of plants you can feed your turtle and they should make up 50% of the total diet.
• Vitamin Supplements. ...

What kind of vegetables can a red eared slider eat?

Red-eared sliders can be fed dark leafy greens such as romaine lettuce, kale, dandelion greens, turnip greens, mustard greens, or swiss chard. Vegetables such as bell peppers or carrots can also be fed. Fish that can be fed as feeders: goldfish, guppies, and minnows. The insects, worms, slugs, snails, and tadpoles are all related.

How many pellets do I Feed my red eared slider?

How Much Food Should I Feed My Turtle A Day?

• Put a bunch of pellets into a plastic bag (like you would use for a sandwich), then squeeze the end and twist a bit so that it resembles your turtle’s ...
• Put it up close to your turtle’s head to see how much bigger or smaller it should be.
• After you get the correct size, measure it using a teaspoon, tablespoon or measuring cup.

More items...

What type of water does a red eared slider need?

Sliders are aquatic and need clean, chemical-free water to swim in. Fill the tank with water at least twice as deep as your baby’s shell. Even as hatchlings, red eared sliders are excellent swimmers, you don’t need to worry about them drowning. Though they love water, sliders also need land for basking and drying out.

How do you treat a red-eared slider sick?

General rules you should follow when sickness is suspected: Make a vet appointment immediately, turtles do not show symptoms until they are EXTREMELY ill. Raise temperatures about 2-4 degrees. Keep the water very clean.

How do you force feed a sick turtle?

To feed your turtle if it is refusing to eat, try giving it live food, such as mealworms and slugs, instead of dry pellets since turtles are attracted to movement. Alternatively, soak the pellets in canned tuna water to give them a stronger, more enticing smell.

What can I give my red-eared slider to eat?

What do red-eared sliders eat? Juveniles and adults can be fed a base diet of commercially available pellets or sticks that are made for aquatic turtles, along with vegetable matter such as dark leafy greens (dandelion, mustard and collard greens with chopped broccoli, carrots, squash and green beans).

How can I help my red-eared slider?

The alternatives to keeping your turtle are:Post your sliders for adoption on our Facebook page, or place a newspaper or craigslist ad. ... Give it to a friend/family member.Put flyers up at your local vets/pet stores. ... Humane euthanasia (done by a vet, not at home.)

How do you treat a sick turtle?

Treatment of respiratory tract infections usually involves administration of antibiotics, given orally, through injection, or possibly as nose drops. Very sick turtles may require intensive care, including fluid therapy and force feeding, in the hospital. Abscesses are treated surgically.

How can I tell if my turtle is dying?

Six Signs That Your Turtle Is DyingIncreased Basking.Lack of Appetite.Foaming/Bubbles At The Mouth and/or Nose.Lethargy.Whistling, Coughing, or Sneezing.Lopsided Swimming.Respiratory Infection.Shell Rot.More items...•

What human food can turtles eat?

They especially like leafy green veggies, so kale, collard greens, and mustard greens are both healthy and delicious for them. They'll also chow down on carrots, squash, green beans, and peas. As far as fruits go, you can give them bananas, apples, and pears, among other things.

How long can red-eared sliders go without food?

Baby or juvenile red-eared sliders would not be able to last more than a week or so without food, whereas older red-eared sliders will be able to last a month or two. A well-fed adult will be able to live without food for up to two months, three at an absolute stretch, but that really is not advised.

Can red-eared slider turtles eat bananas?

Some experts recommend fresh fruits such as bananas, berries, apples, and melons. However, this isn't a natural staple in the red-eared sliders diet, and it may cause diarrhea. If you offer any fruit at all, limit it to very small quantities as a special treat. Don't feed frozen fish, or at least not very often.

Can red-eared sliders eat lettuce?

1. Leafy Greens: Collard greens, mustard greens, dandelion greens, kale, and bok choy. Head (iceberg) lettuce should never be fed as it contains very little nutrition but dark green leaf lettuces (e.g. romaine) can be fed sparingly. Make sure you only feed items with appropriate calcium to phosphorous levels.

How long do red-eared sliders live for?

30 yearsPond slider / Lifespan (In the wild)

How long can red-eared sliders go without water?

The Red Eared Slider is semi-aquatic, just like other turtles. But unlike the rest, it tends to leave the water and bask on land for longer hours. The Red Eared Slider can live without water for up to a week or more.

How long can a turtle not eat?

A young turtle (less than six months old) can't go a day without eating. A so-called “sub-adult” turtle (six months to one year old) can't go more than a day without eating. An adult turtle should eat, on average, every 2-3 days.

What can I syringe feed my tortoise?

0:3610:30How to Tube Feed and Medicate a Small sick Tortoise - YouTubeYouTubeStart of suggested clipEnd of suggested clipThe only problem with treating this animal is Metra diacetyl is a medication that's a liquid.MoreThe only problem with treating this animal is Metra diacetyl is a medication that's a liquid.

Why is my turtle not eating?

It takes turtles up to 2 weeks to settle and begin feeling comfortable in a new habitat. During this time the pet may refuse to eat, but that's normal. Turtles are very hardy creatures and don't have a problem going for up to 2 weeks without eating, even in their most active periods.

How do you syringe feed a box turtle?

0:482:07Final Video: How to syringe-feed a red-eared slider that is not eatingYouTubeStart of suggested clipEnd of suggested clipNow slowly push the plunger of the syringe to insert the food from the side of the Terrapins mouthMoreNow slowly push the plunger of the syringe to insert the food from the side of the Terrapins mouth to minimize choking.

What to feed a red-eared slider?

Good plants to feed red-eared sliders are dark leafy greens, aquatic plants, and vegetables. Feeder fish, invertebrates, and commercial turtle pellets are good sources of protein. Make sure your turtle is also getting a calcium supplement at least once a week and is not being handled after feeding.

What is the best supplement for red ear sliders?

A powdered calcium supplement that also contains vitamin D3 is the best. This calcium supplement will help prevent diseases and shell deformities. Another option is to throw in a cuttlebone once or twice a week. It is important to know that a red-eared slider’s diet changes as they age.

Why do turtles regurgitate food?

Turtles are very smart and quickly learn when it is time to be fed. Turtles and many other animals tend to move slower after eating, so regurgitating food in order to escape more quickly is a common tactic. Red-eared sliders may regurgitate their food if they are handled too soon after eating.

How long should I let my turtle eat?

Any vegetables you feed should first be boiled and chopped into pieces small enough to fit into the turtle’s mouth. Let your turtle have a 15 minute feeding session. After the feeding session, just remove anything that hasn’t been eaten to keep the water clean.

How often should I feed my slider turtle?

Turtles in the wild will eat whenever they can. However, pet sliders should only be fed every two to three days because they do not have to hunt. Many people like to feed their turtles fruit, but they are very high in sugar and can give your turtle diarrhea.

What do red-eared slider turtles eat?

Red-eared slider turtles are omnivores, so they eat both plants and animals. Adults mostly eat aquatic plants such as elodea, duckweed, water lettuce and water ferns. Adults eat so many plants they are considered herbivorous. They will only eat meat if it is readily available and there are no plants nearby.

How do red-eared sliders hunt?

Red-eared sliders hunt by either sitting motionless, waiting for a fish to swim by and then snatching it, or by chasing and snapping up any bugs that land in the water. Adults will also swim along the bottom of ponds or lakes and eat aquatic plants or algae.

What Red Eared Slider Turtles Eat

Since red eared slider turtles are omnivorous they can eat a huge variety of ailments. So to make things simpler I will divide them in 5 categories:

How to Properly Feed Your Red Eared Slider Turtle

Over the years I’ve read about countless methods of feeding turtles. But out of all of them two stood out the most, as being the most used and the most efficient. And they are the 15 minutes method and the size of the head method.

Red Eared Slider Turtle Feeding Schedule

The first thing that you have to take into consideration when thinking how often you have to feed your turtle, or when making a feeding schedule, is the age of the turtle. Baby red eared slider turtles need a different amount of food than juveniles, and juveniles need a different amount of food than adult red eared slider turtles.

Occasional Treats

Another thing that I want to address is that you can occasionally give your red eared slider turtle treats. As long as they are not too consistent, you can give your turtle a few live fish, fruits, vegetables or dried insects, without worrying that you disturb their feeding schedule.

Final Thoughts

While red eared slider turtles can eat a lot of things, not all of them can be good for them.

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What are the symptoms of a red-eared slider turtle?

These symptoms include: Curved limbs. Lethargy.

Why do my red-eared sliders have holes in them?

Red-eared slider shell rot. The most common cause of holes and sores in the shell of your red-eared slider is shell rot. Shell rot is a shell infection that cause be caused by bacteria or fungus. This is often due to living in unsanitary conditions or being injured.

Why is my turtle's tank cold?

This is often a result of incorrect temperatures in the tank, which leaves your turtle in colder conditions for too long. There are some clear signs your pet may have a respiratory infection which includes lethargy, reduced appetite, sneezing, or making rasping sounds. Other signs are runny eyes and swollen eyes.

Why does my turtle have diarrhea?

Diarrhea can be caused by eating fruit to a diet low in fiber. It can also be caused by parasites. If you see your pet has diarrhea and you have other turtles, ensure you place your pet in a quarantine tank for observation and until it is healthy to return to its own enclosure. If the poop is green and runny, you may want to visit ...

Can a red ear slider be in both ears?

The good news is that they are quick and easy to diagnose with the obvious swelling of the ears. This can happen in one or both ears.

Can you feel sick from a red eared slider?

In mild cases, you may not notice any sick signs or symptoms, but when the case becomes extreme, you may notice weight loss, lack of appetite, diarrhea, and lethargy in your red-eared slider.

What is the best food for a red eared slider?

Turtle Pellets. Turtle pellets should be the main food source for your red eared slider. The pellets are commonly made with Gammarus shrimp and crammed with vitamins and minerals. These pellets will give your turtle all the nutrients it needs for a healthy diet combining vitamins, minerals, calcium and proteins.

What do red eared slider turtles eat?

Aquatic Snails. Snails are an importantly part of a red eared slider turtles diet, as these are commonly what they would eat in the wild. Aquatic snails can be offered dead or alive. You can buy them both live, or canned from reptile shops or online stores.

What do turtles eat?

Sometimes turtles just aren’t fast enough to catch their own food, it’s that simple, so their diets consist of mainly pelleted foods. Turtle pellets are what should make up rough 70% of a red eared slider turtles diet. The other 30% is made up from live foods, vegetables and plantations. So after hours of research, ...

Can turtles eat lettuce?

Lettuce can be offered to your turtle regularly. Very similar to aquatic plants however lettuce should be offered in a feeding bowl. The lettuce should only be available for one day, then it needs to be changed. It will most likely become very unappealing to your turtle if its been sat there for a few days. Again, lettuce is high in vitamins and minerals so should be offered most days.

Can you feed a red eared slider turtle crickets?

Yes crickets can be given to your red eared slider turtle as a form of food every so often. Red ears will feed on small insects, and crickets come under this category. As long as the cricket is small enough to consume then your turtle should be fine eating it. Crickets are highly nutritious and easy to digest which makes them a great treat for your turtle. They high in protein which may otherwise be hard to get in a turtles diet. You can also freeze crickets and they will still hold off the goodness inside them, so you can offer these to outside turtles also, without the crickets hopping away.

Can red eared sliders eat lettuce?

There are manly other suitable foods for red eared slider turtles, which will be listed at the end of the article. It is also worth mentioning that Red eared slider turtles CAN NOT eat iceberg lettuce, so never offer this to your turtle. It contains too much water for a turtle and will cause an upset stomach.

Do turtles need live food?

First of all you should know that a turtle needs a variety of foods to stay healthy. But the main bulk of their diets should proteins, and what I mean by this is meat based foods. Buying live food can have its advantages as well as its disadvantages.

What to feed a red eared slider?

With adult red eared sliders, it is recommended that you only offer a source of protein around once or twice a week, depending on how old they are. The best vegetables for a red eared slider are kale, anacharis, red-leaf lettuce and romaine lettuce.

What do red eared sliders eat?

This includes worms, aquatic plants, fish and many other sources of food.

How long do red eared sliders live?

With proper care and attention, your red eared slider can live for up to 30 years ! YouTube. Alen's Pet Animals. 10.7K subscribers.

Do turtles eat all day?

Turtles will always beg for more food, and could probably eat all day if they were left to it. This does not necessarily mean that they are hungry, or are starving for food, they are just sometimes a little gluttonous. If you think that your turtle is pigging out, we have a handy guide of how often to feed a red eared slider.

Do red eared sliders need more protein?

Red eared sliders of different ages will require different diets. For example, young red eared sliders will need more protein in their diet every day, whereas older red eared sliders will need more of a vegetable orientated diet to keep them as healthy as possible.

Why do red eared sliders eat everything?

This means that they will eat everything that they can in the fastest time possible, because they don’t know when they will have the chance to eat again. Even if you feed them regularly they will not abandon this mentality. Another way to think about this how much ...

Why do baby red ear sliders eat so much?

Feeding Schedule for Baby Red Eared Sliders. Out of all the age groups, baby turtles need to eat the most often. This is because they need a lot of energy to grow. When turtles are are at this stage in life they experience the fastest growth rate.

How old do red ear sliders get?

Red Eared sliders usually become juveniles after they reach 3 to 4 inches, this usually happens when they are between 8 and 12 months old. A juvenile won’t grow as fast as a baby turtle, but it will still grow faster than an adult. So the will still need to be feed quite often. So here you have two options.

How long should I let my turtle eat?

The 15 Minutes Method. The 15 minutes method is very simple, you give your turtle a lot of food, and let it eat for 15 minutes. After that you remove the food. As simple as this method might be it’s definitely not the best one. This is because red eared slider, wild or pets, are opportunistic feeders by nature.

Can you give a red eared slider too much food?

You don’t always have to use a container, you can always just estimate the food that you would need to fill its head. If you sometimes give your red eared slider a little too much food, and sometimes you give it a little too much, things will be just fine. Your red eared slider won’t be affected by small differences.

Can a red eared slider change?

Your red eared slider won’t be affected by small differences. This method works great because it takes into consideration the size of the turtle, and gives you a fixed amount of food that you have to give your turtle. And as the turtle grows the amount of food will change.

How to keep a red eared slider healthy?

A varied diet is both nutritionally and mentally enriching. It also helps them to get a full range of vitamins. Clean Water: Young red eared sliders need very clean water for swimming and drinking. Use an aquarium pump to circulate and filter tank water .

What does a baby red eared slider need?

Baby red eared sliders need a proper and safe habitat to stay healthy and happy. Before getting a turtle make sure you can provide them with everything in the list below: Controlled Temperature: Baby red eared sliders are sensitive to sudden changes in temperature. Drops in temperature can cause pneumonia.

What is the difference between a baby red eared slider and an adult red eared slider?

A major difference between adult and baby red eared sliders is their diet: Adults eat primarily a 50/50 balance of plants to meat. Babies and juveniles need a 30/70 ratio of plants to meat. One quarter of your baby slider’s protein content should come from commercial turtle food pellets.

Why do red eared sliders refuse food?

It is very common for a baby red eared slider to refuse food during the first three days. This is due to the stress of being introduced to a new environment.

How much does a red eared slider baby cost?

The most common red eared slider baby is the wild-type. Most wild-type sliders sell for $30 to $60. Private breeders sell specialty morphs like hypo pastel, albino, ghost, leucistic and piebald too. Rarer morphs like caramel and charcoal are sold for $1,000.

Why won't my baby slider bask?

Baby sliders will not bask for two reasons: They can’t reach the basking platform. The water and air temperatures are not correct. A basking platform needs to be easily accessible, stable, and dry. Use a gently sloping ramp from the water to the basking spot to help your turtle reach the platform.

Why is it important to have a schedule for a baby slider?

Sticking to a schedule reduces stress and makes caring for your baby slider much easier. It also provides stability for your turtle. The most important part of caring for a new slider is cleanliness.

How long does it take for a red ear slider to eat?

Once your red-eared slider has become used to its new home, it will start eating. This should take a few days, sometimes it can take slightly longer. Avoid handling your red-eared slider too soon after bringing it home. Always allow it to settle into its new surroundings before you start trying to handle it.

Why does my red eared slider stop eating?

This is due to the stress of being in a completely new environment. This is nothing to worry about and completely normal. Once your red-eared slider has become used to its new home, it will start eating.

What does it mean when a red-eared slider poops?

Constipation Or Impaction . Constipation in red-eared sliders is the same as in humans and other animals. Your pet is struggling to get rid of its poop. This can often be solved with a warm water bath with the water slightly warmer than what the turtle is used to. This can encourage the body to expel the poop.

How to get my dog to eat again?

This can be done by providing a variety of foods in different colors, add vegetables, leafy greens, and some fruits to encourage your pet to eat again.

What is a red-eared slider?

Red-eared sliders are what are known as ectotherms. Their body temperature is determined by the temperature in the room. If the temperatures are not correct inside the tank, then your turtle’s body will slow with the cooler temperatures, which can result in a lack of appetite. Cold temperatures slow the metabolism.

Can a red-eared slider lay eggs?

Female Gravid or Egg Bound. If you are a new red-eared slider owner, you may not realize that a female will still produce eggs, even without a male. While the eggs are infertile and will never hatch, an adult female will lay them anyway. When she is carrying her eggs, she is known as gravid. It's important to note that your pet cannot reabsorb her ...