Any sort of odd behavior in your pet turtle will worry you as an owner, and your turtle spazzing is definitely one behavior that is odd and will worry you
This article looks into why your turtle is spazzing
Table of Contents
Why is my turtle spazzing?
If your pet turtle is making odd movements then a comprehensive examination of its environment, diet, health, and overall well-being is recommended.
Taking the time to figure out why your pet does certain things is also a must, like researching why your pet does certain things.
Here is why your turtle may be spazzing:
Electrical issues:
If your pet starts spazzing while it is in the water then this may be happening because the electrical devices in your pet’s water may be shortening causing the animal to twitch or spazz.
What to do:
If you think that this is what’s going on with your pet then you’d need to unplug all the devices that are in your pet’s water and you’d need to check with the manufacturers on how to check for shortings or grounding.
You may have to replace the heaters in your pet’s enclosure as well as replace any of the other electrical devices that are submerged in your pet’s water.
Neurological issues:
Another reason why your pet tortoise may be spazzing and behaving badly overall may be that the animal has some neurological issues.
These issues can develop if the animal develops head injuries and experiences trauma, this can happen if your pet hits its head on the glass for example.
What to do:
Taking your pet to the vet for an examination and treatment would be the best thing to do for your pet in this case.
Metabolic bone disease:
Another reason why your turtle may be spazzing may be because the animal is suffering from metabolic bone disease.
This condition can develop in turtles of all ages and may cause your pet to spazz, or twitch. This spazzing or twitching behavior is one of the first symptoms of this condition in your pet.
Causes of this condition in your pet include an insufficient amount of vitamin D3 in your pet’s diet, too much phosphorus in your pet’s diet, or a lack of calcium in your pet’s diet.
Other signs of this condition in your pet include soft shells, swollen legs, poor shell growth, pyramiding, deformed jaws, paralysis, lethargy, beak deformity, and weak limbs
The symptoms of metabolic bone disease in your pet turtle can vary depending on the disease length and severity.
What to do:
Treating your pet for this condition will look like increasing your pet’s exposure to UV light and adding more calcium into your pet’s diet
While you can treat your pet at home, it is more so recommended that you take your pet to the vet for an examination and treatment.
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: Turtle Kicking Legs While Basking, Red-Eared Slider Scratching Head, Why Is My Turtle Rubbing His Head, Why Is My Turtle Rubbing His Eyes, Why Does My Turtle Twitch While Basking, Why Is My Tortoise Twitching?, Why Is One Turtle Bigger Than The Other?, Why Is My Turtle Jumping, Tortoise Head Twitching