My Turtle is Puffed Up
======================

Copyright by Valerie Haecky. This document may be freely 
distributed for non-profit use, provided this notice is
included.

Question: "My turtle has puffed up. It's skin gets puffy and chubby.
          What could be the cause, and what do I do about this?"


Answer: My first guess is that your turtle may just be getting too fat.
        We all have a tendency to overfeed our tame, begging turtles.
        Dry food, which is much more concentrated than natural food stuffs,
        particularly deceives owners as to how many calories the turtles
        eat. If your turtle does not show any other symptoms, eats and
        behaves in its normal manners, and generally seems healthy, I suggest
        you try putting it on a diet first, as described here:
        Is My Turtle Too Fat? How Can It Diet? How often Should I Feed?

        A more serious condition, hypothyroidism, also manifests itself with
        this symptom. (There may not be a visible enlargement of the thyroid.) 
        Usually, the cause is lack of iodide. 
        Review your turtles' diet and make sure it gets vitamins
        and minerals in sufficient quantities. 
        If there is no improvement after adding iodide to the diet, 
        consider consulting a veterinarian. 

        Note: Kelp tablets are a good source of additional iodide.
        However, your first course should be a multi-vitamin suitable for
        reptiles.

See Also:

• Is My Turtle Too Fat? How Can It Diet? How often Should I Feed?