IS IT SAFE AND OKAY TO PAINT YOUR TORTOISE???

[sibi]

There some questions as to whether it's safe and acceptable to use nail polish or paint to decorate your tortoise or animal. I submit that it's neither safe nor acceptable to use paint of any kind, regardless of whether or not the paint//polish has lead or other poisonous chemicals. Furthermore, I submit that anyone taking a purely scientific approach to the subject and sees nothing wrong with it, lacks compassion, good sense, and is at risk of sounding cold and sterile.

That's my position, what's yours?

 

[Yvonne G]

In the olden days, when I was raising leopard tortoises, I put a spot or two or three of nail polish in the center of a scute to I.D. the babies from each other. That way I was able to see that, for example, one spot was not eating, and three spot seems to sleep all the time, etc.

Some people think painted toe nails look nice. Some people paint their faces and think that really looks nice...and some people think that a painted turtle/tortoise looks nice. Do I? no, but then I don't paint my face either.

As long as the paint doesn't contact the new growth lines, I see no harm in it.

 

[luvpetz27]

I do not agree with any kind of nail polish /paint on a tortoise/turtle.
Why take the chance?

 

[IBeenEasy]

this is NOT to you yvonne!!..sibi posted a pic about this a few days ago..the person didnt just put a small dot to recognize the animal..the dumb a** painted the whole shell like it was a canvas... this in my eyes is cruel and its just stupid..you would really have to be an ignorant, immature human to paint a fu**ing picture on your tortoise...i dont understand how any one would want to cover there torts shell in harmful, smelly, not natural chemicals from paint. even if the paint is non toxic...its still not natural...the tortoise would not be out getting its shell painted in the wild....sibi i absolutely agree with you on this, its wrong! whats the point

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correction...sibi didn't post the photo..but sibi was the first to comment on it...my mistake..but im referring to that post

 

[wiccan_chicken]

These are tortoises, not hermit crabs. Using dots to ID a baby is perfectly fine with me, same as breeders of dogs using colored twine or painted nails to ID the puppies (A friend of mine paints her puppies nails so she knows which puppy is which and also not to mess up the neck fur of the future show dogs)

But painting the animal's shell that it can't dispose of.... Like I said this is a tortoise, not a hermit crap. You want to paint something buy a canvas and paint your turtle with a painted shell. I love how my girl Vodka's shell looks golden and the beautiful black speckles look together. I wouldn't pain my russian for the world!

 

[Teodora'sDAD]

I would have to say I would NEVER use nail polish on any animals. I dont see the harm in something NON TOXIC like chalk or those water markers for little kids. However if you have to hold your tortoise down to do it, I wouldnt say its right. But if he sits there on his own and willingly lets you do it. I dont see the problem. Just dont leave it on there all day. just my two cents.

 

[Terry Allan Hall]

Have used tempera paint to decorate my torts for a Halloween contest, but nothing that won't come off, not did it cover the entire shell, only parts.

And they stayed thus decorated until the next day, when I hosed them all off (which they enjoyed, as they always enjoy me hosing them down)...

 

[ulkal]

Well, I think the question is not whether it is natural but whether it is harmful. The world hasn´t been a "natural" place since humans started farming around 14 000 years ago. Keeping tortoises is not a natural thing to begin with and we impose pretty unnatural stuff like MVBs on them. The question is rather if we meet their complex needs for a healthy development and life.
If it is proven (!!!) as not being harmful, with full consideration of possible dangers to the tortoise´s health, I think it is okay.
Personally, I do not see why painting a tortoise. They are so magnificent on their own which is the reason we keep them.
Sorry in case of weird syntax and English in general.
________________________________________________
Okay, Halloween is a reason

 

[ShellyTurtlesCats]

It's degrading (in my opinion). It's as Bad as dressing a dog or cat and putting them in a purse.

Nail polish isn't good for people. The chemical to remove it is worse (for those that argue nontoxic).

I wouldn't put it on a human baby, damn sure wouldn't put it on a defenseless pet.

 

[Baoh]

In the olden days, when I was raising leopard tortoises, I put a spot or two or three of nail polish in the center of a scute to I.D. the babies from each other. That way I was able to see that, for example, one spot was not eating, and three spot seems to sleep all the time, etc.

Some people think painted toe nails look nice. Some people paint their faces and think that really looks nice...and some people think that a painted turtle/tortoise looks nice. Do I? no, but then I don't paint my face either.

As long as the paint doesn't contact the new growth lines, I see no harm in it.

This is largely my perspective on it as well.

---

There some questions as to whether it's safe and acceptable to use nail polish or paint to decorate your tortoise or animal. I submit that it's neither safe nor acceptable to use paint of any kind, regardless of whether or not the paint//polish has lead or other poisonous chemicals. Furthermore, I submit that anyone taking a purely scientific approach to the subject and sees nothing wrong with it, lacks compassion, good sense, and is at risk of sounding cold and sterile.

That's my position, what's yours?

Why is it unsafe if there are no poisonous chemicals?

Your emotional appeal is amusing.

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this is NOT to you yvonne!!..sibi posted a pic about this a few days ago..the person didnt just put a small dot to recognize the animal..the dumb a** painted the whole shell like it was a canvas... this in my eyes is cruel and its just stupid..you would really have to be an ignorant, immature human to paint a fu**ing picture on your tortoise...i dont understand how any one would want to cover there torts shell in harmful, smelly, not natural chemicals from paint. even if the paint is non toxic...its still not natural...the tortoise would not be out getting its shell painted in the wild....sibi i absolutely agree with you on this, its wrong! whats the point

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correction...sibi didn't post the photo..but sibi was the first to comment on it...my mistake..but im referring to that post

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Snake venom is natural. Try not to invoke a naturalistic fallacy.

Your entire body is made of chemicals and energy. Completely.

If it is nontoxic, then how is it harmful?

It would not be sitting in a cage in the wild, either. It would not be free of parasites in the wild, either. It would be on its own to defend itself from predators in the wild. The wild is not some Garden of Eden like fantasy.

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These are tortoises, not hermit crabs. Using dots to ID a baby is perfectly fine with me, same as breeders of dogs using colored twine or painted nails to ID the puppies (A friend of mine paints her puppies nails so she knows which puppy is which and also not to mess up the neck fur of the future show dogs)

But painting the animal's shell that it can't dispose of.... Like I said this is a tortoise, not a hermit crap. You want to paint something buy a canvas and paint your turtle with a painted shell. I love how my girl Vodka's shell looks golden and the beautiful black speckles look together. I wouldn't pain my russian for the world!

So then you are okay with painting a tortoise's claws?

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It's degrading (in my opinion). It's as Bad as dressing a dog or cat and putting them in a purse.

Nail polish isn't good for people. The chemical to remove it is worse (for those that argue nontoxic).

I wouldn't put it on a human baby, damn sure wouldn't put it on a defenseless pet.

Yet tortoises are not humans and do not suffer from emotional degradation.

Nail polish is not bad for people. It is not good for people. It is simply liked and used by/for people. Acetone is pretty safe if you do not drink it or try to huff it in quantity. Its volatility is such that it evaporates very rapidly. It is also produced in your, my, and everyone's bodies.

A human baby has more acetone in its body than you do. Inducing ketone production, which involves acetone, can be used therapeutically.

 

[ShellyTurtlesCats]

Babies chew their hands/toes. I wouldn't feed my baby candy, let alone paint.

I realize turtles/tortoises are not human. No need to point that obvious factor out as it is a complete waste of time & unnecessary sarcasm. And since we are in the topic of human/nonhuman: How exactly would you know what is and or isn't degrading for a tortoise/turtle?

Covering a shell with paint couldn't be much different than covering a nail. It suffocates your nail! I've damaged my own nails using nontoxic paints and aside from being unflattering, it's unhealthy.

Lastly, 'not good for you' is enough for me.

 

[alwaysn2me]

People actually dye their dogs and cats with vegan pet hair dye and there has been a tradition of dying hatchling chicks in bright almost Easter egg colors in china for the longest time and the list goes on, people paint their horse hooves and so on. Women wear makeup on their face! Seriously I think some people like to get upset about anything and everything they can! I don't do Facebook or tweeter or anything like that cause social media is destroying the world and America the most!

 

[Baoh]

Babies chew their hands/toes.

I realize turtles/tortoises are not human. No need to point that obvious factor out as it is a complete waste of time & unnecessary sarcasm.

And since we are in the topic of human/nonhuman: How exactly would you know what is and or isn't degrading for a tortoise/turtle?

Covering a shell with paint couldn't be much different than covering a nail. It suffocates your nail! I've damaged my own nails using nontoxic paints and aside from being unflattering, it's unhealthy.

Lastly, 'not good for you' is enough for me.

And if they chew their hands/toes, and there is no toxic substance on it, then they should be fine.

I will turn that around on you, since you made the point to say that it *is* degrading and the person who stakes the claim is considered to hold the onus for its defense. How exactly would you know what is or is not degrading for a tortoise/turtle?

Suffocates your nail? Really? Come on.

Not good for you applies to a great many things. There is a bit of difference between what does not apply additional goodness versus what applies badness. A pin on your shirt is not good for you, but it is typically not bad for you, either, so I would not crusade against pins on shirts as an abusive and degrading health risk.

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Frankly, I think people take up these things because they 1) want to be completely up in the business of other folks, 2) feel like anything anyone else does that is not what they do is somehow a heinous commitment of "wrong", 3) they want the attention, and 4) they like a black-and-white dichotomous view on things because it gives them psychological comfort in simplistic decisions and a false sense of superiority over those who decide in a differing way.

 

[hunterk997]

To answer the question, yes, it is safe with non-toxic paint. Is it okay? That depends on your opinion. I read through all of this and see both sides, but also see how others are being irrational by saying it's wrong because it's wrong in their opinion. But me, I wouldn't do it. Just because I see no need for it.
And I've never heard of "painting your nails is bad for them." My mother always has her nails painted. She's always taking it off with nail polish remoer as well, her nails are extremely healthy, actually. And the only thing she does is paint them. Just my opinion.


Sent from my iPod touch using TortForum mobile app

 

[Baoh]

To answer the question, yes, it is safe with non-toxic paint. Is it okay? That depends on your opinion. I read through all of this and see both sides, but also see how others are being irrational by saying it's wrong because it's wrong in their opinion. But me, I wouldn't do it. Just because I see no need for it.
And I've never heard of "painting your nails is bad for them." My mother always has her nails painted. She's always taking it off with nail polish remoer as well, her nails are extremely healthy, actually. And the only thing she does is paint them. Just my opinion.


Sent from my iPod touch using TortForum mobile app

I fall in this same boat completely.

 

[sibi]

Babies chew their hands/toes.

I realize turtles/tortoises are not human. No need to point that obvious factor out as it is a complete waste of time & unnecessary sarcasm.

And since we are in the topic of human/nonhuman: How exactly would you know what is and or isn't degrading for a tortoise/turtle?

Covering a shell with paint couldn't be much different than covering a nail. It suffocates your nail! I've damaged my own nails using nontoxic paints and aside from being unflattering, it's unhealthy.

Lastly, 'not good for you' is enough for me.

And if they chew their hands/toes, and there is no toxic substance on it, then they should be fine.

I will turn that around on you, since you made the point to say that it *is* degrading and the person who stakes the claim is considered to hold the onus for its defense. How exactly would you know what is or is not degrading for a tortoise/turtle?

Suffocates your nail? Really? Come on.

Not good for you applies to a great many things. There is a bit of difference between what does not apply additional goodness versus what applies badness. A pin on your shirt is not good for you, but it is typically not bad for you, either, so I would not crusade against pins on shirts as an abusive and degrading health risk.

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Frankly, I think people take up these things because they 1) want to be completely up in the business of other folks, 2) feel like anything anyone else does that is not what they do is somehow a heinous commitment of "wrong", 3) they want the attention, and 4) they like a black-and-white dichotomous view on things because it gives them psychological comfort in simplistic decisions and a false sense of superiority over those who decide in a differing way.

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RESPONSE: Stick to the topic! You analysis on why you believe people bring bring up these issues is totally wrong. Unlike you, some of us are passionate about what we believe is "right and wrong." It's not about controlling the masses into thinking the way someone else thinks. If you had some childhood psychological trama about "control" issues, I can't help you with that. There are doctors for that. And your last reason why you believe people debate issues like this was so off the mark so as to make you sound like an anal retentive elitist. I give people the benefit of the doubt so as to think that humans are much more complicated than to state some of us take a dichotomous view of black and white on this issue. I give our members more credit than that. When someone has to resort to question a person's ability to critical thinking, it's usually a deficiency on their part. So, let people express their opinions without resorting to insults and sarcasms. Yes, this applies to me too.

 

[dokomadake]

I would say non-toxic nail paint or nail polish is fine. And its COMLETELY UP TO YOU whether you want to do this to the tortoise or not.

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[Jacqui]

Just a reminder folks... debate the topic, don't go into pesonal attacks....

 

[ILoveTortoises2]

I don't mind putting a NON-TOXIC paint on the hatchling to tell them apart OR to let the buyer tell the seller what one they would like. So other then that I do NOT AGREE with painting a tortoise OR ANY animal for that matter......

 

[ShellyTurtlesCats]

I have a headache. Not from this, just a random headache that has lead me to this vague and carless post:

I like turtles. Yes. I do