A Painted Turtle Suffers From Lymphedema

turtle with lymphedemaThe following story was shared with us by the Wildlife In Need Center in Wisconsin.

It was late fall when the Wildlife In Need Center admitted an adult Midland painted turtle. It was found walking through a local resident’s backyard.

The turtle was admitted at the healthy weight of 649 grams (almost 1.5 pounds) and an intact shell, both rarities for turtles admitted into rehabilitation facilities. However, her body was bloated and swollen. This painted turtle had a severe case of lymphedema from poor nutrition.

We had to progress carefully, because we didn’t know the true cause for the condition.

We mixed EmerAid IC Carnivore and IC Omnivore to match EmerAid’s recommendations for turtles and were able to safely get the turtle digesting food. We slowly worked her up to eating a solid and nutritious diet.

The swelling is beginning to reduce, but the road to recovery is long for this turtle. She will be in care for months more, but she may not have gotten this far without the initial EmerAid diet.