red eared slider puffiness round the legs

[asuka]

hi, my turtle had some rough time laying eggs for the first time last year and i wasn't providing the suitable environment for it nor the good food, long story short now things are ok thank god but she has this puffiness around the legs area and i asked around they told me it was excessive obesity so i maintained a nutritional schedule for almost a year now but nothing changed so far im afraid it's not what they say and that it could be a serious condition, i need help finding out what is it and how to treat it and if possible the cause of it to ovoid it in the future
i'm attaching some photos hope it can help

 

[Alex and the Redfoot]

Hello!
I don't think it's an obesity issue (puffiness will be seen at front legs and neck as well).

This could be related to eggs laying (e.g. some eggs are still inside). I would make an X-Ray to be sure.

However, I'm a new tortoise owner and might be wrong. Let's wait for the more experienced members' opinions.

 

[asuka]

Hello!
I don't think it's an obesity issue (puffiness will be seen at front legs and neck as well).

This could be related to eggs laying (e.g. some eggs are still inside). I would make an X-Ray to be sure.

However, I'm a new tortoise owner and might be wrong. Let's wait for the more experienced members' opinions.

she layed 8-9 unfertilized eggs so i don't think there are more but then again it's her first time laying eggs so i'm not so sure, thanks

 

[asuka]

pls if someone can help me with this i'm terribly frightened that this could be a bigger problem than i'm thinking💔

 

[Alex and the Redfoot]

@Yvonne G Maybe you have a clue what's happening?

 

[Maggie3fan]

@Yvonne G Maybe you have a clue what's happening?

It's 4:30 am here Yvonne is sleeping we will have to wait a few hours...

 

[EppsDynasty]

pls if someone can help me with this i'm terribly frightened that this could be a bigger problem than i'm thinking💔

You are going to have to share what foods were fed at what intervals? Water temperature kept in? What size filter do you use? Is there Basking area(s)? How often do you do water changes? Do you use a UVB bulb? What kind? If not how often is the turtle given UVB? I know it sounds like alot BUT this info is needed to help out.

 

[zovick]

hi, my turtle had some rough time laying eggs for the first time last year and i wasn't providing the suitable environment for it nor the good food, long story short now things are ok thank god but she has this puffiness around the legs area and i asked around they told me it was excessive obesity so i maintained a nutritional schedule for almost a year now but nothing changed so far im afraid it's not what they say and that it could be a serious condition, i need help finding out what is it and how to treat it and if possible the cause of it to ovoid it in the future
i'm attaching some photos hope it can help

Are you able to have the turtle X-rayed to check what is going on inside her? That would be a great help.

Is the turtle eating and acting normally?

 

[asuka]

Are you able to have the turtle X-rayed to check what is going on inside her? That would be a great help.

Is the turtle eating and acting normally?

unfortunately no i can't, she is ig like eating and swimming and everything but just this week she started to only chew most of the food then spit it i don't want to jump into conclusions so will wait and see next week hope she will eat all her food then

 

[EppsDynasty]

Even though you put her on a diet for a year what was the activity level? Was she in an enclosure to small to burn calories? You can put a fat person on a diet but if they do not burn calories they will say fat. What foods?

 

[asuka]

You are going to have to share what foods were fed at what intervals? Water temperature kept in? What size filter do you use? Is there Basking area(s)? How often do you do water changes? Do you use a UVB bulb? What kind? If not how often is the turtle given UVB? I know it sounds like alot BUT this info is needed to help out.

i give her chiken hearts with egg shells powder, shrimps with it shells, carrots and cucumber and lettuce and Saki Hikari turtles food, the temperature is between 28c and 26c, i use a small one ig an 800L filter, there is a basking area but she rarely get there now, I take almost half the water and change it with new one every 2 weeks so I'm not changing the water completely just the half, I started using uvb since it's winter now and I don't want to risk her getting raspatory infection, the bulb is white light 26W 5.0, I turn on the bulb every day for 8h to 10h, no its OK I understand👍🏻 I'm not familiar with this so I don't know what information exactly should I address u can ask and I'll try to be helpful

 

[asuka]

Even though you put her on a diet for a year what was the activity level? Was she in an enclosure to small to burn calories? You can put a fat person on a diet but if they do not burn calories they will say fat. What foods?

no she is in a spacious tank and be swimming alot

 

[asuka]

i give her chiken hearts with egg shells powder, shrimps with it shells, carrots and cucumber and lettuce and Saki Hikari turtles food, the temperature is between 28c and 26c, i use a small one ig an 800L filter, there is a basking area but she rarely get there now, I take almost half the water and change it with new one every 2 weeks so I'm not changing the water completely just the half, I started using uvb since it's winter now and I don't want to risk her getting raspatory infection, the bulb is white light 26W 5.0, I turn on the bulb every day for 8h to 10h, no its OK I understand👍🏻 I'm not familiar with this so I don't know what information exactly should I address u can ask and I'll try to be helpful

I'm not sure abt the filter being 800L or 600L I lost the box but it's small

 

[EppsDynasty]

i give her chiken hearts with egg shells powder, shrimps with it shells, carrots and cucumber and lettuce and Saki Hikari turtles food, the temperature is between 28c and 26c, i use a small one ig an 800L filter, there is a basking area but she rarely get there now, I take almost half the water and change it with new one every 2 weeks so I'm not changing the water completely just the half, I started using uvb since it's winter now and I don't want to risk her getting raspatory infection, the bulb is white light 26W 5.0, I turn on the bulb every day for 8h to 10h, no its OK I understand👍🏻 I'm not familiar with this so I don't know what information exactly should I address u can ask and I'll try to be helpful

I am no expert but will try to help you. Lettuce is terrible it has no nutritional value .. It's worthless. The turtle pellets you use contain some weird ingredients like wheat and "Dried Bakery Product" what ever that is. Have you tried a different pellet? Was this pellet fed for the entire year of diet? Your filter is not correct either, in my opinion. In tank filters do not hold enough "Good" bacteria in them, a canister filter is WAY better. It's outside the tank so noise doesn't stress the turtle out, it also has a bigger surface area for bacteria to grow. To much protein is what the vet said, so she went on a diet. I can't help but think it is a "Feeding" issue as your vet did. Maybe you have a turtle allergic to corn, wheat or something else. Since it's been over a year now it might not be as "Emergency" as you think. If it was me I would change the foods fed and check weight daily.
I hope so others will chime in as well like I said I am no expert.

 

[EppsDynasty]

I'm not sure abt the filter being 800L or 600L I lost the box but it's small

Fish require a filter that pumps 2 times per hour what the tank size is in liters. Turtles in MY OPINION need this to happen at least 5 times per hour. This might not help but we're just guessing now. The water quality MIGHT be something that's off.

 

[asuka]

I am no expert but will try to help you. Lettuce is terrible it has no nutritional value .. It's worthless. The turtle pellets you use contain some weird ingredients like wheat and "Dried Bakery Product" what ever that is. Have you tried a different pellet? Was this pellet fed for the entire year of diet? Your filter is not correct either, in my opinion. In tank filters do not hold enough "Good" bacteria in them, a canister filter is WAY better. It's outside the tank so noise doesn't stress the turtle out, it also has a bigger surface area for bacteria to grow. To much protein is what the vet said, so she went on a diet. I can't help but think it is a "Feeding" issue as your vet did. Maybe you have a turtle allergic to corn, wheat or something else. Since it's been over a year now it might not be as "Emergency" as you think. If it was me I would change the foods fed and check weight daily.
I hope so others will chime in as well like I said I am no expert.

lettuce is not a base in her food schedule just when I find it I give it to her among other veggies so i do not rely on it as a main meal, actually I just started giving her this pellets 2 weeks ago I'm not into giving her nothing fresh so should I get rid of it? , what company should I go with with canister filter?.
I only give her protein food once a week and I used to give her bad pellets and dried fish, apple and cucumber only till she got sick while trying to lay eggs only then I learned she needs a whole other food supplies so just after a small amount of time of giving her chiken hearts and livers I noticed the puffiness that's why I'm worried it's not an obesity problem the puffiness is not fading away nor gitting reduced a little

 

[EppsDynasty]

lettuce is not a base in her food schedule just when I find it I give it to her among other veggies so i do not rely on it as a main meal, actually I just started giving her this pellets 2 weeks ago I'm not into giving her nothing fresh so should I get rid of it? , what company should I go with with canister filter?.
I only give her protein food once a week and I used to give her bad pellets and dried fish, apple and cucumber only till she got sick while trying to lay eggs only then I learned she needs a whole other food supplies so just after a small amount of time of giving her chiken hearts and livers I noticed the puffiness that's why I'm worried it's not an obesity problem the puffiness is not fading away nor gitting reduced a little

I understand your frustration, it sucks. I feed my Red Eared Sliders Mazuri Aquatic Turtle Pellets so all natural isn't a must do. You can try to cut out the Chicken and see if there is any improvement in a month or so. The pellets you mentioned I would not feed, too many weird ingredients, but it sounds like they are not your problem. This problem is only going to be resolved with trial and error it looks like. Try this, then try another then another until the puffiness subsides. The Mazuri pellets I use are a Balanced Diet, meaning I don't need anything else. You might try only 1 food item for a while if no improvement try another 1 item.

 

[asuka]

I understand your frustration, it sucks. I feed my Red Eared Sliders Mazuri Aquatic Turtle Pellets so all natural isn't a must do. You can try to cut out the Chicken and see if there is any improvement in a month or so. The pellets you mentioned I would not feed, too many weird ingredients, but it sounds like they are not your problem. This problem is only going to be resolved with trial and error it looks like. Try this, then try another then another until the puffiness subsides. The Mazuri pellets I use are a Balanced Diet, meaning I don't need anything else. You might try only 1 food item for a while if no improvement try another 1 item.

mazuri is no where to be found in here but will try to look it up from websites, hope this works, thank u so much I'm so grateful for ur help

 

[EppsDynasty]

This is s

lettuce is not a base in her food schedule just when I find it I give it to her among other veggies so i do not rely on it as a main meal, actually I just started giving her this pellets 2 weeks ago I'm not into giving her nothing fresh so should I get rid of it? , what company should I go with with canister filter?.
I only give her protein food once a week and I used to give her bad pellets and dried fish, apple and cucumber only till she got sick while trying to lay eggs only then I learned she needs a whole other food supplies so just after a small amount of time of giving her chiken hearts and livers I noticed the puffiness that's why I'm worried it's not an obesity problem the puffiness is not fading away nor gitting reduced a little

Sorry about not answering the filter question ... I use Fluval canister filters here in the states, not sure what you have available where you are. Any canister filter should do the job. The size really depends on your tank size. Take your liter amount of water and double that, that gives you a size to start with.
I do not think that the filter is causing the problem by itself. But the water quality being better is better for the turtle.

 

[asuka]

This is s

Sorry about not answering the filter question ... I use Fluval canister filters here in the states, not sure what you have available where you are. Any canister filter should do the job. The size really depends on your tank size. Take your liter amount of water and double that, that gives you a size to start with.
I do not think that the filter is causing the problem by itself. But the water quality being better is better for the turtle.

OK that's a good start, thank u