Feeding and Nutrition :: Vitamin D3

[mohamadfar]

I dont have UVA and UVB bulb and I can't offer my turtle natural sun light .

Which natural food ( greens or fruits or live preys ) have Vitamin D3 for repalace it ?

Thanx

[emma]

You should really get a UVA and UVA as soon as you can, otherwise your turtle could easily get soft shell when older. You should be giving your turtle a good diet like veggies, fruits, pellets, feeder fish. Try cuttlebone. I cant really think of anything else other than just getting the bulbs for your turtle.

[N4784N R4613]

He/she lives in Iran. I don't think he/she can find the bulbs. And no one will ship them there. So he/she is kinda stuck. I forget, why can't you take him out-side again?

[emma]

oh i see now.

[mohamadfar]

I am male, 23 years and student of compuetr software .
Yes N4784N R4613 , I can't find UVB bulbs .

Can I buy VitaminD from drug stores and offering to my turtle ?

I offer him cattelbone and greens and pellets .
Help me

[steve]

Certain quality packed turtle foods contain Vitamin D3 and there are supplements available as well. I would try to find a local herpetology/reptile group or even a zoo and find out what they are using. Why can't you get any sun light?

[mohamadfar]

Turtle foods and supplements not availabkes for me because I live in Iran ( N4784N R4613 said ) . I can buy some drug ( example : Calcium pantothenate , Vitamin D , Vitamin C , Vitamin B1 ) from drug stores .

We have not herpetology or reptile group here .

steve: Why can't you get any sun light?
We have very hot summer ( My Femail Res dry at Sun light last summer , she death ) , And We have too cold winter and fall , I can't want my male Res freeze at winter .

thanx too much steve

[shannon_nicole]

why can't we just mail you food or something? I'd do it. Well I bet it costs a fortune to mail stuff to Iran...
lol.

But I feel bad for your turtle!! You are doing all you can do but it's so sad that the things aren't available for you to feed her and take care of her.
fish oils have vitamin d. You could try to get some fish oil and soak the food in it? Or maybe just feed her straight fish, like guppies or something.

I don't know though really.

[SpotsMama]

Our National Institute of Health lists the following as food sources for vitamin D. I wouldn't give my turtle a vitamin D supplement that wasn't specifically formulated for reptiles because too much of it can be toxic. Small amounts of cod liver oil are probably your best bet as it is very rich in vitamin D. Dab a little cod liver oil on your turtle's food a couple of times a week.

Cod liver oil
Salmon
Mackerel
Tuna fish in oil
Sardines in oil
Egg
Beef liver

****EDIT****
Please be cautious! Too much fish oil is harmful.

[megcornell]

Yes, spotsmama is right. I'd skip the vitamin D supplement because it can be too concentrated and an overdose can be deadly.
Try adding some of the fish oils or fish themselves to the diet.

Do you have a household bulb for a heatbulb? It's okay that you can't get a UVB bulb, but you should have at least a regular bulb for heat and to entice the turtle to bask.

[kimberly183]

SpotsMama . . .

Would a plant light, if they are available to him, at least be better than nothing? Just a thought.

Shannon_Nicole -

I also thought of that and wondered, more so than the price, whether he would receive it with a US postmark? I have an extra basking dock!

[SpotsMama]

I don't think I'd use a plant bulb. There are so many variables with UV light. It could be that a plant bulb produces UV in the wrong part of the spectrum for a turtle, or that the rays are too weak. You wouldn't be able to tell for sure. If you relied on it and it turned out not to be good, then your turtle would suffer the consequences. At least with the natural food sources, you could be confident he's getting something of use.

****Edit****

Please feed oily fish or fish oil to a turtle with caution - too much is harmful to a turtle.

[kimberly183]

I meant for Mohmar since he can't get one?

[mohamadfar]

shannon_nicole
You are so kind , I and my turtle saying : thank you shannon
You can send it but I can't order it in iran from internet site ( example : http://www.reptilesupply.com ) because Iran not in ship country .
I think DHL or some mail postind ship in iran but you can question it .

kimberly183
Thanx too , I have not turtle dock and Yes , I want basking dock . see it my aqurium :


My Aqurium : 24*20*12 inch & 25 gallon ( 60*55*30 cm & 99 litre )
I think it is ok : http://www.reptilesupply.com/product.php?products_id=85

SpotsMama
Thanx , How much vitamin D3 he need at week ?
I can't overdose it

megcornell
I have only a felorsent bulb with moon light , he have not basking area and not basking
spectrum and plant bulb are to expensive and not work well . We have't UVB and heat bulb in Iran .

Thanx All

[SpotsMama]

He'll have to have a place to rest on and bask. He's probably getting very tired. What about a piece of tree bark? Tree bark floats and turtles can climb up on it. Can you get a piece that you are positive hasn't been treated with chemicals or pesticides? A piece of cork bark would be perfect. Here's a link that shows what it looks like though I know you can't order from this site. Scroll down to the bottom of the page:

http://www.blackjungle.com/Merchant2/me ... _Code=WFWH

Until he has a resting/basking place in his tank, can you take him out from time to time and let him dry off and rest in a box or something?

On the vitamin D3, if you feed him small amounts of oily fish several times a week that should be plenty. Here's a list from a UK government site that lists oily and non-oily fish. The site said fresh tuna counts as an oily fish but tinned tuna does not since the fish oil is lost in the process:

Oily / fatty fish

Salmon
Trout
Mackerel
Herring
Sardines
Pilchards
Kipper
Eel
Whitebait
Tuna (fresh only)
Anchovies
Swordfish
Bloater
Cacha
Carp
Hilsa
Jack fish
Katla
Orange roughy
Pangas
Sprats


White/non-oily fish

Cod
Haddock
Plaice
Coley
Whiting
Lemon sole
Skate
Halibut
Rock Salmon/Dogfish
Ayr
Catfish
Dover sole
Flounder
Flying fish
Hake
Hoki
John Dory
Kalabasu
Ling
Monkfish
Parrot fish
Pollack
Pomfret
Red and grey mullet
Red fish
Red Snapper
Rohu
Sea bass
Sea bream
Shark
Tilapia
Turbot
Tinned tuna
Marlin
Recent surveys have shown that some other fish and crab may also have similar levels of dioxins and PCBs as oily fish. These fish are: sea bream, turbot, halibut, dog fish or huss, and sea bass.