General Care Discussion :: turtle food processing

[chefglue]

how long does it take for food to pass through a turtles system my turtle must have eaten leaves from a plastic plant that i removed three weeks ago and it just came out now

[jozzep]

Then i guess it takes 3 weeks
There must have been some leaves left over in the tank after you took them out.

[SpotsMama]

three weeks doesn't sound too long. Some turtles on here have been known to pass little rocks that they have eaten off the bottom of the tank for more than a month. I think some things progress faster than others.

[Sniffa]

I'm sure something that a turtle can actually digest will go through quicker.

[theartbook35]

What about regular food?

I think all of us (including me) would like to know how long certain nutrients pass through the turtle. Maybe, we'll know when to feed an older, larger turtle if we know when a nutrient gets into their system and possibly wears off.

[SpotsMama]

When my turtle eats a bit too much lettuce, I can tell some of it passes in about a day. I see the undigested pieces of lettuce in his droppings. If you give your turtle something colorful, like carrot, you may be able to see it in his droppings when it passes.

[theartbook35]

When my turtle eats a bit too much lettuce, I can tell some of it passes in about a day. I see the undigested pieces of lettuce in his droppings. If you give your turtle something colorful, like carrot, you may be able to see it in his droppings when it passes.

I've never seen anything undigested in their poo. I guess that's a good thing! lol XD

I wish my intestines were that nice.