What Vitamins Do Turtles Need on a Daily Basis?

Turtles are becoming one of the most popular animals to keep as a pet these days, with their numbers growing tremendously. It’s now estimated that the turtle pet population is north of 2 million, and for good reason. Turtles are quite easy to take care of since they don’t require long walks or need to be let out in the middle of the night to use the bathroom.

Turtles also are kept in one particular area, most frequently in tanks. If you’re one of the many people who either have a turtle or are thinking of getting one, there are still a few pointers despite the ease of caring for a turtle. The biggest thing that you’ll have to pay attention to is a turtle’s diet due to the specific vitamins and nutrients that they need. There are some vitamins that are more important than others, though. For turtle lovers, here are the vitamins that you should be tracking the most in your pet’s diet:

Vitamin A

Just like it is for humans, vitamin A is one of the pillars of turtle vitamins. Vitamin A is beneficial for just about every organ, especially the skin. In the wild, turtles tend to get a lot of vitamin A from their natural diets, but that might not typically be the case for captive turtles. Ensure they’re getting plenty of the right foods, as vitamin A deficiency can be dangerous for our shelled friends.

Symptoms of Vitamin A Deficiency

Vitamin A deficiency in turtles can be easily identifiable. In most cases, turtles will have swollen eyelids because of the thickening of the tear duct lining. This condition is known as squamous metaplasia and can be cause for alarm.

While you can see what happens to a turtle’s eyelids, what’s happening on the inside can be a lot more deadly. Squamous metaplasia also affects some of the more vital organs, including the kidneys. Vitamin A deficiencies can also lead to infections, especially in the mouth and respiratory system.

If you find that your turtle is slower than normal and inattentive, this may be a sign of a vitamin A deficiency. One of the more sure signs of a deficiency is a turtle losing weight, as that typically goes hand-in-hand with a serious infection. An immediate change in diet and a trip to the visit are needed when this happens.

Symptoms of Excess Vitamin A

While turtles will need plenty of vitamins and nutrients, there’s a possibility that it can be overdone. As a result, some turtles will exhibit symptoms of vitamin abundance, and this is known as hypervitaminosis. When your turtle has too much vitamin A, the signs will be rather obvious as they show in the skin.

A turtle’s skin will become dried out and scaly when they eat too much vitamin A, leaving the turtle dehydrated. Some of the other symptoms also happen to be the same as when they aren’t getting enough vitamin A. This includes depression and weight loss. Check the areas near the neck and legs for signs of hypervitaminosis frequently when adjusting a turtle’s diet to include more vitamin A.

Turtle Foods High in Vitamin A

• Sweet Potatoes
• Red Peppers
• Parsnips
• Winter Squash
• Romaine Lettuce
• Papaya
• Kale
• Cantaloupe
• Mango

Vitamin D

Vitamin D has a wide range of benefits for just about any living creature, but in the world of turtle vitamins, it is among the most paramount. When turtles are getting enough vitamin D, especially at a young age, they’re able to have their growth supplemented immensely.

Vitamin D also helps with blood, bone, and reproductive health. However, you’re not likely to find much vitamin D in turtle foods, so make sure they’re getting plenty of sunshine and supplements to help them reach their daily recommendation.

Symptoms of Vitamin D Deficiency

Pet turtles are extremely prone to a vitamin D deficiency due to the fact that they’re indoors most of the time, thus not getting natural sunlight. When this happens, your turtle may exhibit some serious and obvious symptoms.

This unfortunately includes convulsions, but there are some hidden signs, too. Vitamin D-deficient turtles will also be more prone to rickets. If your turtle seems to be unaware of its surroundings, the lack of vitamin D may be affecting its brain. Also, limping is a sign of a deficiency as a lack of vitamin D prevents a turtle from absorbing calcium.

Symptoms of Excess Vitamin D

Turtles aren’t quite as prone to suffering from hypervitaminosis when it comes to vitamin D, but it can still happen in rare cases. Too much vitamin D has a direct effect on the kidneys, but it’s not expected to be a deadly problem for turtles. In these instances, turtles can show signs of gout, so look out for a potential limp for your turtle. Since they can’t scream in pain, it can sometimes be hard to tell if they’re suffering from gout.

One of the more common signs of too much vitamin D is constipation. Though not a serious health hazard, it’s still something to look out for. Make sure your turtle is getting enough water as part of its diet to ensure a working digestive system.

Turtle Foods High in Vitamin D

• Sardines
• Tuna (Canned in Water)

Calcium

Calcium is one of the most important nutrients, and as humans, we’ve spent much of our lives learning about the wonders of calcium. The biggest reason why we’re supposed to be getting enough calcium in our diets is for bone health. The same is true for turtles, but it extends beyond their bone health.

Getting a healthy amount of calcium also ensures that a turtle’s shell will remain strong. The shells alone mean that turtles require more calcium than the average animal. Turtles don’t have teeth, so you don’t have to worry about calcium needing to help them in that department, but calcium will also help keep their muscles strong as they age. Cuttlebone has been used by many turtle owners as a source of calcium.

Symptoms of Calcium Deficiency

Unlike vitamin A and vitamin D, it can become extremely obvious when your turtle isn’t getting enough calcium. The symptoms of a deficiency are visual ones, including seizures, twitching, and walking with their hindquarters lowered due to weakness.

Calcium-deficient turtles will also exhibit behavioral problems, often becoming depressed and apathetic. In a lot of cases, you’ll even be able to feel the problem as turtles will have their shells soften with a lack of calcium.

More than anything, you’ll want to make sure your turtle is getting enough calcium when it’s pregnant. That’s because a lack of calcium will cause muscle contractions to weaken, leaving a turtle unable to lay its eggs. In these cases, calcium needs to be introduced immediately via a shot as it would take too long to do so through food.

Symptoms of Excess Calcium

You’ll want to make sure that the calcium intake for your turtle isn’t too high, as it can actually be bad for bone health. Too much calcium can cause phosphates to form in the turtle’s bloodstream, extracting existing calcium from their bones. There’s a healthy balance between too much and too little, and it can make a world of difference for a turtle’s bone health.

Turtle Foods High in Calcium

• Feeder Fish (Bass, Crappies, Platies, Bluegills, etc.)
• Kale
• Crayfish

Best Overall Foods for Turtles

Turtles aren’t too picky about what they eat, so it’s up to their owners to determine how much nutrition they’re getting on a daily basis. If you’re looking for some turtle superfoods, here are ones that cover most of the bases:

Protein:

• Worms
• Snails
• Crickets

Greens:

• Lettuce
• Kale
• Collard Greens
• Carrot Tops

Vegetables:

• Squash
• Peas
• Beets
• Carrots
• Corn

Fruits

• Strawberries
• Cantaloup
• Banana
• Grapes
• Apples

Summary

What you’re feeding your turtle depends on their age, for the most part. Younger turtles will want to focus on more animal-based foods while older turtles should be getting more fruits and vegetables. The best overall foods that we pointed out should be the staples of their diets, though they can be added to every now and then.

Pellets also play a big part in the overall diet of a turtle. There may be some foods that they aren’t interested in eating, thus you’ll have to provide pellets to make sure they get all of their needed nutrients. There are some foods that you’ll want to avoid completely, too, including avocados, raw meats, and freeze-dried fish being the most common that are accidentally given to turtles.