General Care Discussion :: How Long After Shot?

[AllisonChains]

Izzy had the shot (unnecessarily) of Vitamin A/D on May 24 - how long should I wait until I start offering veggies with Vitamin A?

She does like carrots and not much else except radishes and I wanted to try and give her some sweet potato, but I know both are loaded with Vitamin A.

She doesn't have much variety right now except her red/green leaf lettuce and the every so often radish pieces, which she loves. She is a pretty picky eater, also.

[marisa]

Eating foods that are "loaded with Vit. A" like carrots, squash, etc., isn't the same thing as taking a Vit A supplement, which can cause problems if too much is taken. The vitamin A in those foods is in the form of beta carotene, which is actually a precusor to Vit A; your turtle will convert beta carotene to Vit A as needed, and there should't be any worry about overdoing it.

This is basically the same for humans as well---too much Vit A from supplements can cause problems over time, but eating a lot of foods high in beta carotene won't cause a health problem, although the skin might turn yellowish (this happened to the daughter of a friend of mine who adored carrots and wound up with yellow-looking palms). Including foods high in beta carotene in your turtle's diet can enhance her coloration.