Why Is My Turtle Bleeding From Tail? (2 Reasons Why + What To Do)

Seeing blood coming from your pet’s tail will understandably be very alarming and concerning.

These animals are quite hardy so we don’t expect them to become injured or ill, but they can, and this may be why the animal is bleeding from its tail. 

This article looks into why your pet turtle is bleeding from its tail. 

Why is my turtle bleeding from its tail?

If your pet turtle starts bleeding from its tail then you’d understandably want to take action immediately but you’d need to know what is wrong with the animal before you can decide to take action.

Here is why your pet turtle may be bleeding from its tail 

External injury: 

If your pet’s tail was bitten by another turtle then the turtle may start to bleed at its tail. Other ways that turtles can injure themselves is by falling onto their tail and getting their tails caught in objects. 

What to do: 

You need to place the turtle on a clean surface so you can examine the extent of the injury. If the animal bleeding isn’t too bad then you can treat it at home yourself

You can do this by stopping the bleeding and cleansing the wound. Do this by using warm water on the tail to clean it off. Gently remove any dirt or debris from the animal’s tail as you do this. 

Once clean you can use a soft clean cloth to press on the animal’s wound, this should encourage the wound to clot up and stop bleeding 

If the bleeding is severe then seeking the help of a vet or a Herp vet is recommended. 

It is also recommended that you keep your injured turtle out of the water for the most part. This is because water can contain bacteria that may be harmful to the animal and may cause an infection should the germs make their way into the animal’s tail.  

You can dry dock the animal for 1 to 2 hours a day for a period of time.

Separating the injured turtle is also recommended, doing this will allow healing and will keep the tail from getting attacked again.

 

Internal injury: 

Just as your pet turtle may suffer an external injury, the animal may just the same suffer an internal injury 

If your pet turtle accidentally, or on purpose, ate something sharp then this object may have cut its digestive tract and the animal may start to bleed from its tail

These animals pass feces through their cloaca, the cloaca is the opening at the base of their tail, so, if there is bleeding in your pet’s digestive tract then the animal may bleed from its tail.

What to do:

If you notice bleeding in this area, if the turtle doesn’t seem to be injured from the outside, and if you suspect that your pet is bleeding internally then you would need to take your pet to the vet or take your pet to the exotic or Herp vet. 

Also, keep your pet isolated in this case until you can get it to the vet.

 

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: My Turtle Keeps SplashingWhat Happens If You Drop A Baby TurtleTurtle Hasn’t Eaten In A WeekMy Turtle Escaped His TankMy Turtle Hasn’t Eaten In MonthsWhy Is My Turtle Floating Upside DownHow To Find Lost Turtle In YardTurtle HiccupsCan I Put My Turtle In The Sun?

Why Is My Turtle Bleeding From Tail? (2 Reasons Why + What To Do)
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