Feeding and Nutrition :: Vet wants me to feed turtles shrimp

[Dash8FlyGirl]

About a week ago my I my girls, Murtle and Yurtle to the vet because they both had some white spots on their shells. They each only had one or two when I bought them so I just thought it was a part of their shell. When they started to get more I took them to the vet. Turns out they have shell rot. He gave me a perscription for silver sulfadiate and it has been working great! The spots are almost completely gone.

The one thing that I thought was strange was that he wanted me to start giving them cooked, peeled shrimp everyday, not the freeze-dried ones that they get as a treat about once or twice a week. I haven't been giving them the shrimp because I wasn't too sure about it. I wanted to get some opinions here and see what everyone thought.

Both my turtles are still babies, they are barely an inch each. I give them red leaf lettuce everyday. Yurtle gets reptomin baby every other day. Murlte refuses to eat the pellets. They both love the lettuce though. And like I said before, once or twice a week they get either freeze-dried shrimp or krill. I've tried several times to introduce carrots but they don't seem interested. They'll try them but then immediately spit them back out. If anyone knows a good way to get them to eat the carrots or how to get Murtle to eat her pellets (I tried dipping them in tuna juice. It was a big mess and Murtle didn't want them. Yurtle didn't care for them dipped in the stuff either) I'd love to hear that too.

[mat012]

If Myrtle is not eating hte pellets you may try crickets for a short time. I used them as I introduced the pellets - always offering both pellets and crickets. eventually my guy took to the pellets and I stopped offering the crickets. The shrimp might do the same thing. I am of the opinion that you kind of feed them anything to get them to eat, then after they are eating well and regularly back off and limit food types and amounts. But others might have different strategies/ opinions. Just with everything you try always have pellets available.

[untsmurf]

If they're a good, knowledgeable herp vet then I would listen to him.

[steve]

It's a bit much. If they're accepting a good diet, I see no reason to add that in.

[littlecakes]

Like Mat012 said, maybe your vet meant it for Murtle just so that he starts to get some protein in his system instead of just lettuce. Maybe you can just call them back and ask them to clarify.

[TheComputerGremlin]

Since your turtles are around an inch, they should be getting pellets or protein EVERY day, not every other day. You don't start every other day until they are 4".

If one isn't eating, I would feed it whatever protein you can get it to eat. As for the other, keep it on the same schedule. Are they in the same tank? I would try removing the one that eats the pellets and seeing if the other one still isn't eating. It may be intimidated by the other one and not eat. People on the boards have had turtles starve to death because the other was hogging the food. Give it a try for a few weeks and see if the one that isn't eating comes around when the other isn't around at food time.

[steve]

If you do want to try dead crickets, you can buy the Mini Can-O-Crickets. Those do pretty well as a treat.

[xtacsoulja]

If they're a good, knowledgeable herp vet then I would listen to him.

I agree, vets are not petstores employee's(god I hate petstore employee's), vets actually know what they are talkin bout, so if a vet tells u to feed them shrimp, feed them shrimp

[jenaero]

I'm with Steve on this one. You could add it into their diet as a treat if you wanted to, but there's really no reason for it that I can see.

[cassharper]

Hey guys, I'm new around these parts. Quick question in relation to the crickets you were suggesting (not trying to thread-jack or anything). How do you all recommend feeding the crickets? In many RES tanks, there is very little room for live crickets; maybe a live spot feeding? Or do you recommend the Can-O-Crix more?

[Sassamo]

I haven't tried yet, but I would just put them in the water alive. Crickets can't get out and drown fast, plus the moving legs might just be the right stimulation for getting a hatchling too eat. You can also place the bag in the freezer then put them in the water.

The can-o-crickets has a very short shelf life after it is opened so I would go for the live ones myself.

[jenaero]

I use freeze dried crickets. The odd time I use live, I just put them in the water and let them scoot til the turtles get them.

[TheComputerGremlin]

I use the freeze-dried gut-loaded crickets, they keep for like 3 years and one bottle has around 50 crickets in it, which is more than enough for an occasional treat. Plus, they float, and my turtle likes her food floating.

[marisa]

I feed either live crickets or the Can O' Crickets (mini size). The live crickets I feed for a day or two on calcium fortified drink before giving them to my turtles (it's good to have a cricket case to keep them in). I wouldn't give a lot at one time---they're adept at climbing on things and getting away from turtles if they aren't seen right away.