For any serious pet owner, health is one of the number one concerns. Many new turtle owners are surprised to think these pets can get sick and need veterinarian help. Unfortunately, more often than not, a turtle does not show signs of illness until it becomes a serious situation. Preventative measures are easy to do to prevent many health problems. For example, just keeping a box turtle's pen clean, whether it is an inside habitat or an outdoor pen, can prevent many diseases. When first bringing a turtle home, it is not a bad idea for it to be examined by a qualified veterinarian who is knowledgeable with reptile care.

Providing the proper nutrition is a must when owning a turtle as a pet. With out proper nutrition, they can suffer severe shell deformities, debilitating bone growth and organ damage.

Please make sure when owning a turtle or tortoise, they are given the proper diet and environment they deserve.

DIET AND HYDRATION: One of the most important things a turtle owner can do is read, read, read.............and read again, all the information available for the species you keep. There are many books on care of box turtles.

Box turtles are omnivores, which means they eat both meat and plant foods. Box turtle hatchlings are carnivorous, meat eaters. Both adults and babies can be considered 'fussy' eaters as they can be difficult and unpredictable. Much of this has to do with the environment they are kept in. It is wrong to think that a box turtle will eat when it is hungry enough. A box turtle would rather not eat and die than be in a lifestyle it does not like. If your box turtle does not eat, remember it could be a health problem as well as an environmental reason.

Box turtles will not eat when they are cool, so they must be allowed to warm up before they are fed. They do respond to daily routines, as mine can be seen waiting for food at certain times and places in Turtle Town when outside in the summer months. The ones that aren't waiting, recognize the sound of the spoon against the side of the food bowl as I dish out their food for them. They come running from all of their hiding places, with some putting their noses in the air to smell the menu of the day. The menu varies often, with these being the usual choices: Mazuri Tortoise Food, Lo fat canned dog food, night crawlers, minnows, crickets, boiled chicken, sweet potatoes, pumpkin, corn, green beans, tomatoes, carrots, strawberries, cantaloupe, peaches, apples, and grapes. Reptile vitamins are sprinkled on the food weekly. When the weather begins to cool down, it is not unusual for their appetites to decrease. In fact, many just don't eat. If that occurs, weigh the turtle often and watch for significant weight loss.

Hydration is even more important than nutrition in my opinion. If not properly hydrated, the body will quickly dehydrate and not function properly. They will become very lethargic. Make sure your box turtle has access to a clean water supply and that it has a humid environment. I use a plant sprayer containing warm water and spray in each Winter Condo daily.

The 2 pictures above are of the same turtle. When Dogherty came to me, he was suffering from dietary deficiencies which caused his white eyes. After a change of his diet, you can see his eyes are very bright red.

PARASITES: One of the most common health issues with box turtles is having parasites both externally and internally. Most wild-caught turtles will have parasites, with roundworms being the most common. The intestine is the internal organ that is usually attacked. There are many reasons for parasite development, with cleanliness and food being the two most common. Internal parasites can cause various symptoms: lethargy, dehydration, lack of appetite, and diarrhea. For diagnosis, a veterinarian will do a fecal float from a stool sample. Medication will then be given to eradicate the internal parasites. External parasites are much easier to detect for obvious reasons. They include: ticks, mites, and bot flies. Ticks need to be removed making sure that you remove the entire parasite. Mites are a bit more difficult to see as they are very small. Cleaning the turtle's pen thoroughly and bathing the turtle should take care of the problem. It should be repeated a week or so later. Bot flies lay their eggs under the skin. To remove the maggots from these flies, you need to remove them with tweezers then flush the area with Betadyne solution

EAR ABSCESS: You will know if your box turtle has an ear abscess as one side of it's face will be bigger than the other. It appears as a rounded swollen area over the ear area. One of the causes is poor habitat conditions, either too dry or too wet.

With time, it enlarges and the turtle usually stops eating. Ideally, the turtle should be seen by a veterinarian for treatment, which includes an incision and drainage.

Some turtles are given antibiotics after the surgery. It is important to make sure all the infection is removed, followed by a course of antibiotics.

ACCIDENTS AND INJURIES: Accidents do happen to box turtles and many have come into Indiana Turtle Care. Dogs are predators of turtles because they think they are a chew toy. Many turtles are seriously injured or killed by road traffic. Unfortunately, some motorists find this to be a fun thing to do. Box turtles should not be in an area where there is deep water due to the risk of drowning. I have seen some be quite the impressive swimmer, but it is not worth taking the chance. Lawn mowers are another way turtles are injured. The younger box turtles can be difficult to see when a gardener is using a lawn mower or other garden tools. It is difficult to admit that some turtles are injured because of people not caring or knowing that turtles can get hurt. They think that their shell is indestructible.

The turtle below on the left was chewed on by a dog. She received a course of antibiotics as well as medication applied to shell areas. All the injured areas healed nicely and she was released back in the wild.

Other injuries that are common are loss of limb, with raccoons being the worst predators. Turtles can survive well with missing limbs. It is important to make sure that no infection develops with these type of injuries. The turtle on the right, Tripod, needed to have the remainder of her front right leg removed after losing half of it to an animal bite. She is doing fantastic!

Turtles suffer many shell injuries. Shells CAN be repaired so do not ignore a turtle with a broken shell. Do not let small children hold a turtle. Children get scared when a turtle starts moving and often is dropped.

BEAKS AND NAILS: Overgrown beaks and nails are very common with captive box turtles. The beak becomes overgrown when the turtle is given too many soft foods or the eating site is on a soft area. An overgrown beak can prevent the turtle from eating properly, which would lead into nutritional problems. Putting food on a hard surface is helpful in preventing this. Nails can become long and/or curled from living in too small of an area. A turtle needs a large area to roam for not only this reason, but to avoid becoming overweight. Providing areas for a bit of climbing helps to keep the nails under control. If they are over grown, your reptile vet can trim the beak and the nails.

Below are photos of an overgrown beak and excessive nail growth of a box turtle.

RESPIRATORY INFECTIONS:

This is a common illness with box turtles, especially in the winter. Symptoms are easy to notice. The eyes are closed and puffy, the turtle is a bit lethargic, and at times there are bubbles out of the nose. Another way to check is to gently press up on the throat area. If there is a respiratory infection, often mucus will come from the nostrils. In severe cases, which develops in to pneumonia, the turtle will stretch its neck out and gasp in an attempt to clear the airway.

If you see these symptoms, you must have your box turtle treated by a veterinarian. Antibiotics are prescribed. Keep the turtle warm at 84 to 87 degrees. Some exposure daily to natural sunlight is beneficial as well. Do not let the turtle get dehydrated.

Below are pictured two very special box turtles and their stories.

Hope is a 47 year old eastern box turtle. She was not kept in a special pen, but had full run of the house. She was fed on the kitchen floor, usually 'people food'. As you can see, her feet are deformed from not living on proper substrate. Her beak was an inch long, being stuck in her skin under her chin. She was not able to extend her head, therefore unable to eat. Her skin is pale and peeling and her eyes are bulging