Vitamin A deficiency

Vitamin A deficiency is extremely common in young aquatic (red eared sliders) and semi-

Vitamin A deficiency is extremely common in young aquatic (red eared sliders) and semi-aquatic turtles such as box turtles. It is usually initially recognized when the eyelids become

inflamed and swollen and the animal may have difficulty breathing. Ongoing signs of illness

often include loss of appetite, lethargy, buoyancy problems (e.g., floating sideways), swollen

eyes, cysts, irregular shell growth, swollen limbs, and runny nose. If any of these symptoms

are noted, an appointment should be scheduled to see a veterinarian specializing in chelonians.

Vitamin A is essential to the proper growth of immature epidermal or skin cells. Lack of

vitamin A causes excessive growth or thickening of cells and is usually a result of improper

diet.  Zinc Deficiency inhibits Vitamin A.

This deficiency is treated with either oral or injectable Vitamin A. Treatment should only be

performed under veterinary supervision, as an overdose of vitamin A can occur.

You will want to ensure that your turtle has a healthy diet that includes dark, leafy greens,

and/or yellow and orange vegetables. Name brand commercial turtle pellets and live fish tend

to have enough Vitamin A to meet your turtle's needs.

As omnivores, turtles also need chopped vegetable salads that are rich in Vitamin A, such as

winter squash, pumpkin, sweet potatoes, red peppers, collards, kale, turnip greens, carrots, and

parsnips. These veggies provide a good nutritional balance. Cooked carrots, sweet potatoes or

squash once a week is GREAT for your turtle’s vitamin A needs.

If you are providing your turtle the PERFECT diet, you won’t need any vitamin

supplementation. Generally speaking, if you are giving your turtle a fairly-diverse range of

foods it will probably get most of the overall vitamins it needs from those foods. However, there

are 2 vitamins your turtle requires MORE than the others. A lack of either of these can cause

serious health problems. Those being: 

• Vitamin A
• Vitamin D3

Vitamin D3 is produced by pigment cells located in your turtle’s skin and shell whenever it

receives UV light, whether natural or artificial through a UV-producing light bulb. Keep in mind

that UV light bulbs only produce the required rays for 2-3 months maximum and should be

replaced accordingly. Additionally it is worth noting that the majority of UVB rays are blocked

by glass.

This vitamin then helps your turtle to use the calcium in its body to help promote good healthy

bones, shell, skin and more. Without this important vitamin, your turtle will not be able to

metabolize the calcium in its body, and it may develop metabolic bone disease.

Interestingly, tortoises do not experience Vitamin A deficiencies nearly as much as aquatic and

semi-aquatic turtles. This is largely due to the fact that the bulk of the tortoise diet consists of

vegetables that are jam-packed with the vitamin.

Summary

In general, you do not need to provide additional vitamin supplementation to turtles provided

they have a good, diverse diet as listed above.

The 2 most important vitamins for turtles are vitamins A and D.

You can keep your turtle(s) happy and healthy with a proper diet and exposure to UV rays.