General Care Discussion :: I've never had any major health problems with my turtle

[mumucachu366]

My current turtle has never had any health problems, he's a rescue and he's in great health. He eats well and has definitely grown since I've acquired him. Am I just lucky? I had another turtle when I was younger that I bought at the flea market when he was just a baby and he grew up well and was always healthy. He was about an inch long when I first bought him and when he left he was well over 5 inches. I had him for almost 2 years. Long story as to what happened to him btw.

[SpotsMama]

Some turtles are just born with heartier constitutions than others. Some survive really awful conditions for a long time before it pulls them down. Others, especially when they are little, are delicate and the least little problem causes them to get sick.

Even the strong ones will get sick eventually if conditions aren't right. Turtles are very good at hiding symptoms so even if they seem to be ok, sometimes in reality they are fighting infection.

Turtles live a long, long time. That's why it's so important to be meticulous with diet and habitat. Little deficiencies or imbalances will build over time and cause health problems years later. A good example is a diet too rich in protein. At first, the turtle seems fine but years later may die prematurely from kidney or other organ failure that can be traced to the excessively rich diet early in life.

If your turtle is doing well, it is probably due to a combination of having a strong constitution and living in good conditions with a good diet. If you follow the guidelines on here for habitat and diet, and when/if your turtle does need veterinary assistance you get it for him right away, then chances are you'll have a good healthy friend for the next 40 years.