Feeding and Nutrition :: a turtle diet?

[byn]

i have noticed lately that my Monster is looking a bit...fat. i don't think that its entirely true but i have read on another website that if their belly is kind of sticking out by their back legs then they are considered obese. i don't think that i feed her too much. what im asking is, is it ok to put a turtle on a diet? sometimes i cant help but feed her a little bit because she always looks so cute and she is always begging for food.

[Safdar]

How many pellets are you feeding?
If its confirmed that you are over feeding the turtle, then changing the diet is a requried thing for your turtle to be healthy. Dont just suddenly not give your turtle any food, slowly lower a pellet a day or so.
I know it can be hard sometimes to control oursleves from the cuteness, but you gota do it for their health.

[megcornell]

Can you post a picture? A lot of times females have "looser" skin on their hind legs that really isn't a sign of obesity. Obese turtles have trouble getting their limbs and head in and out of their shells, and are really overfed.
So long as you provide a balanced diet, Monster shouldn't be overweight. Have you looked at the nutrition section yet to check your feeding schedule yet? You should be feeding the amount of pellets that would fit in Monster's head (empty) every other day since she is over 4''. And supplement that with veggies and the occasional treat like rosy reds and monster should be healthy.

[industrial_girl_2000]

How old is your turtle? As Meg pointed out, the older female turtles get a bit saggy in the back legs as they age, especially after they have given birth to several clutches of eggs (eggs take up room in the shell which forces a bit of fat out of the legs). As long as the "fat"doesn't interfere with them pulling their arms/legs/head in, then it's normal.

FYI - an adult RES should only be fed pellets every 2 days & make sure you stick to "feeding the amount that fits inside their head as if it were hollow" rule. Feed lettuce/greens/pond plants or some other kind of veggie daily.