General Care Discussion :: Thoughts On Vitamin D Drops..

[Turtle Mummy 101]

We have these things for the baby called Baby D-Drops. It's basically just a Vitamin D supplement you mix with water or juice. They can be purchased at Walmart or any pharmacy.

My RES Charlotte does have lights that mimic what she would normally get from natural sunlight. She's a perfectly healthy little turtle and her behaviour is normal. I'm just wondering if maybe I should put a few drops in her water to maybe give her extra nutrients?
My reasoning would be that where i'm from the winters are VERY long and it is dark all the time. Even though she is fine with everything she already has a little more Vitamin D won't hurt right? Especially since she's still a baby.

Thoughts?

[Kemul]

Won't hurt the turtle, but I think that would be a waste. Vitamin D is not absorbed
through the skin; it is absorbed through the digestive system. Unless the turtle
is swimming in the liquid, a few drops in a tank of water doesn't mean anything.
One important part of vitamin D processing is UVB. So, make sure you provide
adequate UVB apart from a good diet.

[TheComputerGremlin]

I agree. With the correct UVB lighting, you have nothing to worry about, doesn't matter how long or dark the winters are. Remember, 90% of the people on this board have turtles who have probably never seen the sun. Mine saw it last in September, 2007, on her journey home. And she's just fine.

[Turtle Mummy 101]

Thanks guys! She already has all the light she needs and shes doing just fine. I just thought that because shes a baby she may need to absorb more but she does eat a balanced diet of pellets and romaine lettuce, which she loves

Thanks for your input!