General Care Discussion :: Turtle Vitashell

[YBSmom]

Hello,
I joined this site 2 years ago unfortunately after we found and fell in love with 2 (hatchling)yellow belly slider turtles. It's the usual story, the owner of the pet store sold us the death bowl and promised us it was the perfect home for them. He had them all in a small tank, hardly any water, dead turtles in the tank , and no information on how to care for them or that they carried salmonella and would be dangerous for our 3 1/2yr old twins. He also promised us the turtles would be fine on an 12hr trip home.
Thankfully I eventually found you guys and learned a great deal about them and how to care for them.
We still ended up losing Squirt. We recently upgraded to a 20gallon long tank. (I realize he will need bigger soon but we'll be moving soon and dh didn't want to put a larger tank up just to take it back down). Anyway I used water conditioned and right away Crush started squinting his eyes so I came here then ran out and got eye drops. His shell also seemed to change and looked chalky. I used a soft tooth brush and gently cleaned it up somewhat but I think he's shedding for the first time.(I hope, I've looked at every shedding post and still not sure that's what it is) I may be posting his picture soon. My biggest question is that I bought Vitashell while at PetSmart and wonder if anyone has used it and what they think. Sure hope it doesn't get in the water and hurt his eyes anymore.
Thanks for any information on it.

[Starchick]

Most people will tell you it's unnecessary. My turtles' previous owner used it all the time, and it didn't seem to hurt their eyes at all, but it's not good for shell growth.

[Turtle addict]

I am against vitashell. I got a red ear slider that was 10 years old and only 3 inches. The old owner didn't know about vitashell and used it on her. She could not shed and therfore did not grow. She died from this. The vet and I both know it was from being stuffed like a sausage inside a too small shell. Water turtles NEED to dry out and shed to grow and when humans use lotion...vitashell they cannot and it will kill them. My poor Lexus was suffering the last few weeks as her body shut down, the vet and I scrambled to save her and it didn't work. PLEASE PLEASE never use vitashell.

Lexus did shed enough scutes to make about three more complete turtles but even that was not enough.

[SpotsMama]

I've never heard anyone on this forum with anything good to say about vitashell. Maybe Petsmart will take it back. Though you should inform them that they should stop selling it as it will make the turtles sick - and then people might sue!

[iac637]

They will take it back just make sure you have the receipt I've taken back a used filter that I didn't like. If they will take that back they will take back vitashell.

[YBSmom]

I knew I should've checked in here first. I went immediately and wiped it off the best I could. Now I"m really worried I messed up his shedding. The more I look at the shell the more I think that's what's going on. I can see at the edges where it looks much prettier, then it's like maybe dried glue.lol How long does it take them to shed?
I'll try returning the Vitashell.
Thanks for all your help/advice!
p.s. is there a way to make them still love you after torturing them with eye drops?

[RunninWideOpen]

Mine always love me again as soon as I feed them! I feed all mine by hand, so they equate there happiness with me.

I like your names. We have 2 named Crush and Squirt.

[Hoooneylynn]

Just rinse off the vitashell. Its not going to hurt if youve used it a couple times... now if you use it every day or even every week, thats bad... but there is no harm done with that one time use, just dont use it again.

[industrial_girl_2000]

No vitashell. Turts don't need it. On a positive note, it makes a great hand cream for YOU, especially when you have your hands in their water & are always washing your hands with soap all the time.

[Hoooneylynn]

Really? I could use it? lol, I used that vitashell a couple times months ago, and then I saw that spots mama told me not to use it, so I have a whole jar just sitting there.

[SpotsMama]

For every cloud there's a silver lining!

[DavidY]

Waste not want not!

(just though I'd throw that in while we're dishing out old sayings, lol!)

[industrial_girl_2000]

Really? I could use it? lol, I used that vitashell a couple times months ago, and then I saw that spots mama told me not to use it, so I have a whole jar just sitting there.

Yes! I have used it in the winter when my hands get all dry & chapped from being in the water all the time (plus, the air gets really dry in my house since I don't have a humidifier).

[YBSmom]

Great, then I'll keep it cause my hands feel like alligator skin as much as I wash them.

Thanks Hoooneylynn, I hate to be so paranoid but I would not forgive myself if I messed up his shedding. I can tell it's starting to dry out again and I"m so anxious to see how his shell turns out when it's all done.

Tohmit, how did you train them to eat out of your hands? I thought they had to eat everything in the water? I would love to learn, let me know what food you can handfeed them.

[RunninWideOpen]

I hand feed them everything! Pellets, mealworms, shrimp, lettuce......well, I only hand feed them a little lettuce and then I put it on the clip that hangs in the water. I'm not THAT patient, lol.

Training them to do it was pretty easy. I feed them in their tank (which I know some people frown upon, but both the big turts don't poop for a few hours after they eat). I just get their attention with the food through the glass, and I guide them up to the top (it's really funny, they'll follow my finger anywhere along the glass if I'm holding food), and then I put my hand over the glass right above the water and they come up and take the food out of my hand.

For the first couple days they would only LOOK at the food in my hand and wait for me to drop it, but the third day they actually came and took it out of my hand.

I really like hand feeding them. Gives me another connection to them and I can also make sure they each get the right number of pellets, worms, etc...

They have accidentally gotten my fingers at times, but I've found it all depends on how I hold the food. If I hold it right they don't get my fingers. If they do bite you, make sure you don't fling your hand. Just slowly raise it up, pulling them out of the water. As soon as they realize you're pulling them out of the water they'll let go and plop back into it.