My year old eastern box turtle stopped eating

[Yvonne G]

The enclosure is too open. You can try covering the whole thing with a shower curtain or sheet plastic. This would be like a green house and your lights would quickly warm it up inside.

 

[Leavy]

Box turtles are notorious for driving their keepers crazy with worry the first winter. Mine sure did. I recorded her weight before and after soaks, along with notations for input (if she ate anything) and output (turtle poop).

Will do. Vet sa

The enclosure is too open. You can try covering the whole thing with a shower curtain or sheet plastic. This would be like a green house and your lights would quickly warm it up inside.

That’s what I’m hearing. Thank you for taking time to help!

 

[Leavy]

@Leavy Do you have a kitchen scale, or other scale that weighs in grams? Start weighing your turtle on a regular basis (once every week or two), and write it down so you can see the change through time. It's a real sanity saver. It's the one piece of data that will help you figure out what's really going on when you're worrying about whether your boxie is starving, or getting enough to eat, or whatever. If the turtle's weight is not dropping significantly, you probably don't have to worry much about nutrition over the winter.

Yes., I have savages and will monitor now . I know the vet said she was down 2 grams from 55 to 53 when he weighed her in September. Thank you for helping!

 

[MrDavano]

I’m in a panic! The vet said she was too cold and for me to make her enclosure smaller and warmer. It’s been nearly 3 weeks since she’s eaten. Her enclosure is 2x7 ft. I have 3 heat sources and 2 uvb lights. Substrate is coconut fiber and pitting soil. I keep heat snd lights on for 12 hours. Temp is 85 at one end and 70 at the other end of enclosure. I give her a 30 min soak every morning and have tried every fruit and worm there is. She just tramples the good and burrows . I live in CT. She is indoors full time Please help.View attachment 310220

You need to raise your Temperature too 100 -104. I soak mines and after I put it directly into the food dish. What kind of food?

 

[mark1]

You need to raise your Temperature too 100 -104. I soak mines and after I put it directly into the food dish. What kind of food?

i do believe those temps are too hot for an eastern box turtle ........ i actually believe those temps are too hot for any reptile i've ever had

 

[tamara allen]

I’m in a panic! The vet said she was too cold and for me to make her enclosure smaller and warmer. It’s been nearly 3 weeks since she’s eaten. Her enclosure is 2x7 ft. I have 3 heat sources and 2 uvb lights. Substrate is coconut fiber and pitting soil. I keep heat snd lights on for 12 hours. Temp is 85 at one end and 70 at the other end of enclosure. I give her a 30 min soak every morning and have tried every fruit and worm there is. She just tramples the good and burrows . I live in CT. She is indoors full time Please help.View attachment 310220

I have had my box turtle inside only for many years, and he responds to winter coming on like you are describing. I warm him up; put the heat emitter over him whereever he is hunkering down-not crazy hot, but I warm him up and get him moving. Then I can usually entice him to eat a nice earthworm once he is warm. My vet said to keep the whole enclosure at 80 degrees. If your turtle is hanging out in the 70 degree side of your enclosure then he is too cold I think. I have had to do this several times in a season for my turtle-it is just his instinct to hibernate. But, ic I keep his enclosure at 80 and keep his humidity up, he pretty much stays active.

 

[pcrealty]

I’m in a panic! The vet said she was too cold and for me to make her enclosure smaller and warmer. It’s been nearly 3 weeks since she’s eaten. Her enclosure is 2x7 ft. I have 3 heat sources and 2 uvb lights. Substrate is coconut fiber and pitting soil. I keep heat snd lights on for 12 hours. Temp is 85 at one end and 70 at the other end of enclosure. I give her a 30 min soak every morning and have tried every fruit and worm there is. She just tramples the good and burrows . I live in CT. She is indoors full time Please help.View attachment 310220

one side hot and one side cool

 

[Leavy]

I have had my box turtle inside only for many years, and he responds to winter coming on like you are describing. I warm him up; put the heat emitter over him whereever he is hunkering down-not crazy hot, but I warm him up and get him moving. Then I can usually entice him to eat a nice earthworm once he is warm. My vet said to keep the whole enclosure at 80 degrees. If your turtle is hanging out in the 70 degree side of your enclosure then he is too cold I think. I have had to do this several times in a season for my turtle-it is just his instinct to hibernate. But, ic I keep his enclosure at 80 and keep his humidity up, he pretty much stays active.

We’ve moved her to a smaller enclosure where the temp is 80 at one end and closer to 90 the other. It’s been 4 weeks since she ate anything I’m keeping her CHE on all night and turn on Uvb and basking lamp in the morning. She comes out and basks on top of her hide in the morning but will not eat. I’m continuing to soak her in the morning as well. I’m so fearful she will starve.

 

[Maggie3fan]

We’ve moved her to a smaller enclosure where the temp is 80 at one end and closer to 90 the other. It’s been 4 weeks since she ate anything I’m keeping her CHE on all night and turn on Uvb and basking lamp in the morning. She comes out and basks on top of her hide in the morning but will not eat. I’m continuing to soak her in the morning as well. I’m so fearful she will starve.

Are you soaking in Gerber strained carrots? I soaked my 3 with closed eyes and not eating for 4 weeks, and a couple of days ago 2 had open eyes and were eating live food, the third has open eyes but not eating yet.

 

[Leavy]

Are you soaking in Gerber strained carrots? I soaked my 3 with closed eyes and not eating for 4 weeks, and a couple of days ago 2 had open eyes and were eating live food, the third has open eyes but not eating yet.

Yes. Did a carrot soak yesterday. She’s been active since 6 am today and basking in her favorite spots. But will not eat. I tried worms again today and even light canned dog food. Just did a stare down with the worm! Yesterday tried raspberry, bananas and her pellets ( which used to be her fav). Her weight has dropped from 55 grams when I rescued her to 53 now. So tiny.

 

[pcrealty]

Yes. Did a carrot soak yesterday. She’s been active since 6 am today and basking in her favorite spots. But will not eat. I tried worms again today and even light canned dog food. Just did a stare down with the worm! Yesterday tried raspberry, bananas and her pellets ( which used to be her fav). Her weight has dropped from 55 grams when I rescued her to 53 now. So tiny.

i compared the eyes on your TORT and enlarged the picture, it appears to Reddish. Look at the eyes at my TORT, it is clear and Blackish. I recall that the may be a health issue. Here is a you tube VLOG on TORT health.

 

[Leavy]

i compared the eyes on your TORT and enlarged the picture, it appears to Reddish. Look at the eyes at my TORT, it is clear and Blackish. I recall that the may be a health issue. Here is a you tube VLOG on TORT health.

He’s adorable! I took her to the vet last week, he didn’t mention her eye color but they’ve always been red like that since she was rescued. Thus I’ve been confused about her gender.

 

[Srmcclure]

Yes. Did a carrot soak yesterday. She’s been active since 6 am today and basking in her favorite spots. But will not eat. I tried worms again today and even light canned dog food. Just did a stare down with the worm! Yesterday tried raspberry, bananas and her pellets ( which used to be her fav). Her weight has dropped from 55 grams when I rescued her to 53 now. So tiny.

So freaking cute!
Yea, I'm pretty sure the eye color is just a box turtle thing. Could mean male, but I am no expert at all on box turtles! Just think they are so cute and I like to read what people say about them ?

 

[Leavy]

So freaking cute!
Yea, I'm pretty sure the eye color is just a box turtle thing. Could mean male, but I am no expert at all on box turtles! Just think they are so cute and I like to read what people say about them ?

Me too! I took this baby a few months ago having NO idea how much work would be involved to ensure she’s healthy. My kids had box turtles back in Texas fir a short time. Those guys had nothing like this spoiled little princess. Lol.

 

[Maggie3fan]

Yes. Did a carrot soak yesterday. She’s been active since 6 am today and basking in her favorite spots. But will not eat. I tried worms again today and even light canned dog food. Just did a stare down with the worm! Yesterday tried raspberry, bananas and her pellets ( which used to be her fav). Her weight has dropped from 55 grams when I rescued her to 53 now. So tiny.

Just do me a favor would ya? Get a buncha Gerber strained carrots and start soaking her every day making the carrot water mixture just a bit hotter than warm. I make the stuff just a bit higher than the bridge. I mostly soak for 30 to 45 minutes, but I have been known to forget I was soaking somebody for several hours. Give wet cat food a try, it smells like dead stuff. I also get a nightcrawler and cut it up like Hannibal Lecter making several sections of cut wiggling worm and put them on the top of the cat food.

 

[Leavy]

Will do. Vet sa

That’s what I’m hearing. Thank you for taking time to help!

 

[Leavy]

It’s 6 weeks now and still no food intake. I’m soaking her daily for 30 minutes, doing a carrot soak once a week and offering a variety of suggested foods. This past week very little activity except when she soaks. She would stay borrowed if I didn’t unearth her for soaks. Is she trying to hibernate? If so, what can I do? She’s so tiny and lost weight already.

 

[Leavy]

So freaking cute!
Yea, I'm pretty sure the eye color is just a box turtle thing. Could mean male, but I am no expert at all on box turtles! Just think they are so cute and I like to read what people say about them ?

Still not eating. Week 6

 

[Duckster RT]

I don’t think you should hibernate her if she is sick. I would make a smaller “hospital “ habitat that can be easily heated with proper temperature etc. If you think she is getting worse feeding tubes by trained Vets are a good for getting her metabolism back on track. Duckster needed help and that was a wonder for him. I was reluctant but it saved him. Either way I’m hoping it works out.

 

[Leavy]

You need to raise your Temperature too 100 -104. I soak mines and after I put it directly into the food dish. What kind of food?

Temp in one end is around 95. I can increase. I’ve tried the following: earth worms, night crawlers, horn worms, pellets(were her fav) raspberries, chicken, dried crickets, boiled egg, Boxie meatballs, Romain lettuce. Any other suggestions? I am so frustrated and sad