Any swelling on any part of the body is worrisome. Swelling is the body’s way of reacting to something wrong, but what does swelling on the neck of your turtle mean?
This article is a look into why your turtle’s neck is swollen.
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Why is my turtle neck swollen?
If your pet was slim and trim when you first got it, but now has a swollen neck, then you’d understandably be worried and confused.
This article is a look into why your turtle’s neck may be swollen.
Extra skin:
Sometimes what may look like a little bit of swelling may actually be the animal’s excess skin collecting in the area.
When turtles stretch their necks a lot of saggy skin can still be seen at their necks. When they bring their heads into their shells a lot of their skin collects in the area and this can look like swelling.
What to do:
You don’t have to do anything in this case, this is normal and isn’t something to worry about, as long as your pet is eating, drinking, swimming, and pooping normally then your pet is fine.
Eating:
Another reason why your pet’s neck may look swollen may be that the animal ate something that was too large to swallow completely.
These animals are greedy eaters and will continue to eat even if they are too full, and even when they can’t swallow food in one go.
What to do:
If this is the case with your pet then you don’t have to worry your pet will eventually swallow the food, bit by bit, over some time.
Ear abscess:
If the area on the sides of your pet’s head, the area at the ear, is swollen then your pet may have an ear abscess.
In this case, your pet’s neck won’t look swollen all around the head, only on either side of the turtle’s head.
An abscess appearing at your pet’s ear does not necessarily mean that you’re doing something wrong, or that there is an issue with the animal’s habitat, it’s simply something that sometimes happens.
What to do:
Taking your pet to the vet to get the abscess drained is the recommended solution.
Your vet will examine the animal and prepare to drain the abscess once it is confirmed that your pet has an abscess.
The treatment for this condition involves cleaning the area, putting the animal under anesthetic, making an incision at the abscesses, and then draining the material from the abscess.
There is also a chance that the material in the abscess has hardened. In this case, the vet will not only drain any fluid in the area but will also remove the solid material from the area.
Once the material is removed by your vet you can take the animal home. Stitches aren’t usually needed after this process.
You’d need to keep your pet in a dry container while its incision heals. This should happen over the next few days.
Only allow your pet to swim in water for an hour or two daily until its incision has healed. The water that it swims in would need to be fresh and clean.
Your pet should be healed and ready to be put back into its regular habit after about a few days.
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: Why Is My Turtle Orange?, Why Is My Turtle Extending Its Neck?, Why Is My Turtle Sticking His Neck Out?, Why Is My Turtle Lazy?, Why Is My Turtle Leaning To One Side?, Why Is My Turtle Scratching His Neck?, Why Is My Turtle’s Neck Peeling, Why Is My Turtle’s Neck Red?, Why Is My Turtle On Its Back?,