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My baby turtle who is no bigger than one inch in diameter isn't eating. He is new to my house but he was eating before, now he will not eat his little food sticks which i broke up to make them easier for him to eat. Is this normal and how can I get him food or is he not eating because it is winter?

My baby turtle who is no bigger than one inch in diameter isn't eating. He is new to my house but he was eating before, now he will not eat his little food sticks which i broke up to make them easier for him to eat. Is this normal and how can I get him food or is he not eating because it is winter?

Updated On November 30th, 2017

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Answered By Emi Knafo, DVM, DACZM

Veterinarian, Board-Certified Zoological Medicine Specialist

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Hi, I’m sorry to hear about Tooter! He sounds very tiny, and that’s a bit concerning as there is a minimum size for legal sale of turtles in the US (greater than 4 inches). Regardless, there are a lot of possible reasons Tooter may not be eating. It’s impossible to say without knowing the details of your tank set up and doing an exam on Tooter. But the most common problems we see in aquatic turtles (I am assuming Tooter is an aquatic species) are lack of UVB light causing metabolic bone disease, poor water quality, inappropriate temperatures causing immune suppression and infections, vitamin A deficiency causing eye and nose discharge among other signs, and other problems. Since this is a long list, and some of these issues are easier to treat than others, I would highly recommend you bring Tooter to see a veterinarian for an examination and husbandry evaluation. In the meantime, check out anapsid.org and read the Chelonian section (red rated slider subsection) to make sure your husbandry is adequate. Sometimes, reptiles simply don’t eat because of a temperature issue, so it is best to rule that out first! If you would like to discuss turtle husbandry or Tooter’s care in more detail, feel free to request a consult. Good luck!

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