Reptile & Amphibian Forums

i've had my large painted turtle for approximately 16 years now. the last few weeks he's become more and more lethargic and has been losing his appetite. now i can't even coax him to eat anything. i'm going to try and find someone locally who might be able to help me or give me some idea how to make him well...in the meantime, is there any way to stimulate his appetite? (i have a feeling if i could get him to eat he might perk up.) is it possible he might be dying of old age? i read somewhere they only live 15-20 years. any help or suggestions would be greatly appreciated...thanks.

Whats the water temp? If its in the 70's try raising it to 80 and keep offering food everyday. I suppose old age is a possiblity. Taking him to a knowledgable vet wouldnt hurt either.
Hope this helps,
Chris
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Hey whats up, I'm Chris and I currently have 0.1 Midland Painted turtle, 1.0 Western Painted turtle, 0.1 Red Eared Slider, 1.0 Bearded Dragon and a 55gal African Cichlid Tank

I take back what I said about old age. A healthy turtle should not be dieing from old age at only 16. It should live many more years than that. A lot of times turtles will get a little sluggish around winter time. Just make sure the water is warm and he should be fine. I still would reccomend a vet checkup.
Chris

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Hey whats up, I'm Chris and I currently have 0.1 Midland Painted turtle, 1.0 Western Painted turtle, 0.1 Red Eared Slider, 1.1 Leopard Geckos, 1.0 Bearded Dragon and a 55gal African Cichlid Tank

Please keep us updated on the progress!
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0.1.0 snapping turtle
0.1.0 painted turtle
0.1.0 ornate box turtle
0.1.0 Australian shepard
3.2.0 children
1.0.0 husband