more help please
- Thread starter GrammyTree
- Start date
GrammyTree
Member
They usually get fruit with reptomin in the morning and either night crawlers or grasshoppers in the evening. Anything we find out in the yard. Beetles and crickets etc.
M
Maggie Cummings
Guest
No argument, BUT my box turtles spend all day from 8 am to 6 pm, outside. I feel 10 hours of UVB daily from the sun is just as good as a 100 watt UVB light that costs $45, the sun and the calcium supplements are enough for healthy animals. Besides you all know I do things differently, it works for me and them. They will have a Powersun 100 watt UVB light in the 7 months of winter....Make you happy now???
Thats a beautiful box turtle
A vitamin A deficiency will also cause puffy eyes. It is highly unlikely that it is due to lack of artificial UVB lighting, especially since you have not had them that long. If you are soaking them and adding water to the substrate frequently, I doubt dryness is the issue.
I agree with that 100%! I was just putting out other things that I could see wrong until the diet was posted. That diet posted definitely needs a bigger variety
http://www.peteducation.com/article.cfm?c=17+1797&aid=2589
http://www.peteducation.com/article.cfm?c=17+1797&aid=2589
GrammyTree
Member
What do you suggest I give them that will give them the vitamins they need? Is the a vitamin that has all the ones they need like a daily vitamin?
Based on this diet description I would say vitamin A deficiency is the issue.
Butternut squash and carrots are excellent sources of vitamin A.
GrammyTree
Member
Ok if this is the case and please forgive me if I sound ignorant on the subject, but bare in mind I am. Her eye isn't swollen but was matted shut with a a thin slime. Once I rinsed it it looked perfectly normal. She ate and tooled around the pen a bit before going to bed. Is that the same thing your talking about.
It could just be a one-off due to something in the eye. I had that panic with Joe a couple of weeks ago. Eye was pretty gunky, but I bathed it and there's been no recurrence - fingers crossed!
Yea it could be that too, Keep soaking daily for a while and try changing the diet, get some outside time if possible for UVB or artificial lighting. All the things everyone has suggested will help in the long run as well.
GrammyTree
Member
Here she is this morning
GrammyTree
Member
Thank you so much. All advice is much appreciated.
GrammyTree
Member
We soak it at least two to three times a week and we do spray mists thru out the day. The top does dry out but underneath is pretty damp.
No problem, that's why I love this site. So many knowledgeable people and everyone can point out so many different things that will help. Stick around and show pictures and just enjoy this forum.
GrammyTree
Member
She really is a beauty. I can't quit taking pictures of them all.
GrammyTree
Member
I will and thank you. Everyone had been so helpful.
M
Maggie Cummings
Guest
I agree totally, except, they are NOT getting soaked enough, she says "she does it when she can". The whole table looks too dry. Box turtles 'think' they are semi aquatic and if allowed will spend most of their time in the water. If inside, soaking, if outside, swimming.
This is my bad that I also did not consider the lack of Vit A. You are very correct and I personally don't think their diet is good enough to offset the lack of UVB, either light or sun, heck a few hours a week is all they need, more is better, but a minimum of sun is better than none at all. And I gave her a link to a care sheet for a better diet.
But I obviously keep my box turtles different than others. Oh, this is a picture of the outside pen for them, and in the bottom pix there's 4 box turtles doing their thing, betcha can't find all 4
