Vitamin Deficiency

If your turtle has a lack of UVB light it will be unable to absorb a sufficient amount of calcium. This can lead to softened and even deformed bones. Ensure that your turtle always has an ample supply of UVB rays either from direct sunlight or a UVB light. The turtles shell is made out of bone and since the shell is a vital part of their body, calcium is extremely important to them.

Vitamin deficiencies can also occur when a turtle does not have a balanced diet. Each turtle has its own diet requirements which should be monitored and adjusted as needed. Nutritional deficiencies can often result in vitamin deficiencies.

Visit our turtle care sheets for more specific information regarding your turtle. These care sheets provide detailed feeding information about what foods to use as the staple in your turtles diet, what foods to feed in moderation and what foods to avoid. Providing your turtle with a proper diet will virtually eliminate the possibility of vitamin deficiencies.

Swollen Eyes

Infections are the most common cause of swollen eyes in your turtle. A lack of Vitamin A is usually to blame. Without the proper intake of Vitamin A your turtle will be very susceptible to infections caused by bacteria. The immune system of turtles relies heavily upon Vitamin A, and this may be a sign of a vitamin deficiency.

If you catch the condition early enough providing your turtle with an increase in Vitamin A can usually cause the swelling to subside. Be careful not to give your turtle too much Vitamin A to try to combat the illness because too many vitamins are not a good thing either. Turtles and reptiles in general are very sensitive to sudden changes in their diet.

If after a week or so the condition has not improved a trip to the veternarian should be scheduled for further action. The reasoning for taking your turtle to the veterinarian is that it may be something more serious than simply a lack of Vitamin A.

Swollen Ears

Respiratory problems are most often the cause of swollen ears in turtles. Slightly swollen ears on their own are usually nothing to be concerned about. It is the underlying condition that caused this problem that you will need to worry about.

If this is left untreated the ears will likely continue to swell. When this happens the ear canal of the turtle may need to be surgically opened to facilitate removal of the pus which will have accumulated in the ear. Antibiotics are then provided to cure the respiratory infection or disease. The recovery time for this procedure can be quite lengthy. Water turtles will have the most trouble because you will likely need to keep them out of the water while the initial healing is in progress. Obviously it is much easier to catch this early on and provide treatment for your turtle than it is to put your turtle through surgery.

The swollen ears of the turtle are probably the least of your concerns as it is generally a sign of something larger, and the devastating nature of respiratory infections require the turtle to be looked at immediately

Skin Shedding in Turtles

Skin shedding on a healthy turtle is nothing to be concerned with, as long as the skin that is shedding does not appear to be thick or dark in color there is probably not a problem. Another area to look at on your turtle is the color of its skin. If it appears to be red or irritated your turtle may have a problem.

Most reptiles shed their skin all at once and then do not shed for some time. Turtles are constantly shedding their skin but do so in small bits at a time. If your turtle or tortoise does not have any water in its enclosure you may not even notice it shedding at all. If you have an aquatic turtle you will most likely see small bits of dead skin floating on the surface of the water.

The most common cause for prolonged or excessive shedding is a fungus infection. Although there are some treatment options available that you can perform (such as soaking the turtle in an iodine solution twice daily) it is highly advisable to take your turtle to a veterinarian. In the mean time you should remove the turtle from the water as much as possible and keep it dry, especially at night when you cannot monitor its activities. You can do this by moving the turtle to a second habitat during the night.

Severed Limbs

If your turtle has had a limb severed due to an injury there is not much that you can do besides allow it to heal. Usually the turtle will be able to heal effectively on its own, just ensure that the area is clean. Any part that is unable to heal due to the severity of the injury will likely shirvle up and fall off.

Turtles do not have the ability to regrow their body parts unlike some other animals. For example, some lizards can actually regrow their tail if it has been severed.

The most important thing that you can do is provide it with a clean and cool place for the first few days to allow it to rest and begin to heal. Infections are very common with severed limbs so keep the wound clean at all times. The turtle will most likely be feeling a great deal of stress after this kind of an injury so be sure to handle it only when necessary. You will need to monitor its activities very closely over the next few days to ensure it is handling the situation alright.

In the future the turtle will need to adapt to the loss of one or more of its limbs. Aquatic turtles will have the most difficulty as they may have trouble swimming with one less leg. In these cases you may need to make the water shallower to ensure that it does not drown.

If the injury worsens it will be necessary to take your turtle to a veternarian. The veterinarian can properly dress the wound and give you advice as to how you can ensure a smooth and swift recovery.

Respiratory Disease

If your turtle appears to have trouble breathing this is a definite sign of a respiratory disease. The turtle may appear be opening its mouth wider than normal when it is breathing. This happens because the turtle is having trouble getting a sufficient intake of air. Swollen ears, swollen eyes and a runny nose are also all signs of a respiratory infection.

Ensuring a warm habitat can help to avoid these situations occuring again in the future. If the habitat is already warm enough your turtle should be taken to a veterinarian to determine the cause and make suggestions for recuperation.

Since respiratory dieseases are highly contagious amongst turtles it is important to catch signs of this disease early on to limit the spread of infection. Respiratory diseases form from both viral and bacterial infections.

This disease causes particular damage to Ornate Box Turtles but obviously can negatively affect turtles of all kinds. No matter what type of turtle you have you will want to have their respiratory issues taken care of immediately. A trained veterinarian can assist you in doing this and provide the appropriate medication if necessary. Occasionally when the disease gets bad enough surgery is required to save the turtle.

Nutritional Deficiencies

Nutritional Deficiencies in turtles can be very harmful and are caused by not eating properly and receiving an inadequate supply of vitamins. It will cause your turtle to become not only physically weak but also weak at resisting other diseases. Parasites and bacteria take advantage of this and will make a home in your turtle. If this condition is prolonged it could cause serious damage to your turtle and be potentially fatal.

All turtles require some degree of variety in their diet. This is because no food exists that can provide your turtle will all the vitamins that they need. Vitamin deficiencies commonly accompany nutritional deficiencies if your turtle is not given a proper diet. Without variety it is also likely that your turtle will exhibit a lack of appetite.

Review proper feeding procedures for your type of turtle and if the problem persists take the turtle to a veterinarian. Our turtle care sheets can provide you with a good starting point when determining proper feeding techniques for your turtle. It may take a while for your turtle to completely return to good health but if you correct their diet the effects of the nutritional deficiencies will eventually subside.