You can’t go wrong with this nutritious, healthy food for your pet! Celery is a low-calorie vegetable that can be enjoyed by all kinds of turtles. Whether baby or adult, can box turtles eat celery? What are the benefits of eating celery for box turtles? We will answer these questions and more in this article.
In case you are in a hurry and don’t have time to read this article. I have an on-point answer for you.
Can box turtles eat celery? Yes, box turtles can eat celery, but it should be mixed with items high in protein to increase its nutritional value. Celery is a safe and healthy snack for your pet as long as you keep portions light and mix them with other healthy foods such as chicken or beef to maintain their weight as well as provide additional protein for mobile joints.
Yes, box turtles can eat celery. They can eat celery as long as it is washed well and organic because if your turtle can’t digest the celery, it can make them ill.
Celery can also be a way to encourage your box turtle to eat and can help with illnesses like constipation, bloating, or indigestion.
Box turtles can eat other vegetables like carrots, but it is best not to feed them sweet potatoes, potatoes, or tomatoes.
Baby box turtles can eat celery. Baby box turtles can eat the leaves, the stems, and the roots of celery.
But when feeding celery to baby box turtles you need to note that celery can cause gas in baby box turtles.
Because of that, when feeding celery to your baby box turtle you can use one or two pieces (depending on the size) once in a while.
Can Normal Turtles Eat Celery?
Yes, normal turtles can eat celery. Turtles can eat celery because it can help them survive, however you need to carefully monitor the amount of celery you are providing them because if given with other vegetables or fruits, can cause diarrhea.
The key to feeding celery is choosing the best kind of celery for your turtle.
For example, the “strings” on celery can get stuck between the turtle’s teeth or can be ingested with small pieces of food resulting in intestinal blockage.
If you are trying to feed limited quantities of food to your box turtle, you can avoid the risk of intestinal blockage by removing the strings from the celery.
If you are trying to provide a varied diet for your turtle or are feeding in bulk, it can be difficult to remove all stringy parts of the celery because doing so can alter how much food is being consumed.
It can also be difficult to remove all stringy parts of the celery without mangling or breaking a small piece off. This can lead to intestinal blockage.
In addition, feeding your turtle large quantities can be risky because nutrients can cause skin problems and other health concerns when in excess.
Benefits Of Eating Celery For Box Turtles
Celery can benefit turtles in a number of ways.
As a low-calorie food, it can keep its weight down while still providing them with important nutrients that can be hard to find in other vegetables.
Celery also contains antioxidants that can be good for the immune system and can help box turtles stay healthy by fighting off free radicals which are created in the body when cells are damaged.
This can prevent things like heart disease, cancer, and other health problems that can be exacerbated by aging or can even cause death in some cases.
Another benefit of feeding celery to turtles is that they can use the salt contained in it to replenish their lost electrolytes.
Box turtles can lose electrolytes through urination, which can be a problem if they’re kept in a tank that can’t be easily cleaned.
Finally, celery can also help box turtles avoid dehydration, as it can cause them to drink more water which can then flush out their systems and prevent further dehydration from occurring.
Harmful Effects Of Eating Celery For Box Turtles
Box turtles can eat a certain amount of celery in moderation without any problems.
However, they can develop malnutrition or other health problems if they eat too much of it for a long period of time.
Some people also avoid feeding their box turtles celery because it can have an unpleasant smell when they’re done digesting it.
This can attract predators who can then eat your pet turtle if it can’t get away, so some people recommend avoiding feeding celery to box turtles that are kept in outdoor enclosures or that can’t be covered at night.
Saw this Eastern Box Turtle today at the Celery Bog Nature Area in West Lafayette pic.twitter.com/HUH0GglBiS
— Giselle Narváez Rivera 🐒 (@primateBoricua) June 22, 2020
Can Box Turtles Eat Celery Leaves?
Yes, box turtles can eat celery leaves. They are great sources of vitamin A, dietary fiber, iron, potassium, calcium, manganese, and vitamins B1-B3. Celery is also known to have skin-rejuvenating effects.
Celery leaves can help reduce cholesterol levels in the blood, can be used to treat diarrhea, and can also improve digestion.
It can also be used to lower body temperature which is very beneficial for box turtles since it can help cool them down during summer months when they are most active.
However, there are certain precautions that should be taken into account before feeding celery to box turtles which we will discuss further on.
Can Box Turtles Eat Celery Stems?
Yes, box turtles can eat celery stems. Celery stems can make up around 5% – 30% of a box turtle’s diet.
This can be especially helpful for box turtles who have trouble digesting their food since celery is so fibrous and high in fiber.
A prime reason to feed celery to your box turtle can stem from the fact that it can help prevent bladder stones due to its high water content.
Healthy bladder function can be aided by the fiber in celery, without adding too many extra carbs to the diet.
Box turtles can benefit from eating celery because they can gain more energy out of their food due to all that is contained in celery.
The high water and fiber can also act as a hem laxative which can help with constipation that can be brought on by a lack of water or too much protein in the diet.
How To Feed Celery To Box Turtles?
There are many ways you can feed celery to box turtles. You can feed them celery stalks, you can feed them celery leaves, or you can feed them the entire head of celery. Do not feed box turtles any other parts of the celery plant, such as the roots or seeds.
Celery can be fed to box turtles either raw or cooked; however, some veterinarians believe that cooking can destroy some of the nutritional value and can negatively affect the way it’s digested by your turtle.
If you do decide to feed celery to your turtles raw, be sure that you either wash it thoroughly or peel off the outside skin. This can cut down on any bacteria attached to the vegetable from the soil.
If you’re going to feed a lot of celery at once, it can be easier and more cost-effective to buy celery in bulk rather than pre-cut.
Can Box Turtles Eat Celery Stalks?
A single stalk can be fed to your box turtle once or twice per week. However, you should not feed more than two stalks in any given week to your turtle.
You can also choose to supplement with other vegetables that can be fed on a weekly basis, such as collard greens, kale, broccoli, canary grass seed, waxed beans, turnip leaves, etc.
The celery stalk can be dipped in both vitamin supplements and calcium supplements prior to feeding it to your box turtle.
You can also choose to give your turtle a supplement that is made of vegetables instead of one with artificial ingredients, which can be healthier for your box turtle.
How Often To Feed Celery To Box Turtles?
Box turtles can sometimes be finicky eaters. It can take a little time before you find out what they will and won’t eat.
Celery is a safe vegetable to give to your turtle, so you can feed it as much as it can eat. You can feed celery to box turtles every other day or weekly.
Turtles can take in too much water if they are fed too much celery, so keep an eye on your turtle after you have given it the vegetable.
If the turtle’s neck starts expanding when it eats too much celery, then there might be a problem and you can stop feeding celery for a while.
Other Vegetables To Feed Box Turtles?
A box turtle can eat just about any vegetable, although some are better than others. Vegetables can be fed to a box turtle in moderation as part of its diet.
Other vegetables that you can feed your box turtles are:
Cabbage
Collard Greens
Mustard Greens
Turnips
Broccoli
Spinach
Kale
These are the vegetables that can be fed to box turtles and can be fed regularly.
Can Box Turtles Eat Mixed Vegetables?
Yes, box turtles can eat mixed vegetables and can benefit from the nutritional value of these foods.
Mixed vegetables can help provide your box turtle with a well-balanced and healthy diet.
Mixed vegetables can be digested easily and can intestines quickly, which can go a long way in improving the health of your pet.
However, it is important to note that not all mixed vegetables can be eaten by box turtles; you should only feed your turtle those veggies that can be safely digested.
For example, many pet turtles can eat carrots, sweet potatoes, and leafy greens.
It is advisable to consult a qualified veterinarian before feeding your turtle any vegetables or fruits.
What Fruits Can Box Turtles Eat?
When coming to fruits, fruits can be a tasty alternative to feed your box turtle. You can start with strawberries, melon, mango, etc…
Cantaloupe melon can be fed in moderation as it can cause diarrhea. Blood melons can also bring about loose stool.
Papaya is good for them and they love it! They can eat the seeds. They can eat the peel but can be harmful to them if eaten in large quantities. The seed can cause blockage, which can lead to death very quickly.
Bananas can bring about constipation issues because of their high fiber content. Bananas are good for torts as it brings about potassium which torts cannot extract through vegetables.
Nectarines can bring about diarrhea if consumed in abundance. It can also be harmful to box turtles as they can contract salmonella from the nectarine seeds. So, it’s better to avoid them completely.
There are also other fruits like figs, and apples that can be given in moderation.
It can become difficult to give them all sorts of fruits due to salmonella and other infections that can happen when consuming fruit, so it is better for everyone’s safety not to feed them anything other than vegetables.
We can also say that you can give box turtles fruit blends, but it can be beneficial if you are giving them under supervision so that they can have safe fruits with no seeds or harmful parts.
What Can You Not Feed a Box Turtle?
Box turtles can eat celery, but can also eat other vegetables like carrots, green beans, or even fresh plants like clover leaves.
It is important to know what can’t box turtles eat because you don’t want your pet turtle to become sick.
Some of the foods that can be harmful to box turtles are:
Avocados
Onions
Garlic
Potatoes with green areas or sprouts, including eyes or shoots.
Don’t feed lettuce to your turtle very often because it can cause liver damage and can easily become dehydrated when eaten too much.
To avoid these problems, simply don’t feed your turtle these foods.
It can be difficult to know what can be harmful to your box turtle, but by simply avoiding the foods on the list and feeding them a large variety of food, you can keep your turtle healthy and like a happy pet.
Box turtles can eat celery as long as they are not allergic to it. Also, if the celery is cut into small pieces or strips then this can be a healthy treat food for them as well.
Benefits of eating celery: Can block some of the taste buds, can serve as a healthy treat food, can serve as a green leafy vegetable since it’s green.
Harmful effects of eating celery: Can cause turtles to have diarrhea or an upset stomach if they are allergic to celery.
Vegetables for turtles can include but are not limited to squash, green beans, and peas.
Turtles can also eat fruits such as strawberries, apples, bananas, and oranges.
Fruits can cause diarrhea if given to turtles too frequently or in larger amounts than recommended.
As with any other food, we all know that we can’t give our box turtles too much of their favorite treats and this would lead to health problems such as obesity.
Make sure not to feed them too much of their favorite treats and make sure that they can finish it all in one day.
Let us know your box turtles’ diet in the comment section below. What do you feed and how often?
