Red Eared Slider (Turtle)

Question
Hi, I am concerned about my RES. (he is 9 years old) I tried to do some research online and cannot seem to find an answer to my question. My turtle has been pooping string like, brown things into his tank. They are not breaking up into the water. I have recently switched his food. I have only had him a few months now and the strings were always there and i had assumed they were his poop. However, now there is a large increase in the amount of strings on the bottom of his tank. I was wondering if the brown, strings could just be his poop and if it is normal/healthy or not? Thank you in advance!

Answer
Hi, Kellie,
That sounds unusual.  I recommend taking a sample in with him to a vet.  (You can use a turkey baster or something to collect the suspicious feces).
Since internal parasites are a potential problem, it's not something to leave to chance.  Normal turtle feces are brown, but they're not really string-like - they're about the shape you would expect.  Turtles will also produce urates, a chalky white substance (like bird droppings - they also produce urates).