Turtles, just like all other animals, poop. But if the amount of poop coming from your turtle starts to rival your own, or if the animal poops more than you, then you’d likely start scratching your head.
This article looks into why your turtle is pooping so much
Table of Contents
Why is my turtle pooping so much?
Any change in your pet’s behavior, including an increase in how much the animal poops, will be concerning to you, and this is understandable, knowing what’s going on with help solve the situation
Here is why your turtle is pooping so much:
Overfeeding:
One of the simplest reasons why your turtle may be pooping so much may be because of overfeeding.
These animals are opportunistic feeders, they love to eat and they will gorge themselves if given the chance.
If the animal’s dietary needs are exceeded then this can overload the animal’s digestive system and this can result in more poop being produced.
What to do:
More food equals more poop so less food will equal less poop, you’d need to restrict how much your pet eats to remedy this problem.
Reduce the amount of food your pet eats by scheduling your pet’s feedings and also get the animal to eat less by using the head method of feeding.
This method involves imagining how much food would fit in your pet’s head and then feeding them this much food.
You can also measure their food by only feeding them how much a turtle of their age, size, and species eats. This should get the animal pooping less.
It’s a baby turtle:
Baby turtles will poop more frequently than adult turtles. In fact, if a hatchling hasn’t pooped for more than a day or so then something is wrong, they usually poop daily.
These little reptiles eat much more frequently than adult turtles do so expect more frequent poops as a result.
What to do:
This is normal and healthy for these animals, if the turtle poops as much as it eats then this means that there is no blockage in the animal’s intestines. If the animal eats well then this means that it has a healthy appetite and will grow
You don’t have to do anything in this case, just let the turtle be.
Diarrhea:
Another reason why your pet turtle may be pooping so much may be because the turtle has diarrhea. The main reason why your pet turtle may have diarrhea may be because it isn’t getting enough fiber.
These animals are herbivores so their bodies are used to eating a lot of roughage, vegetable matter, and hay, all these contain fiber which helps the stool solidify. If the animal doesn’t get enough fiber in its diet then its poop will turn into diarrhea.
What to do:
Getting more fiber into the animal’s diet should do the trick, your pet’s diet should be as close to how its diet in the wild would be.
Avoid feeding the animal too much fruit as lots of fruits are low in fiber. Removing animal protein, to allow the animal to eat more roughage, while avoiding overfeeding, is also recommended.
If you enjoyed this article then you may also be interested in other turtle/tortoise related articles. Here are some articles that you may be interested in: Why Is My Turtle Acting Weird?, Why Is My Turtle Squeaking?, Why Is My Turtle Gagging?, Why Is My Turtle Pale?, Why Is My Turtle Active?, Tortoise Left White Poop In Bath, Why Is My Turtle So Jumpy?, Why Is My Turtle Going In Circles?, Why Is My Turtle Always Begging For Food?