Urgent Care :: Swollen 2yo Trying to Escape Tank

[ddago003]

Hi there! My turtle Shelby is just over 2 years old. She found her way to our doorstep as a baby with a shell issue. We resolved it successfully and she’s been healthy ever since. Now, she is recently appearing swollen around her limbs and wanting to come out of her tank all the time. She will be on her platform pawing at the glass like a puppy and comes over to me instead of being nervous, as she used to be. Here are her details:

How big is your turtle? About 5”
How long have you had it? 2 years 3 months, since she was a baby

What is the water temperature? 76 degF
Did you use a thermometer? Yes
Are you using a water heater? No
How much water is in there? Approx 17-18 gallons full of water
Are you using a water conditioner? No
Are you using any filtration? Yes

What is the basking temperature? 90degF
Is there a basking light? Yes, I recently replaced it 2 days ago
Is there a basking platform that is easy to climb on? Yes
What kind is it or what is it made out of? It is custom and made of kydex
Is there a UVB light? Yes, I just replaced it 2 days ago

What have you been trying to feed it? Tetra ReptoMin floating sticks (with Calcium & vitamin C). She also likes feeder fish once every month to two months, and on rare occassion tuna fish, fruit, and veggies. I started floating lettuce in her tank 2 days ago as well.
When was the last time your turtle ate? 5pm today

How big is the tank/pond/enclosure? 30 gallon tank
Is the tank near a window? No
Is the tank in a room with a lot of activity? Moderate, she seems to enjoy it and interacts with us.

Have you read the Basic Care section? yes
Have you searched the forums for similar situations? Thoroughly

Is there any other unusual activity/symptoms? She is swollen where limbs attach and has been trying very hard to get out of her tank when she’s in it. Interacts with us much more and begs to come out. Tries climbing up tank wall to get out as well. I do take her out every 1-2 days and let her walk outside in the grass as she pleases. She will roam a bit but stays near me. Also, a new behavior is that she will hang her rear legs off the edge of her platform. So her body and front end are on basking platforms and she leaves her legs dangling off the edge stretched out.

Based on what I could find, I am thinking she is either pregnant, fat, or sick from either feeder fish or perhaps lack of UV.

Regarding pregnancy, she seems to be on the younger side so I’m not sure that’s what it is. She sniffs around outside in the dirt but doesn’t dig. I also attempted to gently feel for eggs near her legs. Not quite sure what it should feel like though. I felt something, but uncertain what it was exactly.

As for being fat… I feed her pellets 2x per day every day. The amount is about 1/4 the size of her head for each serving. I read that I should be skipping days and feeding entire head size 3 days a week. The difference doesn’t seem to be that large but perhaps? That’s why I started floating lettuce and I’ve cut back on the pellets.

And for being sick, I suppose it is a possibility. I definitely waited too long to replace her UVA & UVB lights. I didn’t realize they needed to be changed every 6mo-1yr. They were both just replaced for the first time in 2 years so very well could be UV related. However I haven’t seen anything about swelling with UV issues. Seems more like shell issues? And I’m not sure what parasite from a feeder fish would look like.

Here are some videos and photos to help:
1) https://flic.kr/p/2q3CeQX
2) https://flic.kr/p/2q3DzSa
3) https://flic.kr/p/2q3Et3o
4)

5)


Here she is wanting to get out of the tank:
https://flic.kr/p/2q3Jfyb

Thank you so much for your help!! She’s considered invasive where I live so finding someone to treat her has been very difficult.

[steve]

She is big enough to be gravid, and they are not necessarily swollen when they are. Should could just be overweight (I don’t have access to a good internet connection right now and can’t view your media adequately).

When they are gravid and want out, they are sort of on autopilot. She might be begging for more food.

[ddago003]

Thanks for the reply. Sounds like you think gravid or overweight are the most likely culprits. I will continue adjusting her diet and bringing her out to walk around and dig. If you get to an area with better internet and notice anything else, please let me know. Thank you so much!

[steve]

When she wants out of the tank, does she stop when you drop in some food?

[ddago003]

Nope, right after she eats she climbs up on her platform and if she sees me nearby she will paw at the glass to get out. She’s been eating pellets MWF now, the size of her head each day. I also got green leaf lettuce and have been floating that in the tank for her to graze on. Also 1/2 peeled grape with seed removed and 1 slice of cucumber with skin and seeds removed this week. She seems maybe a touch less bloated but still not how she was just a couple months ago. I’ve let her venture off further when she goes outside but she hasn't done anything other than explore. Just so strange to me that the bloating and the new behaviors all started at the same time.

[steve]

She doesn't really seem bloated IMO. You can weigh her to track any changes, but most of it sounds like she's just begging.