It’s pretty difficult to tell whether or not your pet turtle is dying. It’s because they are experts in hiding their illness or pain. At times, they don’t show any signs or symptoms of an ailment right before it becomes much worse.
Table of Contents
It’s pretty difficult to tell whether or not your pet turtle is dying. It’s because they are experts in hiding their illness or pain. At times, they don’t show any signs or symptoms of an ailment right before it becomes much worse.
But if you’re a careful owner, you might always keep a watch for any unusual symptom that your pet turtle exhibits.
Just because your turtle looks sluggish or doesn’t want to eat might not mean that it’s dying. The turtle will exhibit such symptoms naturally because of their age or environment.
But when your turtle starts to swim sideways, discharges from the mouth, its shell starts to rot and has abnormal feces, it’s a sign that your turtle is dying.
Signs That Specify Your Pet Turtle Is Dying
There are some signs that can let you know whether or not your turtle is dying. So, what are these signs? Let’s find out from this section:
1. When the Turtle Doesn’t Eat
One thing about turtles is that they love to eat. But when they lose their appetite, it can be a sign that it’s dying.
When you refuse to consume food completely, it’s due to some digestion problem, which doesn’t look apparent. Due to the problems in their digestion, the feces will also change.
So, you must check the feces of your pet turtle. Besides that, your pet turtle will also not eat when it’s suffering from a health-related condition.
Female turtles will experience a loss in their appetite when they cannot lay eggs normally. This type of condition is called “Dystocia,” and it’s pretty fatal. But when a turtle becomes pregnant, it might stop consuming food.
But if you wish to encourage your little pet to eat properly, you must offer it with different kinds of food items. Try giving them frozen insects or dried shrimp. They will surely love them.
2. Experiencing Breathing Issues
Many pet owners can easily determine whether or not their turtle is dying by carefully observing their breathing conditions. Heavy turtles will always breathe naturally, both night and day. The chest of these turtles will expand completely when they deflate and inhale while exhaling.
When your turtle is pretty or is suffering from a respiratory infection, the breathing will become quiet or labored.
The turtle might breathe during the day, even when you can treat this issue by soaking the turtle in the water. Otherwise, you can mist the turtle with the spray bottle.
You will also come across other symptoms, which can enable you to point out the nature of the respiratory condition that your turtle is experiencing. Some of these symptoms are:
- Discharges from the eyes
- Bubbles coming out from the nose
- Turtle making wheezing sounds
You should take the turtle to a veterinarian who can offer proper treatment. Professional treatments are much more effective than home remedies.
3. Turtle Having a Bloated Body
Many turtles can accumulate all the fat deposits naturally so that they can survive hibernation. But the fat deposits will not become visible until the turtles are extremely overweight.
Overweight turtles can fall sick when they gain weight in a short time. Too much fat can make their bodies shut down. If your turtle has a bloated body, it means that the process of decomposition has started.
The accumulation of the gasses can cause the turtle’s body to swell up, and the shell will become weaker or software.
All these gasses cannot flee through the air holes of the turtle because they are completely barred by their deteriorating skin. This clearly shows that “bloating” is a sign that your pet turtle is dying.
You must watch out for various other signs, which can help you find out the nature of your turtle’s condition, such as the changes in their breathing and when they don’t have an appetite.
4. Turtle Having Skin Conditions
Your pet turtle might experience skin-related conditions, such as “abscess” or “open injury.” These types of conditions require immediate treatment. Otherwise, your turtle might die.
On certain occasions, you will encounter a swollen section on your pet’s skin. This might be a tumor, and you must opt for a veterinary consultation without delay.
The most common areas where “abscess” can occur are behind the turtle’s ears, and the mucus might look hard instead of being slimy and runny compared to other animals.
5. Infections on the Turtle’s Shell
Turtles can have shell infections when their shell experiences trauma or gets bitten. Shell infections can also take place when you don’t feed your pet turtle properly or when they don’t receive a basking platform.
The open injuries on the shell will get attacked by fungi, bacteria, or parasites. This might infect the internal layers of the turtle’s body. If you don’t take good care of these infections, your pet might die.
6. The Fecal Abnormalities
Changes occurring in your pet’s excrement might indicate that it needs medical attention without any delay. The presence of parasites, bloody stool, or diarrhea are signs that you must watch out for.
If you don’t get it treated on time, the parasite infection will lead to organ failure and damage in your pet turtle.
On certain occasions, if your turtle passes bloody stool or doesn’t pass stool, there might be an obstruction in their Gastrointestinal Tract [GI Tract].
This type of issue requires immediate surgery. Otherwise, your pet might die. The obstruction occurring in the GI Tract takes place when the turtle consumes rocks. You should speak to the vet or ask an expert about how you can prevent your turtle from consuming rocks.
7. Swimming Issues
When you find out that your turtle can’t swim properly, cannot float properly, is tilting too much on the side, or has disorientation, it’s a sign of a severe condition.
It can be due to an infection taking place in their lungs, which can have a massive impact on the turtle’s buoyancy. This can make it difficult for them to swim correctly.
Infections or parasites in the brain can cause disorientation in your pet turtle.
What to Do When Your Pet Turtle is Dying?
When you come across signs that show your turtle might die, you can do the following things:
1. Provide Them with Effective Treatment
When you fear that your pet is dying, you should immediately make an appointment with the veterinarian.
The veterinarian will conduct examinations to check what exactly happened to the turtle. After that, he/she will prescribe some medications or suggest a treatment to improve their health.
If your turtle needs some ongoing supplements or vitamins, the veterinarian will help you get the right ones.
2. Pay Proper Attention to the Setting
Keeping the tank clean and dirt free is a great way to prevent your turtle from dying. You must eliminate all the food, correct the humidity and temperature levels and clean out all the waste a few times every day.
When you keep the tank in great condition, you can prevent the water from becoming unhealthy and cloudy. Make sure that you place your turtle’s tank in a quiet area so that your pet does not feel stressed.
At times, you can also increase the temperature inside the tank and for that. You must speak to your veterinarian about whether or not this is correct for the turtle.
3. Take Good Care of the Diet
You should change the diet of your turtle at a time. In other words, you must provide them with less or more protein, add vitamins and supplements or add more fiber.
Please check with the vet before you make any dietary changes for your turtle. They will tell you what you must include and not include in their diet.
Look Out for the Signs That Indicate Your Turtle is Dying
If you wish to become a responsible turtle owner, you have proper knowledge about all the ailments and issues that can affect your turtle’s health greatly.
That way, you can provide your turtle with immediate treatment to prevent them from dying. You should speak to a veterinarian who is an expert in turtle care, as they can tell you about the various signs/symptoms that can show your pet is dying.
