Mary Allen
Turtles are wonderful, exciting, and very beautiful animals that you are guaranteed to have a lot of fun with. With the purchase of these reptiles, you often take on a lifelong responsibility, because turtles have a long life expectancy when kept in a species-appropriate manner, so it may even be that your animal survives them. In addition to the right diet and a species-appropriate home, you should always keep a close eye on your animals. Because even if the environment is right and the animals are particularly robust, it can happen that your turtle gets sick. Turtle diseases should always be taken seriously as some can, at worst, result in the death of the animals. In this article, you will learn about various tortoise diseases of tortoises, including their symptoms, causes, and immediate measures. However, the trip to the vet is inevitable. It is therefore important in advance that you always ask a trained veterinarian for advice.
Colds and inflammation of the eyes
The symptoms: Affected animals very often refuse their food. There is also an increase in wheezing or heavy breathing. Many animals also suffer from blisters on the nose or mouth. Apathetic behavior may also occur, as is the case with many animals with the disease keeping their eyes closed at all times and having a reddened conjunctiva, followed by ocular fluid discharge.
The possible causes: Most affected tortoises have been exposed to drafts or have been kept too cool for too long. A substrate that is too dusty can also be to blame.
Immediate measures for you: It is important that you separate the sick animal directly from the other turtles and place them in a separate terrarium at around 30 degrees. If you do not separate affected animals directly from the others, it can quickly happen that all the other turtles also become ill. Furthermore, a warm chamomile bath works wonders in this situation, but please never rinse your eyes with it. Of course, going to the vet is also unavoidable here and should be undertaken immediately. With the right antibiotics, this disease can be brought under control quickly, especially at the beginning, so that your darling will quickly get better.
Runny Nose Syndrome
The symptoms: With this disease, the affected animals secrete a milky and/or viscous nasal secretion. In addition, the turtles often gasp for air and here, too, food intake is usually completely refused.
The possible causes: The cause can be a draft, for example. Additionally, the environment your turtle lives in may be too dry. This means that even very dry air can be the cause of this disease. There is also the possibility that the soil is too wet or too many animals live in an enclosure that is too small. Experts are also of the opinion that too much stress can be the reason. Last but not least, a parasite infestation can also be an issue.
Immediate measures for you: As already mentioned, it is important to have a veterinarian look at the animal. He may be able to prescribe medication that will help your darling to get better quickly. It is also helpful to put a drop of essential oil on a paper handkerchief and place it in the enclosure or in the terrarium. The essential oils help to clear the nose. This way your tortoise can smell the food again and will often start eating again.
Middle ear infections or poisoning
The symptoms: With these diseases, the animals often suffer from shortness of breath and thus often frantically gasp for air. Due to the disturbance of balance, a crooked posture of the head can be observed. In addition, dizzy spells occur. Middle ear infections also cause reddening of the eardrum.
The possible causes: The cause of poisoning in particular can often be found in the wrong diet with poisonous plants. In the case of a middle ear infection, on the other hand, drafts and hypothermia can be to blame.
Immediate measures for you: Please visit a veterinarian immediately. Especially in the case of poisoning, every second can make the difference between life and death, and a middle ear infection is also very painful for your animal and urgently needs to be treated with the right medication. In the event of poisoning, it is advisable to quickly search the enclosure for poisonous plants beforehand so that the cause can be clarified quickly.
Constipation and diarrhea
The symptoms: Depending on whether it is constipation or diarrhea, the faeces of the animals are different. So it can be very runny or mushy. When constipated, the tortoise does not defecate for a longer period of time.
The possible causes: The cause of both cases of illness is often the wrong diet. Worms or a parasite infestation can also be to blame. In addition, it was observed that keeping the animals too cold can also lead to diarrhea or constipation.
Immediate measures for you: If your turtle suffers from diarrhea, you should give it willow leaves. You should also make sure that your diet does not contain fructose. Furthermore, it is important that you optimize the posture, if not available. A warm bath is also good. You should also have your veterinarian test the stool for parasites or worms so that you can counteract this with the appropriate medication.
Urinary diseases
The symptoms: Changes in the urine, such as discoloration, occur. In addition, the urine can smell very different and be gritty.
Possible causes: A lack of fluids in the body is often to blame for your turtle’s gritty urine. Parasites can also be to blame for the changes. Furthermore, it can also happen that the kidneys no longer work properly.
Immediate Actions for You: If your turtle has gritty urine, it’s important to get it hydrated right away. You can’t do that with just a bowl of water. Feeding dandelions make hydration easier. Incidentally, brownish-to-orange urine is completely harmless, so dandelion also helps here. If the urine is green, you need to contact a veterinarian immediately and urgently, because your turtle’s life could be in danger. Green urine is a sign of severe parasite infestation or kidney failure.
Changes to the tank
The symptoms: With these diseases, your animal’s shell changes. Spots often appear, but a soft shell can also indicate diseases. In addition, it can even cause injuries to the turtle shell.
The possible causes: A fungal infection is a very common cause, which, however, can usually occur, for example, when the animal is kept too damp. In addition, it can of course always happen that your tortoise gets injured or fights with fellow turtles. Additionally, a lack of calcium in the turtle’s body can result in a softer shell.
Immediate measures for you: In the event of a fungal infection, the affected areas must be scraped out and then disinfected. In addition, your animal now urgently needs to be quarantined, as the fungi can also spread to other animals and spread extremely quickly. In the event of injuries, you should definitely examine the enclosure or the terrarium of the animals thoroughly for sharp edges and also observe their behavior towards one another. If the shell is soft and there is therefore a lack of calcium, it is advisable that you provide your animals with cuttlefish shells at all times. In the event of such a deficiency, there are also special dietary supplements that you can sprinkle over the food. In any case, you should also consult a specialist for any changes to the shell, who will take a closer look at your animal.
Changes in the skin of animals
The symptoms: Diseases of the skin lead to different changes. From crusting to open sores, everything is represented here.
The possible causes: The formation of a crust is often due to burns, which the animals may have suffered, for example, from a radiant heater. In addition, injuries can also be caused by a mite infestation. A skin fungus is also conceivable.
Immediate measures for you: If the radiant heater causes injuries, you should of course immediately hang it higher so that the animals no longer have to fear any danger here. In the case of wounds, these must of course be cleaned and disinfected. In addition, of course, the veterinarian must be visited again, who can find the causes and also knows the right medication for mites and co. Since the skin fungus and mites in particular spread to other conspecifics, you should separate the animal or treat the entire turtle at once.
Herpetic infections – one of the most dangerous diseases in tortoises
The symptoms: With such a bad illness, there is often a yellowish coating on the tongue. Shortness of breath can also occur. In addition, many turtles now suffer from swallowing difficulties. Furthermore, paralysis can occur. With such an illness, many owners often notice that their animal is apathetic. Even with this disease, your animal will not accept the food. Likewise, affected animals often move unnaturally. The discharge of mucus from the throat and nose can be another symptom of herpes infection in turtles.
The possible causes: A viral infection is often the trigger. This can break out due to stress.
Immediate measures for you: Please separate the affected turtle from their fellow turtles immediately. Once clear symptoms have appeared, it is no longer possible to cure the virus. Nevertheless, it is of course very important that you immediately consult a veterinarian who is familiar with turtles. He knows suitable measures so that the outbreak can be combated. Unfortunately, many turtles die from this disease, so it is imperative that you react quickly and immediately.
Conclusion
Observe your turtles daily so that you always notice the smallest changes in the animals directly and can therefore intervene directly to prevent worse things from happening. In order to give some diseases no chance at all from the outset, the animals must be kept in a species-appropriate and strict manner. Too cool as well as too wet posture are often the cause. The wrong diet and too much stress also lead to diseases that can have serious consequences. For the smallest changes, you should always consult a veterinarian. Because the motto also applies here: “It’s better to have one time too many checks than one time too few”. However, if you feed your tortoise the right food and intervene quickly, you will have many great years together.