Turtle Care: Natural Pet Care Tips for Pet Turtles

| Modified on Nov 03, 2022
Turtles may seem like entirely self-sufficient pets, but they can get sick just like any other animal. Pet turtles can have trouble with their shells including shell rot, respiratory infections, or suffer fungal and other infections.

Caution: Respiratory infections are particularly dangerous to turtles. If your pet shows mucus at the nose or mouth, is making odd vocal sounds, or is swimming crookedly, he/she should be immediately taken to a vet.

If you have a pet turtle, please share your natural remedies with the Earth Clinic community, or keep reading below to learn what Earth Clinic readers have to report!




Prolapsed Penis/ Cloaca

Posted by Zathadaddy (Gas City, Indiana) on 08/13/2012

Apply Karo light or dark CORN syrup liberally to your lizard, turtle or frogs prolapsed penis( or cloaca ) area-this is usually caused by ingesting large pieces of substrate and intestinal blockages. the CORN syrup will help shrink the affected exposed insides safely, allowing them to slip back inside, leaving the obstruction to be pushed out of the animal during the tissue shrikage.

I have been a herpetoculturist for over 20 years

if you feel unsafe about this procedure, call a reptile vet. a true animal lover will agree with this method rather that telling you to come in and let them do the same procedure, wasting valueable time which could mean life or death.


Respiratory Infection

Posted by Jack (Toledo, Ohio) on 08/31/2008

Dear Ted or Deirdre, My daughter has a "RED EARED SLIDER" TURTLE and she's about 16 yrs old, about 3 1/2 lbs and she has a "Respiritory Infection"! spits out white mucus and at times seems lithargic tired most of the time, Do you have any knowledge on this type of pet?? and ailment?? when daughter is not around i slip her diluted Hydrogen peroxide orally, seems to help some and it fizzes! Bubbles up in her mouth.