how do you get a turtle to open its mouth for medicine!?

by marie
(wales)

we have a small water turtle with swollen closed eyes. the vet gave us antibiotics which we have to squirt into his mouth every day. we've been trying all day and he will not open his mouth. hes not eating either at the moment so we cant add it to his food. has anyone got any ideas on how to get his mouth open? thanks

Comments for how do you get a turtle to open its mouth for medicine!?

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Oct 01, 2023

open turtles mouth for medicine
by: Renee

Get a Popsicle stick, and very carefully poke at his mouth, but sideways. Hel try n bite the stick and you hold it in his mouth for a few seconds while the person helping gives the medicine real fast. Careful though, he's gonna pull back his head real fast, and you don't Wana get antibiotics all over in his eyes. That happened with me and I don't know if it hurt him or not.

Nov 03, 2022

Water
by: Anonymous

Usually just spray water in its face with a bottle spray then itl open up. Can be tricky and its better with another person helping you

Sep 28, 2016

idk if this is safe tho....
by: Anonymous

try to gently press with your thumb and another finger on the sides of its head, mine usually open up after that.

Aug 11, 2011

Turtle Opener Mouth
by: Anonymous

This is what you do, you hold your turtle in one hand.Then use your thumb and put it under your turtle's throat and the turtle will open up.Ask someone to help you,if your turtle does not open big enough than ask the person who's helping you to use their fingers to open the turtle's mouth completely open.

Cautions! BE CAREFUL,MAKE SURE YOU DON'T GET BITTEN BY YOUR TURTLE!!!
I am not responsible for any finger injury that happens while doing this.
Cautions!DO NOT HURT YOUR TURTLE WHILE PUTTING YOUR THUMB UNDER IT!
I am also not responsible for turtle's injury or death.

Nov 30, 2010

Opening turtles mouth
by: Anonymous

I have found that in many of my turtles rubbing their noses makes them open their mouth.

Sep 17, 2010

Works for Me
by: Anonymous

I use a toothbrush to rub the shell space that connects the plastron to the carapace. Then i rub the area of his plastron directly under his head. Then i start to rub the area on the upper interior of his shell (the place that would be the equivalence of a hood for a car). By this point, he usually opens his mouth. If not, I put something in front of his face and he will open up.

Aug 23, 2009

How to open a tortoise's mouth
by: Shelly

I found a good page about this.

http://www.tortoisetrust.org/articles/nursing.html

You will want to find the part called Hand Feeding.

Keep it slow and steady.

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