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Vomiting 10 year old

PostPosted: Wed Jul 13, 2011 12:52 pm
by simplehiccup
Hello guys.
I was not sure where to put this, so feeding seemed most appropriate.
My res eats a modest amount every few days. He is an adult male. We rescued him about 3 years ago- the vet estimated him to be around 10 years old...he is about 7 inches.
We vary between a "head size" amount of pellets and red leaf lettuce. We are careful not to overfeed.
Is vomiting normal res behavious?
We used to keep Tibby in a Koi pond (not see through) so this may have been going on for awhile and we had not noticed.
We recently (in the last couple weeks) transferred him into a large aquarium. We can now keep tabs on his actions, and this morning while sitting on his underwater perch he vomitted twice. What looked to be digested pellets or feces came out of his mouth. He had not eaten for more than a day, so I am unsure of what this could mean.
He remains active and mobile. He continues to bask for about 70% of the day. He continues to beg for food.
We know this is not related to overfeeding. We do half tank water changes about once a week.
Any ideas?



What is the water temperature? 76

Did you use a thermometer? Yes. Submersible

How much water is in there? 60g

Are you using a water conditioner? no

Are you using any filtration? Yes...Fluval

What is the basking temperature? 95

Is there a basking light? Yes. MVB

Is there a basking platform that is easy to climb on? Yes, turtle topper.

What have you been trying to feed it? Reptomin and RL Lettuce
Was going to try the jello shots, but after the vomiting, I am not sure.

When was the last time your turtle ate? a few days ago

Is the tank near a window? Yes, sits next to window but not in front of it.

Is the tank in a room with a lot of activity? Yes - the study

Have you read the Basic Care section? Yes

Have you searched the forums for similar situations? Yes

Is there any other unusual activity/symptoms? Just vomiting-behaviour otherwise normal

Re: Vomiting 10 year old

PostPosted: Wed Jul 13, 2011 9:53 pm
by Love of Animals
Vomiting is not good. How often does he do this? Was it a one time thing or does it happen every time he eats? Try feeding him smaller meals and see what happens. How often and how much and what do you feed him?

Re: Vomiting 10 year old

PostPosted: Thu Jul 14, 2011 7:30 am
by simplehiccup
I have only seen him do this once.
I feed him a small amount of pellets every other day (head size) and anacharis or red lettuce on alternate days or every 3 days.
He ate anacharis last night and seemed to keep it down.

Re: Vomiting 10 year old

PostPosted: Thu Jul 14, 2011 9:20 am
by Love of Animals
At 7 inches he should be eating the pellets 2 -3 times a week and the veggies you can offer everyday. Anacharis and red leaf lettuce are good for him try offering thinly sliced carrots, zucchini, squash, and different varieties of lettuce such as green leaf and romaine to switch it up for him. Is he pooping ok? Hopefully it was just a one time thing. You can also offer cuttlebone with the hard backing removed for calcium. It's found in the bird section of the pet store.

Re: Vomiting 10 year old

PostPosted: Thu Jul 14, 2011 10:37 am
by steve
Perhaps he ate too quickly? Whenever my turtles produce unusual stool or has a reaction to something they ate, I offer mostly pellets and wait for things to go back to normal or see if it reoccurs.

Re: Vomiting 10 year old

PostPosted: Thu Jul 14, 2011 11:25 am
by simplehiccup
Thanks guys!
We throw a new cuttlebone in for him whenever he finishes his old one. Usually once every one and a half weeks.
His poop is very regular.
He has not vomited since....maybe it was a one time thing. It was just shocking to see this happen.
I will offer more of a variety than just the anacharis and red leaf. I will try the carrot and other things you suggested.