If we have a turtle as a pet, it is very important that we monitor its diet, providing it with a diet adjusted to its specific nutritional requirements, which vary from one type and species to another.
If your diet is not adequate, various he alth problems can occur, including eye problems, lack of energy or lethargy, respiratory problems and serious mineral and vitamin deficiencies, which have consequences of varying severity. Today on our site we'll look at some of the reasons why my turtle won't eat, as well as what to do about it.
My turtle doesn't want to eat
First of all, it should be noted that due to the particularities of turtles, fasting for a few days often occurs, this being a frequent and completely normal event in them. However, if the fast is extended too long it may indicate that something is wrong with our turtle.
Why isn't my turtle eating?
Some of the reasons turtles may stop eating include:
- Changes in your environment or routine.
- Changes in the diet provided.
- Sudden changes in ambient temperature or humidity.
- Changes in the family unit, such as adding new members to the family, including pets.
If you have recently adopted a tortoise as a pet, to provide it with the best care you can consult these other articles on our site on Caring for a tortoise and Caring for water turtles.
My turtle is not eating anything
When a turtle receives a balanced and balanced diet on a regular basis, "short" periods of fasting usually appear, not counting hibernation, which would be much longer, lasting a few days. But, if it is detected that the turtle does not consume food or drink for a longer time, try to find the reasons, because it may be sick and need veterinary attention.
Symptoms of a sick turtle
Some Symptoms of disease in turtles are:
- Sleep.
- Signs of dehydration, noticeable in the color, touch and texture of the skin.
- Closed and/or swollen eyes.
- Alterations in the state of its shell.
If we observe these signs in our pet, it is best to go to the vet as soon as possible, in order to solve the problems with haste. Well, some of the diseases that cause a turtle not to eat anything are quite serious, ranging from eye infections to mouth and respiratory disorders or the presence of parasites, as you can see in this other article on the most common diseases in turtles and land turtles.
My turtle is not eating and its eyes are closed
It is much more common than it seems for a turtle to develop eye problems due to its diet. Normally, what happens is that they cannot open their eyes since hypovitaminosis has occurred. This is that there is a vitamin deficiency in the body of the turtle, mainly due to the fact that its diet does not contain the essential vitamins for it.
To correct this problem, it is advisable to go to the vet, as this will be the one to verify if it is actually hypovitaminosis or some fungal or bacterial infectionIn the case of hypovitaminosis, the treatment includes both a correction of the diet and the application of eye drops rich in vitamin A, with a relatively rapid recovery usually being observed.
If you don't know what turtles eat, we advise you to consult these two articles on Food for water turtles and Food for tortoises.
My turtle doesn't eat and sleeps a lot
If we observe that our turtle's lack of appetite is accompanied by a long and deep sleep, it may simply be hibernating Yes, turtles, like other animals such as bears, usually hibernate, as you can see in this other article on Do turtles hibernate? This is completely normal for them, especially some species.
Hibernation consists of a period in which the tortoise enters a state of drowsiness, lowering its rate of functioning, thus lowering its vital signs. This is a natural mechanism that allows them to preserve their organic reserves, something that is determined by their genetics, because in the wild, hibernation allows them to survive when food scarce.
We must be attentive to the thermal conditions to which the turtle is subjected, since hibernation is typical of those turtles exposed to low temperaturesTo regulate the temperature of its cabin, it is usual to resort to UVA and UVB lamps, which are also important for its shell, as we will see just below.
My turtle is not eating and has a soft shell
When our turtle's shell begins to lose hardness and color, it is essential to take action as soon as possible, otherwise it can lead to serious he alth problems.
Normally, a softened shell is due to poor absorption of calcium, as well as a diet deficient in this mineral of prolonged form. Calcium is vital for the shell to be in good condition, but equally important is that the turtle gets enough UVB light UVB rays are what allow the body to turtle produce vitamin D3, which is necessary for your body to absorb calcium from food.
Therefore, in these cases, a diet rich in calcium must be combined with sufficient exposure to UVB rays, resorting to UVB lamps if the turtle cannot be made to receive direct sunlight long enough, about 8-10 hours a day is ideal.
