Taking care of pets, and taking care of exotic pets like turtles, can be a very interesting learning experience, the more you raise these pets the more you learn.
This article will help you learn more about why your turtle is bulging out of its shell.
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Turtle bulging out of shell:
Turles fit comfortably in their shells and have the room to pack their heads and their limbs into their shells when need be.
But if your pet is bulging out of its shell then it won’t be able to pack its head into its shell.
Here is why your turtle’s body may be bulging out of its shell:
The animal is obese:
If your pet looks like its shell is too small then the little animal may very well be overweight or obese.
These animals can become obese if they eat too much high-starch pellets and do not get enough exercise.
Some turtles can become so obese that their legs can’t bear the weight of their body and the animal will rather sit on its legs
Mobility in water will also be disrupted by obesity.
What to do:
If your pet is obese then you can rectify this at home with a few changes.
These animals can become obese if their enclosures are too small and they don’t get much exercise.
If this is the case then you can get your pet a bigger enclosure with lots of vertical and horizontal spaces to walk on.
Giving your pet a bigger body of water to swim in and letting your pet walk outside of its enclosure may also help.
Adding live fish in their water, which the reptile will have to catch to eat, will also help to get their weight down.
Your pet’s diet would also need to change to a healthier diet for the animal to lose weight.
Give your pet high-quality pellets to eat and also give your pet vegetables to eat too.
Illness:
Another reason why your pet turtle may be bulging out of its shell may be that the animal is sick.
A variety of ailments can cause this bulging of the tortoise’s shell including kidney failure, heart failure, a lung problem, malnutrition, bacterial infection, gout, a blockage in the digestive system, and constipation
Other signs of illness or distress will start to be seen overtime in your pet is ill.
What to do:
These illnesses are quite serious and need to be treated by a vet
If you can, take your pet to a vet, or better yet to a reptile specialist vet. The vet will be able to examine, diagnose, and treat your pet.
Age:
If your pet turtle’s hind legs seem to be swelling then this may be happening because of age.
This is not uncommon in turtles that are older in age.
These bulges may take on a light pink tinge and are usually closest to the shell.
What to do:
This bulging because of age is normal and isn’t something you need to worry about.
If you see this in your pet keep an eye on it making sure that your pet doesn’t start showing signs of distress along with this bulging.
If you enjoyed this article then you may also be interested in other turtle/tortoise related articles. Here are some articles that you may be interested in: Tortoise Bleeding Leg, Baby Tortoise Leg Problems, Tortoise Cut On Leg, Tortoise Having Trouble Walking At Night, Red Spots On Turtle Belly, Algae Growing On Turtle Head, Adding Salt To A Turtle Tank, Wheat Germ Pellets For Turtles, How To Fix Retained Scutes