Turtles will vomit due to the following reasons:
- Infections
- Spoilt/bad food
- GI obstruction
- Low temperature
- Anxiety/Stress,
- Overfeeding
- Parasites
- Disturbance/handling during or soon after eating
- Eating too large a meal
ALSO SEE: Why is My Turtle Is Fanning and Fluttering?
What to do If my Turtle is Vomiting?
Check your water and tank temperature
Offer fresh appropriately sized food or prey
Leave her alone if she refuses to eat but monitor for signs of illness
If that doesn’t help, then you need to take her to an experienced herp to diagnose the cause.
Why Does My Turtle Keep Throwing Up?
You should get a real submersible water heater, not just an infrared light if you already haven’t.
Turtles require actual darkness at night in order to sleep and infrared lights can negatively disrupt their sleep cycle.
Personally, I observed that my turtle throws up when:
- I overfeed them
- Feed them “sandwich meats” or hot dogs
Turtles don’t know better when it comes to food and will eat anything they can dig their teeth into. YOU are the caretaker so don’t let your turtle get away with not eating pellets.
Feeding only meat is not nutritionally balanced. In fact, Feeding a turtle only meat is the equivalent of feeding a human child McDonalds food every day for their whole life (and you may have seen the movie about how a guy ate McD’s 3 times a day every day for a whole month & what it did to his system).
For the safety and health benefit of your pet, you should feed them pellets. It’s one of the ways to stop vomiting.
Sometimes you have to show them some tough love. Think of it this way: turtles eat their own poop a lot of times & pellets/veggies would taste WAY better than poop!!!! He will eventually eat the pellets so don’t give up trying.
And don’t forget to get a REAL water heater, not just infrared light.
Why is my Baby Turtle Throwing Up & What to do?
DO not offer baby turtles any treats such as shrimp, chicken, or ham. It sounds to me like he or she may have been eating something that doesn’t agree with his stomach, or that he’s eating too much at once.
My friend, Gina has faced some situations where her RES threw up while eating feeder fish. They ate too many, too fast and vomited after.
I can understand your concern because it’s pretty revolting/scary to see. Everything about your setup seems about right.
Alternatively, you can wait 24-48 hours and observe your pet. After then, try offering either lettuce or pellets.
He may just be holding out for what he prefers to eat, even if it doesn’t prefer him.
Why is my Turtle Throwing Up White Stuff & What to do?
Your turtle is throwing up white stuff because he ate too much or is constipated.
Try feeding it in a sperate tank where you can closely monitor his pooping.
Also, check the temperature. Water temperatures should be at 78 degrees at 90 or 91. And make sure his UVB is working as intended as that also helps in metabolism and digestion.
You should try and duplicate the daylight hours with your lights. You may want to hold off the food for a couple of days and feed him very little until you get a good poop.
Why is my Red Slider Turtle Throwing Up & What to do?
RES can throw up but this behavior is not normal. Sometimes, it can be as a result of your red slider turtle over-eating, but other times it’s suggestive of infection.
So, pay close attention to him over the next few days. Ensure the water he has access to is clean and at the correct temperature.
If his eating habits go back to normal then you shouldn’t worry too much. If he still throws up, he may require veterinary care, and there isn’t very much you can do about that.
Why is My Box Turtle Throwing Up & What to do?
Your box turtle could be vomiting if the sizes of pieces of food it’s getting is large and it’s eating quickly.
So, make sure that the amount of food it’s being fed is not too much, but not too little either. If this continues, ensure its UVB is working as that aids digestion too.
Why is My Eastern Box Turtle Throwing Up & What to do
Your Eastern box turtle is throwing up as a result of blockage and from eating things he’s not supposed to eat. It could take her up to two weeks before she finally eat correctly again.
That’s one possibility….could be something else of course. I would scoop it out as it comes up because turtles are notorious for eating things over and over, and if there’s anything that could be causing a blockage, then you can eliminate it from the tank.
Why Is My Turtle Throwing Up Blood & What to do
Vomiting blood is a red flag and you will definitely need a Herp vet. Yes, gravel can cause blockages and internal bleeding. It is sharp & hard, and who knows what other evil it can cause in a turtle’s stomach! An x-ray can help shed some light on this but you still need to take your pet to see a doctor.