Urgent Care :: Turtle Vomits white stuff

[Thismegan]

Once in awhile I notice some white flakey looking stuff floating on the top of the water, so we get it out....not knowing exactly what it is. I noticed today there was a lot of it floating, and I was watching our turtle and it was coming from his mouth! I always thought it was maybe skin from his shell that he was shedding or (obviously I dont know much about the little animal) I didn't realize it was coming from inside of him.
But now I am really worried that something is wrong with him. What in the world could be coming out of his mouth?! And that much? I feed him about 6-7 pellets every morning and that is it right now. So what he is throwing up looks nothing like what he eats. There is nothing I see that he could have eaten in the tank either. If anyone has any idea what is wrong...please let me know. Thanks



How big is your turtle? 4" long
How long have you had it? 8 months

What is the water temperature? 75 i think
Are you using a water heater? no
How much water is in there? half the tank is full
Are you using a water conditioner?yes
Are you using any filtration? yes


Is there a basking light? yes
Is there a basking platform that is easy to climb on? yes
What kind is it or what is it made out of? hard plastic, I think
Is there a UVB light? yes

What have you been trying to feed it? pellets
When was the last time your turtle ate? this morning

How big is the tank/pond/enclosure? 20 gallons
Is the tank near a window? yes
Is the tank in a room with a lot of activity? somewhat

Have you read the Basic Care section? yes
Have you searched the forums for similar situations? yes

Is there any other unusual activity/symptoms? no

[steve]

"White flaky" stuff could just be pieces of skin thats been shed. Was there a lot coming from the mouth or was he just trying to eat it? If he is ejecting the material, then you should try to collect a sample. Are you sure there are no other symptoms or behavior changes?

[Thismegan]

There was quite a bit coming from his mouth, making it obvious enough that it wasn't skin that he was shedding. As far as I can tell there are no behavior changes. He still is eating, swimming, basking, everything like normal. I don't think he is eating the white stuff, but I've seen him come up and smell it like he was going to eat it, but didn't.
The only other thing is that he digs up all of our fake plants that are buried in the rocks. But he's done that since we had him. That's the only "weird" behavioral thing he does. I thought maybe he is eating on the bottom of the fake plant, the plastic part. But I don't see any signs of something bitten off of them. So I don't know...

[industrial_girl_2000]

Is there any gravel in the tank? If so, remove it immediately because it is not good for the turtle if he eats it (it can get stuck in his intestine).

Did he vomit more than once? Do you feed him anything other than pellets? Have you tried to feed him some vegetables like romaine lettuce or collard greens?

You should make sure that the water is at least 76 degrees for your turtle. A submersible water heater can help keep the water heated to a good temperature 24 hours a day (water temp can go down at night & wide temp swings can make a turtle sick). Turtles can not digest their food if the water is too cold. So make sure you have a good temp for the water.