General Care Discussion :: My turtle stopped eating, I'm worried

[Jeremiah]

Try soaking the produce in tuna can water.

[steve]

Veggie clip... it does work in many instances and is cheap enough not to try.

[Into_the_Mystic]

Veggie clip... it does work in many instances and is cheap enough not to try.

I use one.. It doesn't matter.. It just hangs there for something for him to rest on.

[Into_the_Mystic]

Try soaking the produce in tuna can water.

I would think that would just make him mad because he would go looking for tuna and wouldn't find anything but lettuce.

[Into_the_Mystic]

I have found a local reptile vet and have made an appointment for April 30th. Just a "well being check up" to see if she can maybe tell me why Skimmer has stopped eating his vegetables as well as how his overall appearance is. Maybe she can look inside his mouth to see if maybe there is a cut or blister.. I am just clueless as to why he's not eating anything but pellets and hope she can bring me some answers on what I can do.

The water is clean, filter gets cleaned every 2 weeks, the temperature is 76 degrees... Basking temp is 85 to 88... Just hope he's not sick and dying of malnutrition.

This turtle is so spoiled he even has a hammock to sleep in . It would just devastate my son and I if he's not o.k.

[Into_the_Mystic]

Well too Skimmer to the vet. They didn't see anything wrong with him and in fact said he was the most healthy and active turtle they have seen come in. Usually the ones that are brought in are sick and have shell rot. They ran a test on his stool and didn't find anything abnormal, but they wast another sample (of I can get it) to test again. Sometimes parasites in the intestines can cause them to not eat. His stool is black and that is cause for concern but they didn't say it was or why it was black.

He seems very "normal" but absolutely refuses to eat any vegetation at all. He will only eat pellets every-other-day and that's it.

I tried the "soak it in tuna water", but that didn't didn't do anything but make him mad like I thought and stank up the tank.

The vet suggested I try baby spinach, broccoli, snow peas, as well as one of those vitamin calcium blocks that Reptomin make for turtles. I told them I do provide calcium via cut up cuttle bone, but she said that that was just pure calcium and could actually hurt the liver because of the high ratio of calcium. I have never heard that one before but o.k..

I think they were impressed my all I knew and I actually knew a few more things then she/they did, like taking the back off of the cuttle bone before giving as well as my disagreeing with them on the spinach and broccoli. I have read on here that those two are a BIG "NO NO" to give to turtles.. Her comeback was that it was best that they ate something green (given in small amounts) rather than them not eat anything. Maybe Skimmer will like the stuff.. we will see..

She also said to try Kale, but I have in the past and it was too tough I think and he stuck his nose up at it too.

I know I am tired of wasting my money on different types lettuce each week that just get thrown out as well as whatever else I think he may like that just get scooped out and thrown away untouched.

I am just very frustrated because I try to give Skimmer only the best of everything and in the correct amounts that are required, only to have it come to him refusing to eat anything but pellets that I know is not good because it is just a protein diet.

Does anyone here have a turtle that has black stool or has just stopped eating vegtables all of a sudden and it lasted for months?

This has been going on now for about 7 months for Skimmer. Just pellets.. that's it..

[steve]

My male RES would sometimes refuse veggies for a few months during the winter. He's back to loving them. Stool can vary, but I sometimes see dark colored droppings. Darkish brown and green are more normal around here.

Have you tried the tough love approach?

[RC!]

My littles guys poop lately has been black, like a little black pellet. As soon as he bites into it dissolves and makes the tank a mess -_- the waste is usually not really black but very dark green, under the light the colors come out. So Skimmer still hasn't eaten any type of lettuce? I've been giving mine mainly red leaf romaine, so that's what I attributed the black stool too.

Hey Steve what's your tough love approach? Have the turtle 'fast' for a couple days? I think that would work! And increase the temps.

[Into_the_Mystic]

My littles guys poop lately has been black, like a little black pellet. As soon as he bites into it dissolves and makes the tank a mess -_- the waste is usually not really black but very dark green, under the light the colors come out. So Skimmer still hasn't eaten any type of lettuce? I've been giving mine mainly red leaf romaine, so that's what I attributed the black stool too.

Hey Steve what's your tough love approach? Have the turtle 'fast' for a couple days? I think that would work! And increase the temps.

Still not eating any veggies.. I tried a few leaves of baby spinach and he just watched it float around. I put a leaf of lettuce in the tank every morning, hoping to come home to see it has some bites in it, but nothing...

He is very active lately, like constant swimming at the glass and getting up and down off his dock. We take him out for about an hour or less everyday just to give him something more to do than to be swimming around anxiously.

It get a bit nerve wracking because he starts acting up at 5:30 in the morning and does it all day long.

The water temp is 76-77 degrees so I think it's o.k.

Haven't seen anymore stool, but other than acting all crazy with his activity, I really think he's o.k.. Not showing any signs of lethargy or being sick.

[RC!]

Maybe it's the hormones? Sounds like a lot of activity/energy. It is breeding season after all. But I would think appetite would increase aswell? Looks very healthy and get said everything is all good...is thre a way huh can track his weight? Can use a digital kitchen scale that has the gram setting. Too much weight loss would be a bad thing. Some is normal, but to be honest, what is some weight loss in grams? Idk! lol. I don't thnnk I've ever heard of no appetite in a RES. It would be natural for us to think something is wrong with it. Strange!

[steve]

At least he's eating. Maybe diversify his pellets a bit until he's interested again.

[Into_the_Mystic]

At least he's eating. Maybe diversify his pellets a bit until he's interested again.

True.. I did buy a variety of stuff at the store this weekend.. Mustard Greens, Romaine Lettuce, broccoli, carrots and snow peas.

He nibbled some at the snow peas, but pretty much spit them out. I am not sure if I am supposed to cut them out of the pod or what. It seems pretty tough.

Also bought one of those turtle calcium blocks with vitamins in it. The vet recommended I buy a block and he did eat the pieces I put in.

She also said I should put some drops of that Reptisun water conditioner, but I have read on here to not buy that stuff because it's a waste of money and turtles don't need it.. Only fish tanks. Has anyone on here used the stuff?

[steve]

Do you mean Reptisafe? I used to use it, but it's mostly the same as other water conditioners. Carbon is a superior replacement. Is the calcium block medicated? Those sulfa blocks are usually not recommended as well.

[Into_the_Mystic]

No the calcium block is not medicated. I am skeptical about using the water conditioner and wonder why a vet would even suggest using it if they knew anything about Red Ear sliders. I have always read on here that they are a waste of money and that turtles don't need water conditioners.

The calcium clock is the ZooMed Aquatic Banquet Block. It has vitamins as well as calcium in it.

[steve]

Activated carbon does what a conditioner will do and better. Most fridges with water hook-ups use carbon and filtered pitchers also use it.