Can Turtles Eat Apples? Benefits & How to Feed Apples

Apples are considered to be an important part of any diet. Being rich in vitamin, mineral, antioxidants and fibre, apple has many health benefits. 

“Surely the apple is the noblest of fruits.” – Henry David Thoreau.

Whether it be sweet red varieties, like Red Delicious, Fuji or Gala, or tangy green ones, like Granny Smith, each variety of apple is good in taste and used in many dishes.

But what about turtles? Can turtles eat apples? If you have a turtle as a pet or when you see a turtle, this might be the question in your mind. Let’s delve deeper to understand whether feeding apples is good for turtles. 

Can Turtles Eat Apples?

Being a nutrient-dense fruit, yes, turtles can eat apples. But you should avoid making apples as a staple food for your turtle. 

Even if you use to provide your pet turtle with a variety of food items, there are a few things you need to keep in mind, like if you are to feed your pet an apple, it should be free from pesticides. Apples should be in the raw state, not cooked and with no seeds.

You should not serve your pet turtle with cooked apples because it can make your pet very ill by affecting their digestive system, as apples are very high in sugar and have an acid content.

How Often Can Turtles Eat apples?

When we talk about how often you should provide them with apples, you can feed them apples every alternate day in tiny quantities. 

There is no doubt that apples have nutritional benefits for turtles as they contain vitamins like vitamin A so you can provide them with apples in small quantities.

You should only feed your pet turtle apples a few times a week, as they don’t have the enzymes required to digest food high in sugar and acid, and they can’t digest in large quantities. 

When you feed apples quite often to your turtle, it can lead to bloating and cause severe stomach pain, which can lead to other health-related complications as well. Some other fruits you should avoid regularly feeding are citric fruits like berries, lemons, grapes, oranges, etc.

And if you want to offer your pet fruits, you can give them mango, kiwi, melons, and bananas, but these too in small quantities as large quantities can lead to digestion-related issues which are not suitable for your pet.

If you observe anything wrong which their behavior after feeding them any fruit, you should take your pet to the vet and get its treatment done as soon as possible.

4 Benefits of Feeding Apples To Turtles

Fruits and vegetables are essential parts of your pet’s diet. Turtles can eat different fruits and vegetables as they are very nutritious, you can feed them fruits, but only the thing you should keep in mind is that there is a limit to how often and how much of the particular fruit is okay for your pet turtle. 

When we talk about apples, here is a list of benefits of feeding apples to your pet turtle.

1: Abundance of Vitamin A is Good for Overall Health

Apples have abundant Vitamin A, which is needed for their excellent health. Vitamin A is responsible for adequately maintaining respiratory and reproductive health as well as turtles. 

Vitamin A improves their vision and helps boost their overall health, and its deficiency may cause severe health issues like respiratory and eye problems. Other than apples, some other fruits you can feed your turtle for vitamin A intake are watermelon, orange, grapes, etc.

2: Calcium Works for Healthy Shell Development

Apples contain Calcium in enough quantity. Turtles need a good amount of Calcium in their diet, as it is the core mineral required for healthy shell development. 

Turtles lack calcium which can be easily noticed if their shells start getting thinner slowly. So, feeding apples to them can fulfill their requirement for Calcium in their body and other fruits like pineapples, bananas, oranges, etc.

3: Antioxidants for Better Immune System

Apples contain antioxidants, and as we know that it helps strengthen the immune system and it also helps in fighting against different kinds of infections and diseases. 

So, feeding apples to your pet turtle can be very beneficial for them as it will help them fight against all such conditions and boost their immune system.

4: Protein Content for Overall Health and Development

Protein is another essential nutrient your pet turtles can get from apples as it contains enough protein. Protein is critical in their overall growth, and lacking protein can cause several growth and development problems in young turtles.

How to Feed Apples to Turtles?

If you plan to feed your pet turtle an apple, there are a few things you should always do before serving it to them. 

Apple Should be Pesticide Free

It is essential that when you go to the market to buy fruits, you must purchase pesticide-free apples and organic ones. It is necessary to ensure your pet’s health and fruits with pesticides as they can be hazardous to their health.

Wash Apple Before Serving

When you buy pesticide-free apples, even then, it is essential to wash them ideally before you serve them to your pet turtle. Washing is necessary, as it will remove all the possible pests or chemicals present on the surface of the fruit.

Remove the Seeds

Apple seeds can have side effects. When cutting the apples, make sure to remove the seeds entirely before feeding them apples. If they eat the seeds by mistake, it can lead to severe health issues. 

Cut Them Into Small Pieces

When serving apples to your pet, cut them into tiny pieces and only feed them to your pet. Not cutting them into small pieces and doing large amounts can cause choking and be hazardous for them.

Conclusion

So, the answer to the question can turtles eat apples is yes, you can feed apples to your pet turtle. Apples are rich in various vitamins and minerals and are healthy for your pet. But you should give it to them in tiny quantities as it contains high sugar and high acid content, and their body doesn’t release enzymes required to digest apple. So, feeding them apples in large quantities can lead to digestion-related diseases like bloating, and it can cause severe stomach pain. Even when serving apples to them, make sure to remove the seeds and give a tiny amount and not very often.

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