You are not alone. Many people have been cleaning their Red-Eared Slider tanks, placed their turtles in the kitchen sink with the water running, left for a moment and returned to find the running water is suddenly scalding hot and pouring over their sliders. Unfortunately, Red-Eared Slider burns are very serious and you should seek medical attention for your turtle.
What Can You Do?
Of course you should immediately remove your turtle from the hot water, and place in some room temperature water. Then the best thing you can do is call your exotic pet vet to get your slider in as soon as possible.
Is Your Turtle Going to be Alright?
To be honest, maybe. There is a chance your turtle was under the hot water just long enough to get his or her insides "cooked." If that isn't the case, he or she will almost definitely have external burns, or damage to the eyes at the very least.
How Will You Know
Pink skin, swollen and shut eyes, and eventually open and raw sores will identify external burns on your slider. By this time your slider should have received medical attention and should be taking something for an infection or to treat the burns. As for possibly being "cooked," only time will tell. Your turtle may be lethargic, stop eating and swimming if he or she is seriously harmed. At this point, there unfortunately isn't anything you can do to "un-cook" a turtle.
How Do You Avoid This From Happening?
Do not ever place your turtle under running water. Sudden water temperature changes may occur, and even if you are holding the turtle in your hand, sometimes a few seconds is all it takes to do harm. If you want to rinse your turtle off, fill a pan or bucket with cool water and place your turtle in that instead of a sink.
