My turtle threw up after eating shrimp pellets. What food is safe?

Offer a varied diet including pelleted food, fresh greens and prey such as tiny crickets or earthworms. You can get prey from the pet store, do not feed wild caught insects. It may take a day or two for him to acclimate to his new environment. Keep offering fresh food daily. Be sure environmental parameters are appropriate for the species of turtle you have. This includes adequate heat, UVB lighting and water quality. If you know the species, post it in a new question or request a consultation for more detailed care information.

Make sure temps are high enough for him. Low temps can affect appetite and digestion in reptiles. Withhold mealworms for a day then offer bits of pellets. You can grind up mealworms and coat the pellets before feeding. Offer other prey as well. Make sure they aren't too big and gut load them for 24 hours prior to offering to maximize nutritional value.

Thanks for reaching out about Tutu. Turtles should be fed only a few pellets 2-3 times daily. But chopped vegetables should also be offered daily. Whole prey, as in fish, are also part of the diet of aquatic turtles and can provide a wide variety of vitamins and minerals. Good luck.

Hello, & thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach. Juvenile RES should receive commercial aquatic turtle pellets, supplemented occasionally with live fish (guppies, goldfish), & earthworms. Make sure she gets at least 15 minutes of natural sunlight weekly. Adults need 30% of diet to be the pellets & some protein like mentioned above. The krill can be offered on occasion. 70% of the diet needs to be plants in the form of chopped leafy greens, kale, romaine, mustard greens, dandelion greens, watercress, parsley, shredded carrot, frozen (thawed) mixed veggies & squash, & occasional fruit. Take care.

Hi, and thanks for your question. Vomiting in turtles is always a quite concerning sign which could be compatible with an inflammation infection of the gastrointestinal system and surrounding organs (like pancreas and liver). A clinical examination at your local veterinarian is immediately essential to confirm these clinical suspicions and treat appropriately. Antibiotics and possibly further investigations (like abdominal imaging as ultrasound or radiographs) may be needed. Hope this answer was helpful, but please do not hesitate to contact us again on the forum or by requesting a consultation if you have any more questions or to discuss it any further. Please find the time to give us a feedback about the consultation as that will be used to improve our service.

Why change a working system? You are obviously doing very well in the way you keep your turtle. Since apparently your turtle is doing well, it is getting everything it needs with the Reptomin. You could try offering it leafy greens, freeze-dried shrimp or krill, crickets, superworms, rosy red minnows and even pinky mice as an occasional treat.

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.