If you’re a turtle owner you want your pet to be happy, healthy, and live a pleasant and long life, no one wants their pet to suffer
You may think that your turtle is suffering if it has a swollen back leg. This article looks into why this happens.
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Why is my turtle’s back leg swollen?
Swelling looks, and is, quite uncomfortable for your pet turtle, but it does happen to turtles on occasion.
Here is why your turtle’s back legs are swollen:
Infection:
One of the reasons why your turtle’s back legs may be swollen may be that the reptile’s legs are infected.
Infections can develop at the top of your pet’s toes, from an open cut at the reptile’s toe or foot, and spread through the body, this can happen with gangrene.
Gangrene can cause the legs to swell up as it travels up your pet’s leg and this may be what you’re seeing
If your pet’s condition continues without treatment then its legs may turn grey, then black, and then break off.
This is quite a serious condition and shouldn’t be taken lightly.
What to do:
Visiting a vet, or better yet, visiting a reptile specialist vet, is the best way to address your reptile’s gangrene problem.
Depending on how bad your pet’s condition is, there may be no treatment.
Your vet may have to amputate the leg or your vet may give your pet antibiotics depending on the severity of the infection.
If the gangrene is still very new, then your vet will likely give your pet an antibiotic shot and send it home with some antibiotics.
If the gangrene has only affected the reptile’s leg then amputation is a possibility.
However, if the infection has traveled into the reptile’s body then this will be fatal as this is past the point where amputation will be effective.
Local trauma:
Another reason why your pet’s back legs may be swollen may be that there was local trauma at the reptile’s legs and swelling happened as a result.
Your pets legs may have become injured while trapped in wire mesh which may have caused a fracture.
An open fracture is when a bone breaks and pokes through the skin, and a closed fracture is when a bone breaks but does not poke through the skin.
If you can’t see an exposed bone then your pet may have a closed fracture.
What to do:
The treatment that your pet will need will be dependent on the nature and severity of the injury.
It is advised that you take your pet to the vet, or better yet, to a reptile specialist.
The vet will examine your pet, take x-rays of the reptile, and may attach the leg to your pet’s shell to keep it from being walked on.
Overweight:
Another reason why your pet’s back legs may look swollen may simply be that your pet is overweight.
The slight added weight on your pet’s legs may not be swelling but may rather be added weight.
What to do:
The main causes of excessive weight gain in turtles are: not getting enough exercise and overfeeding.
If you think that this is what is happening with your pet then give your pet more horizontal and vertical space where it can walk up.
Also, make sure that your turtle has a space where it can enjoy long swims.
Feeding your reptile a balanced diet and having it on a strict feeding regimen should help your pet slim down.
If you enjoyed this article then you may also be interested in other tortoise/turtle related articles. Here are some articles that you may be interested in: Sulcata Tortoise Leg Problems, Why Is My Tortoise Limping?, Tortoise Back Legs Stretched Out, Can Tortoises Break Their Legs?, Tortoise Having Trouble Walking, Tortoise Not Using One Leg, Why Does My Tortoise Bite His Leg?, Why Do Turtles Bite Their Feet?, Why Does My Turtle Sleep Standing Up?