Lethargic Mississippi Map turtle!! Please help

[TortTango]

He had been experiencing slight respiratory infection. He was open mouth breathing while basking, didn't eat much had red eyes and was very sleepy. Now that I've increased temp, got rid of drafts and upped hunidity he is doing better, and the eye drops have helped his eyes. He is still seeming to not have an appetite and is not very active. Unfortunately my bulb is just for heat basking. Buying a uvb light tomorrow. He will eat mealworms but idk if it's good to feed him that as often. He is approximately a month or 2 old. Please help with suggestions and care.

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[Vickie]

He had been experiencing slight respiratory infection. He was open mouth breathing while basking, didn't eat much had red eyes and was very sleepy. Now that I've increased temp, got rid of drafts and upped hunidity he is doing better, and the eye drops have helped his eyes. He is still seeming to not have an appetite and is not very active. Unfortunately my bulb is just for heat basking. Buying a uvb light tomorrow. He will eat mealworms but idk if it's good to feed him that as often. He is approximately a month or 2 old. Please help with suggestions and care.

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I saw you had drops for his eyes.....has he seen a vet? If not you might want to put some good thought into it. The respiratory issues can be though on the little guys. Also, I am assuming you know to feed them in water? Most water turtles need fed in water for proper digestion. You might also to encourage him to eat is buy some of those turtle treat balls. Water turtles are a lot more curious and playful then a lot of people think and it will encourage him to attach them. Also, do you give him live greens or have them floating in your tank? One suggestion is get him some duckweed they are VERY tiny plants that bloom and my water turtle LOVED them and most I know will go nuts on them as well. At his size you might not see at first they have a few missing here or there but before you know it you'll find your tank is empty. One bonus also on those is they are cheep however, very healthy for them. Do you have a heater in your water? If not that can also slow them down if the temp gets to low in there as well and they aren't that expensive. If you don't have one put a therm. in there and see the what the temp is. If its to low just as some warm treated water when he is out of his swim area to mix it up to the right temp. You will find this will also increase his energy level as well.
Anyway, after all that said I pray the very best for you and him. I have had water turtles off and on for over 35yrs. Such fun animals and you'll find once you get the whole set up down right they are normally pretty hardy pets.

 

[TortTango]

I feed him his food on the water. He just seems to the pellets normally and swims away. A moving food seems to catch his attention. The treats move so he has to work for them? Also, they will eat dandelion greens or lettuce on the waters surface if it floats?

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[WillTort2]

Try digging up some small earth worm and get some small crickets. I also used the duckweed for my cooter when he was small.

Is the water being kept clean enough?

My cooter didn't like dandelion greens but he would tear into most of the green leafy vegetables. He was also aggressive when biting into a calcium block. There is a white turtle shaped block that was his favorite treat. I would put it in his tank and then remove it when he had eaten about 1/4th of it. Then put it back in later in the week.

Good luck.