Can you overfeed terrapins

Any of these foods can be dusted with calcium powder to provide an extra boost of this vital nutrient. On the flip side, many species observe a hibernation period and may refuse food for long periods of time. If your turtle does stop eating and you are concerned that it may be ill, be sure to schedule a checkup with your veterinarian.

Some owners feed their turtles in a separate area to avoid this from happening. Any animal lover would recoil at the prospect of leaving a cat or dog to its own devices in the wild. After all, some say, there are probably other turtles there, and an abundance of food, water, and sunlight.

But no, this is never a good idea. While the natural instincts of turtles would probably kick in, a turtle that has been captive most or all of its life will not have the keen hunting skills of a wild one. So, between the natural competition for food, the uncertainty of the weather, and disease, your pet will have little chance of survival, not to mention the damage it might cause to native animals.

If you need to rehome a turtle, there are any number of internet groups and organizations that might be able to help find a suitable new family for it see related links below.

While your local pet store is unlikely to accept your turtle, they might be able to steer you in the right direction or allow you to post on their community boards. In all circumstances, the decision to own a pet, turtle or otherwise, is not something that should be taken lightly.

Do your research so that you can be sure that you are prepared to care for any animal companion you choose to call your own. What is a Slider? What Do Pet Turtles Eat? Home Slideshows. Written by: PetMD Editorial. Published: January 29, Previous Next. Related Content What is a Slider? Help us make PetMD better Was this article helpful? Yes No. Share this article. Since turtles are opportunistic feeders this is one of the most common problems for pet turtles.

But before adjusting the diet of your turtle, first you have to look for signs of overfeeding. There are two things that will happen if you overfeed your turtle. And the second thing is that its shell will develop improperly. So those are the parts where the excess fat will gather. In the picture above you can see how the skin on the neck is basically hanging due to the excess fat. So if you notice that there is a fat buildup near the neck, this is a sign of overfeeding.

The next palace to look for fat are the limbs. When turtles retract their limbs in the shell, there should be nothing left on the outside, but if you notice something similar to this you are defiantly dealing with an obese turtle:. The pictures that I used are taken from a video posted by a veterinarian. If you want to take a better look here is the video, but I warn you some of the images are extremely unpleasant to look at. Pyramiding referees to the improper development of the shell due to excess proteins so basically food.

How pyramiding manifests depends from turtle species to turtle species, so it can look different. The good thing about pyramiding is that it has to be very advanced in order to affect the health of the turtle. No matter which feeding schedule you choose, the important thing is not to overfeed your turtle, especially with items high in protein and fat since red eared sliders and other aquatic turtles often have voracious appetites and will beg for food. Some owners describe their pet turtles doing a frantic swim as if trying to fly straight out of the water or staring at them like a dog begs for food.

However often you feed your turtle, be sure to monitor their body condition. If folds of skin are developing around a turtle's legs, especially when they pull their legs into their shell, they are getting too fat and need to be fed smaller amounts, eat less often, or offer food with a lower fat content. Remember that adult red eared sliders are quite herbivorous so if your turtle seems overly hungry, try feeding more leafy greens and plant material rather than aquatic turtle pellets or prey food items.

The amount of food you feed depends a bit on your individual turtle. A good rule of thumb is to feed as much as your turtle will consume in 15 minutes. If you feed your turtle in a separate container, it is easier to monitor how much and how fast your turtle eats.

Feeding Aquatic Turtles. VCA Animal Hospitals. Actively scan device characteristics for identification. Use precise geolocation data. Select personalised content. Create a personalised content profile. Measure ad performance.