To feed your turtle if it is refusing to eat, try giving it live food, such as mealworms and slugs, instead of dry pellets since turtles are attracted to movement. Alternatively, soak the pellets in canned tuna water to give them a stronger, more enticing smell.
What should I Feed my pet turtle?
You should feed your turtle a mix of live prey, meat, pellets, fruits and vegetables. If you only give them what they like the most they won’t eat anything else. And this can lead to health problems, fruits and vegetables have a very important role in the diet of a turtle, and they should eat them regularly.
How do I get my turtle to stop eating my food?
Continue to feed your turtle until it stops eating completely. Give your turtle live food. Your turtle is attracted to movement and may prefer to eat live food such as crickets, mealworms, waxworms, earthworms, snails, slugs, or small pinky mice. Live food also has a strong odor that is attractive to your turtle.
What not to feed turtles?
Here are some pointers on what not to feed your turtles. First of all, don’t feed them the same food over and over again because they can easily get attached and refuse other foods. You should also avoid giving dairy products such as milk, yogurt, or cheese to turtles. They cannot digest dairy, and this may cause illness.
Can aquatic turtles eat vegetables?
Using vegetables that float is preferable to those that sink for an aquatic turtle. If you dust your food with a vitamin supplement, be aware that this can rub off in the water. Using pellets can be a way to tackle this.
What happens if my turtle doesn't eat?
If the turtle is female and has stopped eating, it's possible she has dystocia, which means she cannot properly pass her eggs out of the body. Turtles with dystocia can seem fine at first, other than lack of appetite, but will develop lethargy and lose weight over a short period of time.
Why do turtles don't eat?
It takes turtles up to 2 weeks to settle and begin feeling comfortable in a new habitat. During this time the pet may refuse to eat, but that's normal. Turtles are very hardy creatures and don't have a problem going for up to 2 weeks without eating, even in their most active periods.
What can you feed a turtle if you don't have turtle food?
Shredded carrots, squash, and zucchini are great foods that turtles can eat, too. You can also go with edible aquatic vegetation such as water lettuce, water hyacinth, and duckweed. “For fruits, consider shredded apples and melons, as well as chopped berries,” recommends Dr.
How Long Can turtles go without eating?
A young turtle (less than six months old) can't go a day without eating. A so-called “sub-adult” turtle (six months to one year old) can't go more than a day without eating. An adult turtle should eat, on average, every 2-3 days.
Should I be worried if my turtle is not eating?
If your turtle is not eating and you have checked the environment, your turtle may be suffering from an illness. Stress, and illnesses such as vitamin A deficiency, constipation, respiratory infection, eye problems, or pregnancy.
How do you force feed a turtle?
0:422:07Final Video: How to syringe-feed a red-eared slider that is not eatingYouTubeStart of suggested clipEnd of suggested clipMouth. Next hold the Turpin upright to prevent it from moving it. Is better to hold the Terrapin atMoreMouth. Next hold the Turpin upright to prevent it from moving it. Is better to hold the Terrapin at an angle of 45 degrees to prevent the Terrapin from choking. In order to get the Terrapin to open
Is bread bad for turtles?
The answer is—bread is non-toxic to turtles, but it has no valuable content whatsoever. So, your turtles shouldn't eat bread. However, if they nabbed a small section, they will be okay.
Can turtles eat bananas?
Fruit should be fed more sparingly than vegetables, since they are often preferred by box turtles over vegetables and tend to be less nutritious. Fruits to offer include apples, pears, bananas (with skin), mango, grapes, star fruit, raisins, peaches, tomato, guava, kiwis, and melons. Fruits that are particularly ...
Can turtles eat raw chicken?
You can feed your turtles boiled chicken every once in a while, as a snack. Ensure that you do not add any oil or seasoning to your chicken. Do not feed raw chicken to your turtles. It is toxic to turtles since their gut is not well equipped to digest it.
How do I know if my turtle is dying?
Six Signs That Your Turtle Is DyingIncreased Basking.Lack of Appetite.Foaming/Bubbles At The Mouth and/or Nose.Lethargy.Whistling, Coughing, or Sneezing.Lopsided Swimming.Respiratory Infection.Shell Rot.More items...•
Can turtles eat lettuce?
Is Lettuce Safe for Turtles? There isn't any type of lettuce that should be poisonous to a turtle. They can eat all kinds, and many varieties — like romaine and radicchio — are both nutritious and delicious for them. Iceberg, on the other hand, is basically just crunchy water.
Can I give fish food to my turtle?
Fish food is relatively cheap and available in nearly every pet store which can lead to turtle owners using this as food for their turtles. Fish food is safe for turtles to eat, but it should not be part of their main diet.
How do I know if my turtle is dying?
Six Signs That Your Turtle Is DyingIncreased Basking.Lack of Appetite.Foaming/Bubbles At The Mouth and/or Nose.Lethargy.Whistling, Coughing, or Sneezing.Lopsided Swimming.Respiratory Infection.Shell Rot.More items...•
Do turtles get lonely?
For the most part, turtles do not need a companion or friend. They can live together, but they won't get sad, lonely, bored, or depressed on their own. Keeping more than one turtle in a tank can lead to fighting and other competitive behaviors.
How often should I feed my turtles?
Smaller or juvenile turtles will eat heartily every day. As they get older, adult turtles may be offered a good-sized portion of food every two or three days.
Do turtles drink water?
Yes, turtles do drink water. Water is essential for the many of their vital metabolic processes. Water is very important for may process inside their body, as it provides them with the required energy to carry out their day-to-day actions.
How to keep baby turtles from eating?
Aquatic baby turtles are sloppy eaters, and they relieve themselves in the middle of their meals. Therefore, they are bound to dirty their aquarium. #3 Give your turtle feeder fish and crickets for some meals. #4 Feed baby turtles two or three times a day. #5 Remember to leave your baby turtle’s food in the tank for half an hour ...
How to feed a turtle live crickets?
Feeding your turtle live crickets can seem a little tricky, but it helps to replicate how a turtle would eat in the wild. Feeding an aquatic turtle small live fish helps to stimulate the turtle and give him some exercise. Using vegetables that float is preferable to those that sink for an aquatic turtle. If you dust your food with ...
What to feed a baby turtle?
So, here are some pointers on how to feed baby turtles: #1 First, Feed land baby turtles, a combination of commercially produced food and fresh leafy vegetables, such as lettuce and cabbage, and make sure you chop the food into tiny pieces. #2 Feed your aquatic baby turtle in a smaller feeding tank. Aquatic baby turtles are sloppy eaters, and they ...
What do water turtles eat?
Water turtles can feed on vegetables and fruits. Also, provide live food to the turtle. This is an integral part of their diet so be sure to have a regular supply of animal-based food for your turtle, including live feed. These live foods include crickets, mealworms, waxworms, and other small grubs and insects.
Why should you clean your turtle's food?
Whenever you give them food, you should make sure to clean the feeding area. This is because leftover food decay, and this is not healthy for a turtle.
Do turtles eat pellets?
If you are trying to replicate how a turtle would feed in the wild, however, the pellets are less authentic than fresh greens and insects. If you use pellets, try to make them part of a balance with fresh food. Think of pellets as forming the only the foundation of the diet.
Do turtles eat the same amount of food?
No two turtles will eat the same amount of food, so recommendations on the amount to provide have to be generalized. In that case, it’s important to note that young turtles should be fed often. Juvenile turtles, a term that most describes baby turtles, need lots of food and need to be fed most often than mature turtles.
How to make turtle eat
A turtle not eating condition is absolutely a reversible condition. To make it feed as usual again, you must make it happy and stress-free.
Best pet turtle food
According to Dr. Starkey “what turtles can eat largely depends on their age and nutritional requirements. Keep in mind that younger sliders will eat relatively more protein than older animals”.
What not to give -may make it not eat
Now that you know the right food to give your turtle, you should also know some kinds of food to avoid it not feeding. Do not give them foods that include:
Conclusion
As mentioned, new turtles may not eat for a while if scared by the new environment. Otherwise, you should ensure that the water temperature is warm as this can be another reason why they may refuse to feed.
What happens if a turtle is too hot?
If the temperature of the basking area is too low or two hot, your turtle will stop eating , and will probably develop health problems. But don’t worry, this problem is easy to fix.
How many gallons of water do you need for a turtle tank?
So if you have a 30 gallon tank you will need a water filter that is rated for 60 gallons. If you have a 40 gallon tank, you will need a 80 gallon water filter.
How to tell if a turtle is stressed?
The best way to figure out if something is stressing the turtle is to try to put yourself in the turtles place. If you think that something would stress you, then it definitely stresses the turtle. After you eliminate the stress sources your turtle should start to eat again soon.
Why do turtles stop eating?
If the temperature of the water is not warm enough, your turtle will stop eating because they can’t properly digest the food, and they can get sick.
How long does it take for a turtle to digest tuna?
If she ignores them, keep repeating the thing with the tuna can until it works. It shouldn’t take more than a couple of weeks.
What causes stress in turtles?
A loud stereos system that is placed right near the tank can cause a lot of stress for a turtle. A cat or a dog that is always trying to get in the tank can also cause a lot of stress. Taking your turtle and trying to spin it on your finger like a basketball can cause a lot of stress.
Do turtles eat pellets?
From what I observed in my turtles they will always prefer live prey over anything else, then comes meat, then pellets, then fruits and vegetables. If you feed your turtle only live prey and meat for a couple of months, then you expect them to eat pellets, you are very wrong.
