Mouth Rot?

[jblendowski]

Hi Its me again... sadly... my little guy Sam is *still* not eating probably have to get him to the vet (when we dig out of this crazy snow) but i noticed yday that when i put him into his water and he opened his mouth this white stuff came out. kind of looked like partially cooked egg white. I thought that it was something else i didnt know was in the water but it happened again today... This is what it looks like when i wiped it off his little beak.

hes so tiny i cant really look into his mouth to see if theres any other signs... thoughts?

As before TIA!

 

[Angela & Taco]

I'm not familiar with mouth rot so this is only based on what I've read. Do your best to try to look in the mouth. It can be whitish/cheesy looking or dark spots, depending on the kind.

Something like a popsicle stick or a small plastic spatula could be used to gently pry the mouth open. My turtle will often open his mouth a little in protest when I come near his face. Maybe try (nicely) poking him? Or hopefully he'll yawn for you. If you do get a glimpse and it's pink, that's good.

Re: the eating, what have you tried so far? What is your temp humidity range? And am I remembering correctly that you got him recently?

If you haven't already, you could try:

• Strong smelling foods, like tuna or boiled chicken
• A hunk of melon or other fruit
• Live food (worms, crickets)
• Isolating him in an empty bin/tote with just the food -- leave him there for a little while and walk away
• A worm in the water
• Raising the temp/humidity

I think a trip to the vet is always good for peace of mind, especially if you haven't taken him in before. A check up is not a bad thing.