Responsible pet owners have their pet’s well-being as a top priority, if your pet turtle is floating upside down then you as a responsible pet owner are likely very concerned about the animal and want to get to the bottom of this.
This article looks into why your turtle is floating upside down.
Table of Contents
Why is my turtle floating upside down:
Witnessing your pet turtle floating upside down while it’s in its tank will understandably cause stress and anxiety in you, but there is an explanation for why this happens
Here is why your turtle may be floating upside down:
The water is too low:
One reason why your pet may be stuck upside down may be because the animal has flipped itself over. But because the water is too low it can’t flip itself the right way up.
What to do:
If your pet is healthy, but can’t flip itself over, then consider increasing the level of your pet’s water and seeing if your pet rights itself up
If your pet can’t flip itself over, even if its water level is correct, then your pet may be sick
Look out for any signs of illness in your pet and take your pet to the vet if it is sick.
Respiratory infection:
One reason why your pet turtle may be floating upside down may be that the animal is suffering from a respiratory infection.
Respiratory infections can be caused by bacteria, viruses, and fungi. These illnesses can cause a variety of symptoms, the animal floating upside down included.
The floating upside down happens because this condition causes the animal’s lungs to collect fluids, which makes the animal float sideways or float upside down
Other signs of a respiratory infection in your turtle includes a loss of appetite, mucus in the animal’s mouth (bubbles in the animal’s mouth), nasal discharge, open-mouth breathing, extension of the neck to breathe, wheezing, lethargy
Although these animals love the water, a turtle who can’t remain upright when swimming can easily drown.
Turtles who have respiratory infections can develop pneumonia if left untreated so getting your vet treatment is recommended.
What to do:
This is a very serious condition that needs to be treated by your vet.
If you can’t immediately get your pet to the vet it is recommended that you lay some paper towels at an angle in a bathtub and then lay the turtle against the towels at the angle.
Pump the animal’s arms and legs and then allow it to rest a bit. Doing this should remove some water out of the animal’s lungs.
Removing your pet from its enclosure, if there are other turtles in the enclosure, and keeping it isolated, will not only keep your pet from infecting other turtles, but it will keep the stress of having to compete with other turtles’, for food and water, at bay
Avoid keeping your pet flat
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 Splashing, What Happens If You Drop A Baby Turtle, Turtle Hasn’t Eaten In A Week, My Turtle Escaped His Tank, My Turtle Hasn’t Eaten In Months, How To Find Lost Turtle In Yard, Turtle Hiccups, Can I Put My Turtle In The Sun?, Why Is My Turtle Bleeding From Tail?
