There may be several answers to the question why the turtle does not eat. Red-eared turtles eat food mostly and they are carnivores... they need meat... lean. One or two feedings a day are enough for a red-eared turtle. Red-eared turtles are one of the most common species among hobbyists. Often a small turtle will not eat when fed vegetables and greens.
But some people prefer to become the owner of a more exotic animal - a parrot, lizard or turtle. Owners of a pet turtle often turn to veterinarians with a problem related to the fact that it has stopped eating. Let's figure out what could cause such changes. Finding that the turtle long time won't eat anything, concerned owner wants to know why this is happening.
During the period when the animal does not eat anything, it loses a third of its weight by burning its own fat layer. It also happens that it refuses to eat in the spring, as a rule, this is caused by the development of certain diseases. If this factor is the cause of the hunger strike, you should increase the temperature in the terrarium, as a result of which the turtle will normalize its metabolism and will eat as before.
For food, it is necessary to use special mixtures of plant and animal foods, especially for young animals whose bodies have not fully developed. To prevent the development of problems with disruption of activity gastrointestinal tract this representative of the fauna, you should know what the domestic turtle eats, and what it needs to be completely protected from.
Why doesn't the red-eared slider eat?
A land turtle, unlike an aquatic one, is highly susceptible to the development of various diseases. Everyone wants to know what to do if the turtle doesn’t eat. If your turtle has stopped eating, check to see if it's time for him to hibernate. This happens if the animal has eaten well in the spring and early summer. If your animal is not sleeping but also not eating, it is likely that you are giving it the wrong food. Try feeding your pet lettuce or dandelion leaves.
Pet owners have noticed that the turtle always eats tomatoes with pleasure, but if the intestines are full, then it will refuse this product. pet will not eat if the temperature of its habitat is below +18ºС, since in such conditions it does not work digestive enzymes. If you have such an exotic animal in your home and it refuses food, monitor how long the hunger strike lasts to rule out the development of serious diseases.
That is, the conclusions on feeding red-eared turtles are as follows:
Red-eared turtles have fascinated many people. They are bought in pet stores, markets, and brought from the sea. But are the sellers providing the correct information? Being kept in unsuitable conditions affects appetite and general condition purchased pet.
If your pet eats little but remains active, then you have a male. When sexual activity occurs, animals become restless and abruptly stop feeding. Often sellers are silent about the fact that turtles need a temperature of 26–35 degrees Celsius. Turtles are relatives of snakes, lizards and crocodiles. If the turtle does not open its eyes and moves little, then look at the readings of the water thermometer.
For example, when a turtle’s eyelids become inflamed, its eyes are closed and it stops feeding. If visible signs there is no disease, but the turtle sleeps and does not eat, then get ready to “overwinter” for one or two months. When you transplant your pet into a house, then within a week and a half, lower the temperature to 8–10 °C. Place the turtle on the veranda, balcony or take it to the basement. Remember: domestic freshwater turtle long period rest is not needed, so there is no need to specifically create conditions for hibernation.
There should be enough water in the aquaterrarium for the reptile to move freely: usually the turtle does not move or swim if there is insufficient space. Turtles heavily pollute the aquarium; for regular cleaning, you need a filter whose volume is two or three times larger than the actual one.
Do red-eared turtles hibernate?
At home care turtle being fed lean fish(leave the bones in the fish, grind the large ones), liver, shrimp, squid, snails. In half an hour, the turtle should have time to eat the entire portion.
Take care of your beloved animals and do not forget that we are responsible for those we have tamed. Let your pets always be healthy, cheerful and please their owners with their behavior. Try also putting additional source heat and see how it reacts red-eared turtle.
However, if the turtle refuses to eat even after being additionally warmed under the lamp, then the situation can be dangerous. Most people try to have a python, iguana, monkey, butterflies, and red-eared turtles in their home. Although the turtles in this list are not some kind of extraordinary, but the desire of a person to prove himself as an unusual breeder rare pets satisfied.
When you contact your veterinarian and ask why your turtle isn't eating, make sure you're feeding it properly. And if your red-eared turtle does not eat, moves little and closes its eyes, then most likely you have created incorrect living conditions for it.
Red-eared slider - popular pet. Bright color, unpretentiousness in food and low price made this breed a frequent inhabitant of home terrariums.
Not all owners follow the rules for caring for and feeding their pet. Most often, the red-eared turtle does not eat, is lethargic and sleeps due to unsuitable conditions.
The reasons for loss of appetite range from improper care and puberty to the environment in the terrarium and diseases.
Improper feeding
Feed your pet specialized food and approved products. Improper nutrition will cause not only loss of appetite, but also all kinds of intestinal diseases. The diet of an adult red-eared turtle must include meat, sea fish with bones, shrimp, and plant foods.
It is impossible to force a turtle to eat food it does not like.
Young individuals will not eat vegetables.
Overeating
Often the animal refuses food when fed excessively. Young animals eat every day, and adults feed once every 2 days. Normalize the food system, watch your pet to find out how much food he needs.
If the portion is not eaten completely, the amount of food should be reduced.
Diseases
Diseases internal organs do not appear externally. If the animals are lethargic, refuse to eat, and constantly try to sleep, then only a veterinarian can determine the cause. He will appoint correct treatment, will recommend vitamins, and advise on diet.
Improper care
The most common mistake in content. Ensure that the temperature is maintained at all times within the range required for a certain breed. Reptiles cannot maintain their body temperature on their own. When exposed to hypothermia, they become lethargic, refuse to eat, get sick and die.
Aquatic rocks exhibit a lack of heat, remaining exclusively on the surface. If the reptile does not swim at all, pneumonia is possible. .
Stress
Animals are stressed. Loud sounds, sudden movements, sudden changes in usual conditions - these factors lead to a refusal to eat. Eliminate sources of stress and your appetite will gradually return.
Overwintering
An individual hibernating accordingly refuses to eat. The pet becomes lethargic and inactive, constantly sleeping. Veterinarians do not recommend such overwintering at home, as it carries a risk of death of the animal. To avoid hibernation, ensure constant temperature around 30 degrees and clear daylight, or consult a professional.
If your pet is not eating on the 5th day after coming out of hibernation, take him to the vet. You may be exhausted, dehydrated, or have gout or liver failure.
Mating season
During puberty, males become more active, but eat much less than usual. After the mating season ends, food consumption will return to normal.
Change of living conditions
If your environment changes abruptly, it will take time to get used to it. Follow the animal’s usual routine and diet. Having gotten used to the new place, the pet will begin to eat. If you want to change the feeding plan, do it once the animal has settled down.
Getting used to captivity
Wild individuals trapped in a terrarium experience stress and often refuse food for a week. Be patient and create conditions in the room that are close to natural. If, even after habituation, the turtle does not eat well, reconsider the diet.
Constipation
When constipated, a turtle will not eat anything. If your pet hasn't had a bowel movement in a while, consult your veterinarian to determine the exact problem.
Suppression of weak individuals
Males can be quite aggressive towards each other. And the suppressed individual may not receive enough food or refuse it altogether. This state of affairs threatens the life and health of the animal.
Solving the problem
The longer a red-eared turtle goes without eating, the more dangerous its condition becomes. Contact a specialist. If this is not possible, for example, there are no veterinarians in the city who specialize in reptiles, start by checking compliance with the conditions of detention.
- A complete diet. Turtles refuse food they don't like. Replace it, but remember to balance your diet.
- Check if the turtle has enough space in the terrarium.
- Clean all surfaces of the turtle house.
- Remove small rocks and decorations that the turtle might swallow.
- Adjust the temperature.
- Aquatic breeds need a place to rest outside of the water. Check if there is enough space for all the inhabitants of the terrarium.
- Remember, the red-eared turtle at home is very demanding on the quality and purity of water. Install high-quality filters and change the water at least once a week.
- Limit the animal's walks outside the terrarium.
- Make sure that no food remains submerged in the water. It will pollute the water.
- Do not self-treat your pet. Without experience, identifying and treating the disease is not easy.
How long can a turtle not eat?
Turtles can survive without food for 3 weeks without harm to their health. IN emergency situations up to 3 months.
Conclusions
There are many reasons for lack of appetite. A specialist can find the problem and solve it. If the turtle does not eat, is very lethargic and sleeps, and there are no visible reasons, do not delay visiting the veterinarian. Pay attention to changes in your pet's condition. And remember: preventing a disease by following the basic rules of care is easier than curing the consequences.
Nowadays, keeping various exotic animals in your apartment - crocodiles, lizards, snakes, spiders is considered the highest chic... These and other exotic animals attract people with their unusualness. Red-eared turtles are becoming popular all over the world; they are bred on special farms and then sold in pet stores. These animals are kept in aquariums or terrariums. Turtles are one of the most ancient animals. For two hundred million years appearance almost unchanged.
In nature, the red-eared turtle feeds on animals and plant foods.
To avoid mistakes in keeping these animals, you need to know exactly what the red-eared turtle does not eat, and what is especially useful for it. The turtle's diet should be as balanced in content as possible. nutrients and in terms of calories.
If the diet is formulated incorrectly, the turtles will not grow well. A balanced and high-calorie diet for red-eared turtles is one of important conditions correct content. Young turtles are fed animal food. They also eat dried daphnia, bloodworms, tubifex and gammarus, both dried and live.
The young one does not eat meat and fish, that is, what must be given to adult turtles. For meat, it is recommended that adults be given boiled or raw beef or chicken. Some people prefer to feed their pets instead of meat. goes fat fish, then you must first keep it in boiling water. Before feeding big fish you need to grind it, removing the bones. The small ones are crushed together with the bones.
Turtles also need vitamins, which are found in raw liver, shrimp, squid meat and the larvae of various beetles, such as mealy beetles.
Some hobbyists mistakenly believe that the red-eared turtle does not eat live food, or are afraid that it will not be able to catch it on its own. But that's not true. Turtles are excellent at catching live food. Experts even recommend feeding them with live food more often, as this creates conditions that are close to natural.
Adult turtles feed on algae, so in a separate aquarium you need to specially grow plants for feeding, otherwise the reptiles will nibble on the algae and the terrarium will look sloppy. The red-eared turtle does not eat poisonous algae, such as limnophila and elodea. If there is a pond near your house, you can catch duckweed there. You can also collect some other plants. Instead of algae, you can give the animals lettuce or dandelion leaves. Red-eared turtles enjoy eating cucumber or cabbage.
The pet store sells special balanced food for turtles. It is very convenient to feed them, but you need to look at the composition and make sure that they are fresh. It is best to purchase imported food, as they are more balanced, but dry food for cats and dogs should not be given to turtles - they contain substances that do not meet their needs.
It is useful to occasionally give crushed tortoises eggshells and vitamin D. Food should be thrown into water. You need to give so much food that it does not remain in the water, otherwise uneaten pieces of fish or meat will rot very quickly and the water will have to be changed.
To feed red-eared turtles, you can transplant them into another aquarium, but not all animals like this. Young turtles need to be fed once a day, and starting from two years old - every couple of days.
U healthy turtles Always good appetite. The reasons why a red-eared turtle does not eat can be different - the diet has changed, or it is simply not hungry, or maybe it is just sick. In this case, she should be shown to a veterinarian immediately. A turtle may also refuse to eat because it is in a new environment. In this case, you just need to leave it alone for a while.
Sometimes reptile owners have to figure out why their turtle isn't eating. A pet may refuse food in several cases, and not all of them pose a danger to its health. To correct the situation and still feed your pet, you need to find out the reasons for his refusal to eat and eliminate them.
Why doesn't the turtle eat anything?
- frequent feeding
- hibernation
- breeding season
- illnesses
Let's look at each of them in more detail.
Frequent feeding
Sometimes inexperienced pet breeders may simply overfeed an animal without knowing its nutritional requirements. If you are wondering: “The turtle is not eating, what should I do?”, first of all, think about the frequency of its feeding. For adult animals, one meal every few days is enough, and their frequent coercion to consume food can cause them to refuse food. You cannot force feed your pet - the animal itself knows how much it needs to eat in order to replenish its energy reserves. Offer your pet exactly as much as he usually eats. Monitor the frequency of his feeding and do not offer food frequently.
Also, some inexperienced breeders wonder whether lack of drinking can cause food refusal. The answer is simple - you don’t need to water the turtle, you should bathe it. It is during this process that the reptile will receive the amount of moisture it needs. Dehydration cannot cause food refusal, since feed contains some liquid. Watch your pet - if the turtle prefers only succulent food, perhaps she really does not have enough moisture.
Hibernation
As a rule, before falling into a long sleep, the reptile's activity sharply decreases. If your turtle is lethargic and not eating, it may simply be about to hibernate. It begins with the onset of winter. At home, it is not recommended to create conditions for animals for such long sleep. If you notice attempts to fall asleep for a long time, increase the temperature environment for the reptile and increase the brightness of the light in its home.
Breeding period
If you are wondering why a turtle doesn't eat anything, then be prepared for the most unexpected answer. During the breeding season, reptiles can change their behavior dramatically. However, this will only happen when the same aquarium or terrarium contains two individuals of different sexes. If you notice mating games, if your pets are ready for procreation, do not worry about their refusal to eat. The reluctance to eat will go away as soon as the turtles mate.
Diseases
The turtle does not eat - what to do? Unfortunately, this question is most often asked by owners of sick reptiles. Many diseases completely deprive your pet of appetite. If The turtle is lethargic and does not eat, have it inspected. You may be able to notice symptoms of illness in your turtle. If visible reasons To refuse food, you have not detected, have not identified the development of the disease, or simply cannot determine the disease, a visit to the veterinarian is recommended. It is the specialist who will be able to identify real reasons poor appetite pet, prescribe the correct treatment and, if necessary, carry out some therapeutic measures. At the veterinary clinic you can also find out possible reasons refusal of food in your species of turtles, get advice on preventing poor appetite. Veterinarians often advise using either their aquatic counterparts to ensure that the reptile’s body receives all the elements it needs.
If the turtle is lethargic and does not eat, the best solution is to urgently contact veterinary clinic. Self-diagnosis reasons can only harm the pet, and wrong actions- worsen his health. If it is not possible to visit a specialist, try to find the reason for refusing food. Listed above are the most common situations in which a pet’s appetite can significantly deteriorate.
The turtle is a whimsical animal that is subject to frequent illnesses. Owners of turtles often face the problem of their pet refusing to eat. It should be taken into account that this animal is cold-blooded, which means that depending on environmental conditions, its metabolism can change greatly. Among the main reasons for refusing to eat are frequent or improper feeding, hibernation due to changing daylight hours or temperature regime, the beginning of the mating season, illness.
Reasons
If your turtle's eyes are stuck together and it doesn't move much, it's worth checking the temperature of the water in the terrarium. Adults at temperatures above 25 degrees refuse food for up to 3 months. During the period when the turtle refuses to eat, it loses a third of its weight due to the burning of fat.
Starvation cannot be ruled out due to adaptation to new living conditions. Fasting in winter is considered natural due to decreased light. It is necessary to increase the temperature in the aquaterrarium, as a result of which the animal normalizes its metabolism.
Once the temperature increases, the turtle will begin to eat after a few weeks. If this does not happen, you should take your pet to the veterinarian for examination.
Feeding frequency
Frequent feeding leads to negative consequences. Before feeding your turtle, you need to familiarize yourself with the range of food for a particular breed. The diet directly depends on the age of the animal. If your turtle stops eating, the first thing you should pay attention to is how often it eats.
For an adult animal, one meal every few days is enough.
You cannot force feed an animal. If it refuses to eat, it means it has enough energy reserves. Most turtles do not need to drink, but your pet needs to be bathed more often; This way her body will stock up on moisture. A turtle cannot live without water for more than 72 hours.
Often, owners of red-eared turtles complain about long-term starvation of their ward. A common reason for their refusal to eat is premature transfer to food intended for adults. Only adult aquatic animals can be given eggs and fish in small quantities.
The diet includes the following products:
- seaweed;
- cucumbers;
- salad;
- cabbage
Some owners feed their pets dry food, which is intended for dogs. You should not do this: this food does not contain microelements that the animal needs.
Breeding period
Puberty – important factor, affecting the pet's appetite. First of all, it disappears in males. If two individuals of different sexes grow in a terrarium, then the reason for failure during the breeding season is quite obvious - mating. During this period, pets have no time for food, and after it they will definitely eat more than they need.
Diseases
You should not resort to self-diagnosis. After individual treatment often even a specialist is unable to do anything to save the animal. If it is not possible to visit a veterinarian, it is necessary to carefully examine the pet and analyze the living conditions.
A land turtle, unlike an aquatic one, is more susceptible to various diseases. Because of poor nutrition this species develops stomatitis, diabetes mellitus and other diseases.
Representatives of these species are also susceptible to stress due to changes in habitat. If the turtle is in a new place, you should wait a few days until it gets used to it.
You also need to remember that land turtles are mostly herbivores, which means you cannot constantly feed them protein foods.
Percentage of food of animal origin (midges, worms, insects) for land turtles should be no more than 10 percent.
How to make you eat
If the turtle has stopped eating, you need to check whether it is time for it to hibernate. Reptiles are active in summer, and in winter they usually sleep. But there are exceptions when the pet hibernates at another time. This happens if the turtle has eaten well in spring and summer. You just need to leave the animal alone, place it in a box with dry leaves and put it in a cool place.
