What do you do if your turtle doesn't eat?

Question

My turtle is small and it won't eat. What is wrong with it? Will it die? It keeps trying to get out of the cage. Is it okay if i pick it up or is it dangerous? I really need help. Try to help me by answering my questions PLEASE! TNX

Answer 1

Not knowing what kind of turtle it is makes it a little more difficult to answer, but let's start with some basics. If it is a tortoise (land turtle) put some grains and fresh fruit and veggies in his pen and don't worry about it.. Don't let it rot , change it out and replace frequently. There's also foods that are usually favorites, melons and tomatoes being two of those. If he is trying tog et out all the time, his space is likely too small. If it is a water turtle and very young he may not need to eat yet (they don't the first year or so). They also go into a semi-hibernation or dormancy stage and don't eat for about 4-5 months. Most of my turtles started eating again right around Valentine's day, but two still aren't... otherwise they are appearing to be healthy so I'm not worrying. If you still have concerns, bring her to your vet.
Good luck

Answer 2

If you just got it- its normal for it to be a bit reluctant the first few days - its scared and unsure and if it only eats one pellet a day thats ok. After about 3 days it should start to eat when you arent looking, like leave the room. If it STILL doesnt eat go get it checked out you might have bought an unhealthy turtle. You can pick it up of course- try not to too much at first but absolutely. Also if its a water turtle it wont eat unless its in water.

Answer 3

WHAT KIND OF TURTLE DO YOU HAVE?!?!?

Nobody can give you a great answer if we don't know the type of turtle. But when you said 'cage' I will assume its a land turtle. Keep the temp. up high. Thats all I can say. If it was a certian species then, probably I could help a lot more but in this case, sorry!

Answer 4

There are usually 2 reasons why a turtle wont eat, the main one is the water temperature is too cold. The temperature should be around 78 Degrees F. It also could have an illness or it is in a new environment.

Answer 5

Put some food in the water! In the water with the turtle.
Many pet turtles prefer to eat this way.
Do you have a red-ear turtle?

Also, it is important for you to go to the library and get a book on how to care for pet turtles.

Answer 6

the case of ur turtle sounds pretty serious, so b4 trying to fix things by urself, i would contact the vet (do u have a vet 4 ur turtle?) and come in with ur turtle