Detailed Explanation of Key Technical Points for Disease Prevention and Control in Red-Eared Slider Turtles
The red-eared slider turtle's place of origin is not actually Brazil, but rather the Mississippi River and Rio Grande river basins of North America. It is now kept by many families as a pet or ornamental pet, and may be the most widely kept reptile in the world. Common diseases include white eye disease, gastroenteritis, pneumonia, etc. Let's take a look at the disease prevention and control techniques for red-eared slider turtles!
White Eye Disease in Red-Eared Slider Turtles
[Symptoms] The diseased turtle's eyes become inflamed and congested, the eyes swell, the cornea and nasal mucosa become eroded due to inflammation, the eyeballs are covered by white secretions and cannot open, movement is sluggish, and in severe cases the turtle stops eating and eventually dies.
[Preventive Measures] ① Strengthen feeding management. Before and after overwintering, when the turtle begins to eat, strengthen nutrition to enhance disease resistance. ② Disinfect the turtle-keeping containers. Soak the glass tank, aquarium, etc. used for keeping turtles in 10% saline solution for 30 minutes, rinse clean with fresh water, and then keep turtles in them. ③ Soaking in penicillin or potassium permanganate solution. This is both a preventive measure and can be used for early treatment. Use a concentration of 20 mg/L for hatchling turtles, and 30 mg/L for juvenile to adult turtles. The soaking duration depends on the water temperature. If necessary, soak once daily (40 minutes) for 3-5 consecutive days.
[Treatment Methods] ① Feed more animal liver. ② Soak in a 1% aqueous solution of ethacridine lactate once a day for 40-60 seconds each time, for 3-8 consecutive days. ③ Soak in furacilin (or furazolidone) solution. Use a concentration of 20 mg/L for hatchling turtles, 30 mg/L for juvenile turtles, and the same as juvenile turtles for adult turtles. 40 minutes each time, once a day for 3-5 consecutive days. ④ Chloramphenicol eye drops can effectively treat white eye disease.
Gastroenteritis in Red-Eared Slider Turtles
[Causes] After the red-eared slider turtle is fed, the disease can be caused by a sudden drop in environmental temperature, feeding stale feed that has not been fully thawed, or deteriorating water quality.
[Symptoms] In mild cases, the turtle's feces contain a small amount of mucus or are loose and soft, yellow, green, or dark green, and the turtle eats only a small amount. In severe cases, the turtle's feces are watery or mucous, sauce-colored or blood-red. When the feces are smeared on white paper, blood can be seen. The turtle refuses to eat, passes whatever it eats, and floats in the water.
[Prevention and Treatment Methods] Treatment of gastroenteritis focuses on reducing inflammation of the intestines and stomach, protecting the gastrointestinal mucosa, and stopping diarrhea. Mildly affected turtles can be fed berberine or oxytetracycline mixed into their food. For severe cases, directly soak them in an antibiotic solution for 24 hours, and observe the recovery twice a day, reducing the medication as appropriate based on the turtle's response to food.
Water Inhalation in Red-Eared Slider Turtles
[Causes] A turtle that is not rescued promptly after inhaling water develops severe aftereffects of water inhalation. If water inhalation is detected, rescue should be carried out promptly.
[Treatment Methods] Hold the turtle with its head facing down, and press its limbs so that water flows out from the turtle's mouth and nose until it is fully drained.
Pneumonia in Red-Eared Slider Turtles
[Causes] During the transition from summer to autumn, the turtle enclosure has relatively high humidity, low temperature, and large temperature fluctuations.
[Symptoms] The diseased turtle breathes with its mouth open, and in severe cases may make sounds. Place the turtle in relatively deep water; if its body floats sideways on the water surface, it is pneumonia.
[Prevention and Treatment Methods] ① Maintain water quality and keep a constant temperature of 25° with a heating rod. ② Take out the powder from amoxicillin capsules and prepare a medicated bath in proportion, letting the turtle soak in the amoxicillin bath. ③ If conditions permit, use a small syringe (with the needle removed) to feed the turtle a mixture of amoxicillin dissolved in water.
Pseudomonas aeruginosa Septicemia
[Causes] Pseudomonas aeruginosa widely exists in soil and sewage, and mainly infects through the digestive tract and wounds.
[Symptoms] The diseased turtle has no appetite, eats little, vomits, and passes yellow or brown purulent feces.
[Prevention and Treatment Methods] Prevention is better than treatment, so paying attention to the turtle's environmental hygiene and the cleanliness of feed and drinking water will prevent bacterial infection. Once the disease occurs, streptomycin can be mixed into the feed, or a streptomycin solution can be used for soaking.