How can you tell if your turtle is sick?

Some obvious signs of a sick turtle include:

• lethargic movement, or just not moving
• not eating
• changes in shell - luster, growths, deformations
• cloudy eyes, or keeps eyes closed all the time
• small growths on arms and legs
• hearing breathing sounds (normally you cannot hear a turtle breathing) 

Your best option for a sick turtle is to take him to a vet. If your turtle is sneezing or you can hear him breathing, you need to find a reptile vet as soon as possible. This could be an indicator of a respiratory infection. However, unfortunately, not all vets are qualified for reptile care.

If your turtle is not moving, lethargic, or not eating, look at your pet's diet and environment as possible causes. Improper diets and environments can wreak havoc with your pet turtle. 

Improper diets can cause all sorts of problems with turtles. Below are some tips to keep your pet turtle healthy:

• Make sure you are feeding your pet a varied diet.
• Only provide as much as they will eat.
• Clean away any leftover food after eating as it will just foul their water.
• Make sure you are providing an additional calcium supplement, such as cuttlebone or a calcium block.
• Do not provide commercial pet food/pellets exclusively. Turtles also need fresh vegetation and/or meat to stay healthy.
• Make sure their water supply is fresh.

TIP: Turtles are messy eaters. Leftover food in their water supply leads to water contamination. If possible, try feeding your turtle in a separate tub which you can easily clean after each meal.

You need to set up your pet turtle's environment, or habitat, so that he can thrive and not become ill. There is not one habitat that will work for all types of turtles. You will need to research the proper environment for your breed.

If you have a sick turtle, look at these areas and make sure they are set up correctly for your breed of turtle.

• Air temperature
• Water temperature
• Water quality
• Water depth and coverage
• Size of habitat - both water and land
• Accessibility to sunlight or UVB source
• Appropriate hiding place(s) 

I found a great book, Turtle Guide Book, that answers all your health questions for all common breeds, as well as habitat setup. It also explains turtle behaviours and activity so you can better understand your pet. But best of all, it is now available in e-book form.

Find out what is wrong with your sick turtle now and get him back to optimum health quickly.