Urgent Care :: Should I forse feed??????????

[rocky2007]

He has not eaten in 5 days now, i drop food in front of him but he will not eat, all he does is sleep.....why wont he eat?? Please some one help. I have 2 of them the other one is much lg and is very much the eater.

[rocky2007]

help.......

[Starchick]

Not eating is usually a symptom of something else. What's his water temperature? If it's too low that can cause them to slow down and stop eating, it should be in the high seventies. If the water temperature is good and he's still not eating, you need to get him to the vet. Force feeding won't help the underlying problem. My turtle stopped eating in November, and he turned out to have a respiratory infection. He didn't start eating again until after several days of treatment. The not eating was what tipped us off to the problem though. Check the list of common conditions on this site or on austinsturtlepage.com and examine your turtle for any symptoms. Even if he does start eating, you need to consider the possibility of sickness, and get him to the vet if necessary.

[industrial_girl_2000]

Can you answer these questions:

How big is your turtle?
How long have you had it?

What is the water temperature?
Are you using a water heater?
How much water is in there?
Are you using a water conditioner?
Are you using any filtration?

What is the basking temperature?
Is there a basking light?
Is there a basking platform that is easy to climb on?
What kind is it or what is it made out of?
Is there a UVB light?

What have you been trying to feed it?
When was the last time your turtle ate?

How big is the tank/pond/enclosure?
Is the tank near a window?
Is the tank in a room with a lot of activity?

Have you read the Basic Care section?
Have you searched the forums for similar situations?

Is there any other unusual activity/symptoms?

[steve]

Also, have you tried some of the suggestions on this page: http://www.redearslider.com/entice_eating.html

[rocky2007]

he is 3 months old......temp 78................big tank.....with no basking light.......i better get him to the vet.
thanks

[SpotsMama]

I think you're doing the right thing. Keep us posted.

[xsavingsaturdayx]

Good luck with the vet,keep us updated.


P.S. Please keep in mind that you need both UVA and UVB light for your turtle,without them you your turtle is vulnerable to diseases like shell rot.Read this,if you have any more questions about the proper lighting for your turtle: http://www.redearslider.com/index_lighting_basking.html

[d0eb0y]

from my understanding the basking light or UVB lighting has a lot to do wit the digestion process. so maybe if u dont have the right lighting he hasnt been able to digest his food correctly so he just gave up on eating.
A vet would be the 1st thing to do, and after that invest in the correct lighing for him/her

[marisa]

Is the turtle eating yet?

[flutterby]

from my understanding the basking light or UVB lighting has a lot to do wit the digestion process. so maybe if u dont have the right lighting he hasnt been able to digest his food correctly so he just gave up on eating.
A vet would be the 1st thing to do, and after that invest in the correct lighing for him/her

I believe its more the heat that helps them with digestion not the UVB.

[marisa]

Yes, the heat speeds up the metabolism and helps them digest their food.