how can i make my turlte eat if it hasnt benn eating for more than one day?

Question

i was given a turtle in really bad condition, it has swollen eyes, fungus around its jaw and it wont eat even if i put the food in front of its face. what can i do to help my turtle because i don't want to give it away

Answer 1

It will not eat as long as the eyes are swollen, and it needs more help than you can easily provide at home- such as antibiotic injections, etc.

Please take the poor thing to a vet before it is too late. (I rarely recommend vet visits, but I think that is your turtle's only real chance!)

Answer 2

One of my turtles spent several months convinced that he was hibernating. No matter what I did (heated the tank more, left the light on longer, etc.), he refused to believe that he was supposed to be awake and active and hungry. It was all I could do to get him to eat a little bit, and very rarely. It took about three months, but eventually he gave up and started eating more.

My point is, turtles can go for a decent amount of time without much food when their metabolism slows down. You are right to be concerned, especially if yours is as sick as you say, but if you keep offering it food, eventually it should eat something. Have you tried different brands, brine shimp, etc.? He might also just be picky (I have one of those, too). You could get him some feeder fish and see if he'll hunt. They aren't the most nutritious things out there, but it's better than nothing for the time being.

Are you doing anything to medicate the infections? Have you taken this poor guy to a vet yet? If you aren't able to do that, there are sulfa dips available at the pet store that should help with fungus and parasites. You can also bathe the problem areas in a betadine solution a couple of times a day, and make sure to keep him out of the water as much as possible (except for when you're feeding him). Water will make fungal infections worse. If you're really serious about keeping this turtle, you should take him to a vet. Who knows what other problems he may have that you don't know about yet. Internal parasites could even be the reason he's not eating.

Good luck, I hope this helped!

Answer 3

I totally understand how you feel about a sick pet. My cat is still quarantined in the balcony because he has an eye infection and we have another cat.

First things first, you need to get your turtle to a vet. If you don't know where to go, check http://www.sva.org.sg/singapore_veterinary_clinics.asp for clinics nearby. It will probably be expensive, so be prepared..

The vet will have to fix its eyes and fungal infection. It is probably feeling too miserable to even eat because of those things.

I don't know where you got the turtle from but you should talk to the previous owner because by not caring for his turtle, he is being very irresponsible.

You didn't specify how old your pet is. I think what you have is a terrapin, not a turtle. If the terrapin is bigger than your palm, it could be quite old already... meaning that it might be just getting sick due to old age and there's really not much you can do.

Good luck!

Answer 4

Your turtle is on the verge of death. Sorry.
A qualified herp vet MIGHT be able to help, but you need to act quickly, and stop trying to "make" it eat.