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Red-eared slider gasping, not eating, no vet nearby. What can I do?

Updated on September 23, 2025

How to treat a RI in read ear slider turtles. There are no VET for a turtle near my place. He is not eating food from past 2 weeks. I used to stay in Bangalore and now have shifted to tamilnadu. Intial days he was fine but now he is not much active and not at all eating food. I saw online videos for RI in turtles and he is behaving the same. Opening his mouth and gasping for breath? Please help me..

4 Answers

Most Helpful Answer

Answered By Jeffrey Milner

Veterinarian

Published on May 5, 2017

Unfortunately if your turtle is gasping for air and having difficulty breathing this is what we refer to as breathing agonally. Typically this is an indication that your turtle may be dying. If Ducker hasn't also eaten in two weeks this is also a very poor prognostic indicator. While I understand your dilemma of being far from a veterinarian that will see a turtle, he is definitely in need of immediate veterinary care including oxygen and nutritional supplementation. There is not much you are going to be able to do from home. If you are able to force feed a product such as critical care this might be beneficial. However due to his respiratory distress you could end up causing aspiration pneumonia while trying to feed him. I hope you are able to find him some help.

2Pet Parents found this answer helpful

Related Answers from Veterinarians

Answered By Angel Alvarado, LVT
Licensed Veterinary Technician
Published on March 30, 2019
Place him in some water. A dead turtle will begin to accumulate gases that will make it float. Gentle pressure on the tail should elicit a response.
Even when brumating (like hibernating), there should be some movement or reaction.
If he has passed, he will be limp and you may begin to smell a foul odor in a couple days.
1Pet Parents found this answer helpful
Answered By Angel Alvarado, LVT
Licensed Veterinary Technician
Published on May 14, 2019
It appears that the little one, a red eared slider, has suffered a significant trauma. He may lose that eye. Ideally, he should be physically examined by a veterinarian experienced in treating reptiles. He may need the leg fixed, antibiotics and pain medication.
Set him up in a small tank with water no deeper than twice the length of his shell. Keep it clean via filtration and regular partial water changes. The water will need to be warm. Additionally, he will need a basking area easily accessible from the water, a heat lamp and a UVB light source. You can feed a combination of animal protein (feeder fish, nightcrawlers, raw beef heart), commercial turtle pellets and fresh greens and vegetables. Turtles eat in the water which can be messy, so you'll need to remove any uneaten food promptly.
You can find more care information at the link below. Below that is a link to find a vet experienced in treating reptiles.

http://www.anapsid.org/reslider.html

https://arav.site-ym.com/search/custom.asp?id=3661
1Pet Parents found this answer helpful
Answered By Angel Alvarado, LVT
Licensed Veterinary Technician
Published on December 7, 2017
The noise may be stress related or could indicate respiratory infection. The surest way to confirm either, or death, is to have him examined by your veterinarian or a vet experienced in treating reptiles.
You can pick him up to see if he responds. Most turtles will withdraw into the shell or try to escape if handled. Check the ambient and water temps. Soak him in a shallow bowl of a warm 50/50 solution of water and unflavored PediaLyte. Increase Temps by about 5-10 degrees F to aid in recovery.
1Pet Parents found this answer helpful

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