If your pet tortoise is on a hunger strike, you have reason to be concerned. Not only would he suffer from hunger, but he could also fall ill. This article will show you how to help your turtle start eating again and know what to do if it still won't touch its food. Many turtle owners find it difficult to get their pets to eat. The most common reasons why turtles refuse to eat are environmental problems or disease. To persuade the turtle to eat again, you need to change the environment in which it lives, recognize the symptoms of illness, and be a little creative in feeding it.
Step
Method 1 of 3: Finding the Causes Why Tortoises Stop Eating
Step 1. Check the room temperature
Turtles are cold-blooded reptiles. He doesn't want to eat when it's too cold. If a box turtle lives indoors, set it warm and cold zones. The cold zone should have a temperature between 20-22 °C and the warm zone should be in the range of 29-30 °C during the day. At night, the temperature can be lowered to 15-23 °C.
- For water turtles, the water temperature should be around 25 °C and the basking area should be between 27-29 °C.
- If a tortoise lives outdoors, it will freeze if the outside temperature drops below 15 °C. Install a ceramic heater in its environment and set it so that the turtle can get the right temperature.
- Measure the temperature with a thermometer and adjust it if necessary.
Step 2. Give it more light
Turtles also need adequate lighting in order to have an appetite. Water turtles need both UVA and UVB rays in their tank. Arrange for the tortoise to be exposed to light for 12-14 hours and in darkness for about 10-12 hours. Shell turtles need a minimum of 12 hours of light every day. You can use direct sunlight or a combination of ultraviolet and incandescent lamps.
- If the tortoise gets less than 12 hours of light, it can go on a hunger strike.
- If the tortoise lives outdoors, you will need to adjust the lighting as the sun's position changes. For example, you may need to use artificial lighting when the weather is cloudy or the days are shorter.
Step 3. Examine the turtle for signs of disease
If you've checked the environment but the tortoise is still on a hunger strike, there's a good chance it's sick. Turtles can suffer from vitamin A deficiency, constipation, respiratory infections, eye problems, or pregnancy. If your turtle refuses to eat, look for other symptoms to determine if it is sick and needs to be taken to the vet.
- If there are white patches on the turtle's shell and it doesn't want to eat, there's a good chance it has a vitamin A deficiency. Vitamin A deficiency is also often associated with respiratory tract infections in turtles.
- Other symptoms of respiratory infection include wheezing, difficulty breathing, sneezing, runny nose, swelling of the eyes, and lethargy.
- If your tortoise is on a hunger strike and isn't pooping, it may be constipated.
- If the tortoise has eye problems and cannot see, the tortoise will not eat. Check the turtle's eyes to make sure they are clear, free of debris and shiny.
Step 4. Find out if the turtle is hibernating
Asian, European and North American tortoises may enter a hibernation phase during the winter. Even if your pet tortoise lives in the right environment and has plenty of food, it may decide to hibernate. If you've adjusted your turtle's habitat and made sure it's in good physical condition, but it still refuses to eat, take your turtle to the vet to see if it's trying to hibernate.
- Hibernation triggers stress in the body. Only healthy turtles can enter the hibernation phase.
- If your vet allows your tortoise to hibernate, you should start lowering the cage temperature by a few degrees each day. This step helps the tortoise slow down its metabolism.
- Do not allow the temperature to drop below 10 °C. You can increase the temperature gradually every day after 10 weeks.
- Keep feeding the turtle until it stops eating completely.
Method 2 of 3: Persuade the Tortoise to Eat
Step 1. Give live food to turtles
Turtles are attracted to movement and may prefer live food such as crickets, Hong Kong caterpillars, wax worms, earthworms, snails, naked snails or newborn mice. Live food also has a strong odor that is attractive to turtles.
- Don't give the worms you dug up in your garden to the turtles. If you have just treated the soil with chemicals, the worms could be contaminated. It's a good idea to buy earthworms at a bait shop.
- Turtles also like caterpillars, beetles, fleas, crayfish, flies, grasshoppers, bloodworms, and spiders.
Step 2. Mix the pellets with other foods
Dry food or pellets are a staple food for many tortoises. Crush the pellets and mix them with live food to stimulate the turtle's appetite. You can also soak the pellets in canned tuna water so that the smell is stronger and appetizing.
- You can also soak the pellets in fruit juice or a decaffeinated sports drink to encourage the turtle to eat.
- If you keep a tortoise, place dry food in the water as the tortoise may prefer to eat underwater than on land.
Step 3. Provide brightly colored food
Turtles are attracted to brightly colored foods. Provide strawberries, tomatoes, papaya, mango, watermelon, rose petals, or other brightly colored vegetables and fruits. Fruit is not a staple food for turtles, but can be used to persuade turtles to eat again.
- Combining brightly colored foods with live foods can increase your success. Bright colors and strong smells make food twice as appealing.
- Vegetables are more useful than fruit. Try soaking vegetables in canned tuna water to encourage the tortoise to eat them.
Step 4. Change the food
The turtle may refuse to eat because it doesn't like the food you offer. For example, you could serve chopped vegetables and pellets soaked in water containing bloodworms for a day, then give him mango and pellets soaked in canned tuna water the next day. You have to learn what turtles like.
- There's nothing wrong with keeping a food journal for your turtle and writing down its responses to certain foods. This will help you figure out what he likes.
- Try to feed him on land and in the water to see if there is a difference.
Step 5. Feed the turtles early in the morning
Turtles tend to be more active early in the morning and prefer to eat at the same time. Many turtles refuse to be fed at other times. Try feeding him at 4:30 or 5:30 or as close to dawn as possible.
- In addition to the selection of meal times, you also have to adjust it to weather conditions. For example, if the tortoise lives outdoors, it may be too cold for him to eat early in the morning when the weather is cold. Wait a while before feeding him.
- Shell tortoises also like to eat in the morning when it rains because at that time earthworms and naked snails are easier to find.
Step 6. Take the turtle to the vet
If your tortoise continues to refuse your food and doesn't respond to changes in the environment, take him to the doctor. The tortoise may be sick and his health will be jeopardized if he refuses to eat. Professional examination will increase success in finding the cause of the turtle's behavior and timely treatment can prevent the turtle's condition from worsening.
- Veterinarians who specialize in herpetology have the expertise to treat turtle problems. Herpetologists receive additional training in medicine for reptiles.
- If you can't find such a veterinarian, try contacting a specialist at your local zoo, animal group, or university that specializes in veterinary medicine.
Method 3 of 3: Providing Proper Nutrition
Step 1. Provide a balanced diet for the turtle
A turtle's diet should consist of fruits, vegetables and meat. If you keep a water turtle, 65-90% of its diet should come from animal protein (e.g. worms, snails, mollusks, frozen rat pups, dry food/pellets) and 10-35% vegetables (e.g. leafy greens, grated carrots, grapes)., mango, orange melon). If you keep a shell turtle, its diet should consist of 50% meat (crickets, Hong Kong caterpillars, naked snails, slugs) and 50% vegetables (eg berries, chickpeas, machete gourds, flower heads).
- Young turtles need more meat than adult turtles.
- The information above is a general recommendation. Your pet's diet will depend on the species of turtle.
- Try to give the turtle fresh food.
Step 2. Add calcium to the turtle's diet
Turtles will get all the vitamins and nutrients they need from a balanced diet. However, you can add calcium to support its health. Calcium can be given in solid form, cuttle bone, or in powder form. Give extra calcium once a week.
- Put solid calcium or cuttlefish bone in the turtle's habitat so it can eat away at it.
- You can also sprinkle calcium powder over the turtle's food before feeding it.
- In addition, you can give your turtle a multivitamin for your reptile or tortoise once a week.
Step 3. Know what types of foods to avoid
Turtles will develop well if you give them enough variety of food. However, there are some foods that should not be given. Avoid some of the following foods:
- All dairy products (eg cheese, yogurt)
- Candy, chocolate, bread, powdered sugar and flour
- Canned or processed foods that contain a lot of salt and preservatives
- All kinds of onions and garlic
- Rhubarb
- Avocado
- All fruit seeds
Tips
- If you have questions about turtle food, contact your nearest veterinarian.
- Provide a variety of food for the turtles. Try giving him fruits and vegetables that are in season.
