Skip to Content

Turtle First Aid

Help guides for sick or injured turtles

What do you do when your pet turtle becomes sick or injured? Sometimes the cause may be simple and easy to fix.

Other times you may need to take your turtle in to see a veterinarian. Below are some quick links to common illnesses, deficiencies, or injuries. Or you can use the “Ask a Vet” question box and get your answer asap.

Turtle not eating

Turtle-not-eating

Turles somestimes don’t eat for a variety of reasons including stress, illness, or for another reason.

Drowned Turtle

Can a turtle drown

Aquatic turtles can drown, and this guide tells you what to check and do if you think they may have.

Turtle Ear infection

turtle ear abscess

Turtles can get ear infections like the red eared slider pictured above with an ear abscess.

Vitamin A deficiency

swollen turtle eyes

Swollen eyes are a common sign of vitamin A deficiency. Learn how to treat prevent it here.

Vitamin K deficiency

Vitamin k deficiency in turtles

A sign of vitamin k deficiency is usually a turtle bleeding from its mouth which relates to diet.

Sneezing or coughing

Red eared slider turtle Sneezing

Sneezing or coughing could be a sign of an upper or lower respiratory infection.

Healthy Turtle poop

Turtle Poop from newborn tortoise

Poop can be a great indication of your turtles help. You can even spot parasites in their excriment.

Turtle parasites

Nematodes

Wild caught turtles can often have parasites, but it is possible for them to get them in captivity.

Respitatory Infections

Turtle respiratory infection

Learn the signs of R.I.’s and where they come from and how to prevent them here.

Bites or injuries

Common snapping turtles biting eachother

Injuries can happen from fighting, or even possibly from objects in the enclosure or external items.

Turtle prolapse

turtle prolapse

A prolapse is when either a sex organ from the cloaca or an internal organ from the body cavity.

Disclaimer: All Turtles has done some extensive studies. However we are not veterinarians or herpetologists. The information on this site is from our own interpretation. Advice given by All Turtles is of our opinion and what we thought was best. We recommend to learn from many sources and make a wise decision of the care of your pet turtle.

Check Out Other Turtle Stuff

Click to rate this post!
[Total: 5 Average: 4.2]

Sharing is caring!