My turtle won't eat. What should I do if my pet turtle stops eating?

Inappetance in a turtle is a vague sign and can indicate several different things going on. Your turtle may be suffering from some sort of infection or a metabolic disease affecting her internal organs. I would recommend taking your turtle in to see a veterinarian that specializes in reptiles. They will be able to better diagnosis and treat whatever is going on with Shanya. I hope this helps. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach. Best of luck.

I am sorry that Snappy isn't feeling well! Reptiles can take a long time to show that they are sick, and often the signs that they are sick can be subtle, such as a decreased (or lack of) appetite. With what you are seeing, it may be that Snappy has been hiding his illness from you for a while. I would recommend having him evaluated by a veterinarian. They will likely ask you a great deal about Snappy's husbandry, as this is very important in reptiles. If the husbandry isn't perfect, often they can get very sick. They can perform a thorough examination, and can evaluate the brown spots that you are seeing. They may be able to take a sample of the areas, and evaluate the material under the microscope to see what it is. Also, they may recommend other diagnostic testing, including radiographs (x-rays) and blood work to evaluate systemic health. I hope this gives you a place to start, and I hope that Snappy feels better soon.

Thanks for reaching out about Marshall. Anorexia can be caused by many things including inappropriate husbandry/diet, metabolic disorders (liver, kidney), intestinal parasites or infection, just to name a few. A veterinary visit is recommended to assess and provide a diagnostic/treatment plan. Check and correct husbandry parameters including temperature and UVB exposure. Good luck.

Thanks for reaching out about Loofa. It does appear as if antibiotics would be beneficial, but check environmental temperature and correct any problems. Offer food through a plastic syringe in the form of watered down pellets or vegetable baby food. Maybe you can convince the dog/cat veterinarian to help. Good luck.

Thanks for reaching out about Buddy. Chewing and spitting out food is suggestive of an obstruction. Could there be a possible substrate ingestion (rocks, etc)? Vitamin A deficiencies can cause epithelial (skin, throat linings) to swell. Calcium deficiencies can affect muscle and skeletal structure. Brightly colored foods (red/yellow/orange vegetables) and movement (live fish, worms) can stimulate appetite. Check and correct water husbandry. Otherwise a veterinary visit is needed. Good luck.

Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! It is not possible to know what is exactly going on without a proper evaluation though it does sound like Cutty is quite sick. I would highly recommend that you have Cutty evaluated by a veterinarian for further assessment and treatment. They could check on what may be going on which could be a gastrointestinal condition so that it can be treated accordingly. Best of luck!

Hi and thank you for your question, The bottom line is that he needs to be checked by a vet. The hind legs may be paralyzed due to a spinal injury. You need a vet to perform a neurological assessment. Not eating is a problem in itself, but in this case there are other issues that need to be looked at first. Regards