General Care Discussion :: My Spaz does not to be growing

[joeybsmooth]

Spaz i just a bit over 1.6 inches and he is about 6mos old. I don't no why he is not growing .

[blackforces get you]

it takes tme. how much are yo feeding him/her?

[octpusgirl8]

Refresh my memory, is Spaz living with other turtles? If so, are you feeding them separately to make sure he's getting his fair share? Tell us about his diet, what he gets, how much, and how often.

[joeybsmooth]

He lives with a another turtle, but he is newer and a bit tinier than Spaz . So Spaz gets all the food he needs.I feed him like 6 sticks a day.Do the ReptoMin kind . Shimp eve few weeks , and lettuce not and then. THis could beimporant, him and my other turtle HATE cuttlebone. I cut it up and it just stays there for a while .

[megcornell]

Do you see each turtle get his or her fair share or are you just assuming that they share equally?

If he is eating and still not growing he may have an internal parasite. You'd need to get a stool sample and have it checked out by a veterinarian.

[joeybsmooth]

Ok to question, could them not eating culttbone or their veggies be a cause, andI did not have the right type of UVBandUVA blub at one point , could that be a cause too.

[robind]

Smaller turtles need lots of proteins. Spaz should be eating like 2/3ds pellets.

[TheComputerGremlin]

No, joeybsmooth, cuttlebone and veggies won't affect growth. Cuttlebone will affect shell hardness and whatnot, but many turtles go for many years without cuttlebone and grow fine. I don't think I gave my turtle cuttlebone until she was around 3" because I didn't know better and hadn't found this website until then. Also, we get lots of people on the board who have never used a UVB bulb, so that's also not a factor at this point.

It sounds like you are feeding enough, so I would highly recommend taking a stool sample to the vet to check for parasites. Far as I know, any vet can do this test for a standard fee, so you shouldn't need a visit yet.

[joeybsmooth]

I never notice any poop in the tank? How do I find it . lol

[robind]

My turtles eat their own poo as soon as they poo it.

[SpotsMama]

Joey, feed your turtles in a separate container - like a big bowl or tub, then wait around and watch and you probably find that they poop pretty soon after eating. Then remove the turtles from the tub and it will be easy to collect the sample.

[joeybsmooth]

How big should he be anyway?

[SpotsMama]

Healthy turtles vary a lot in how fast they grow. Growth rate is determined by genetics, diet, temperature. The average healthy turtle grows to about 4" long in the first year, then slows down a lot and will grow around 1" a year until he/she is fully grown. However, some are only 3" at the end of the first year and some are 5", so it's hard to say what's normal.

If you're concerned, it would be easy to find out whether your little turtle has parasites. Just collect the sample and let the vet check it then you'll now for sure.

[joeybsmooth]

I am going to do that. I will do it with both of them , I just wonder if a normal vet can check it.

[SpotsMama]

I'm pretty sure a regular vet can check a stool sample. It's easy for a vet to do and shouldn't cost much either.