4042. ELINA VIDEO. A red-eared slider has swollen eyelids. He will not open his mouth to drink his medicine. What should the owner do?

Be Kind to Pets Veterinary Stories by:
Dr Sing Kong Yuen, BVMS (Glasgow). Toa Payoh Vets, Singapore 

HOW TO GIVE ORAL MEDICATION TO A YOUNG RED-EARED SLIDER?

A red-eared slider has swollen eyelids. He will not open his mouth to drink his medicine.

Case study:  On 12 Nov 2021, a young red-eared slider had swollen eyes for 3 days. The eyelids were infected and itchy. He would not take the oral medication.

As he has appetite, I advised spread it on pellets. He ate the pellets. Within 3 days, his eyelids shrink to normal size and he can see clearly. The owner had consulted Toa Payoh Vets early.

If there is delay in seeking veterinary help, the slider will have been anorexic (meaning he has no appetite), it is best to treat him as an in-patient at Toa Payoh Vets as the nurse is trained to feed him orally.

BEFORE TREATMENT

 

AFTER TREATMENT 

CONTINUE NUTRIPET + CALCIUM Supplement at home for 14 days once daily. Supplement 

is smeared onto the pellet via a tooth pick and thrown into the water ensuring that the slider eats it. 

ADVICES FROM TOA PAYOH VETS:

The living environment must be suitable for your red-eared slider.

1.  Hygiene. Tank water, filters and accessories must be clean

2.  A platform for basking and to be dry. Not lying in the water 24/7. Warm water and UVB light if possible. 

3.  Feed a variety of food. Not only the pellets. Include cooked prawn and chicken meat, shrimps, meal worms and vegetables. Sunshine and Calcium supplementation to prevent soft shells and shell rot.

4.  Feed separately in a different tank if practical.

5. SHELL SCRATCHES due to soft shell and mounting by the other sliders inside the small tank.  Separate from other adult sliders if there is bullying and mounting causing shell scratches and wounds. Give each adult slider his own spacious tank. 

CONCLUSION. Early vet treatment within 3 days of eyelids being swollen is advised. 

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