Urgent Care :: How to open RES mouth???

[Tann]

I just back from Vet and the doc gives me...what it call? Potion? I don't know how to open Peppermint's mouth to drop the medicine. It just a baby and very small! Somebody help me plz.

[marisa]

What is the name of the "potion" the vet gave you? Did the vet give Peppermint any of the meds while you were there? S/he didn't explain how to do it? I'd first contact the vet and ask. For me, irritating the turtle enough so that he opens his mouth as if to hiss or bite has worked.

[Tann]

well, he says I have to use paper clip to pry its mouth but Peppermint is too small for the syringe. When I take it to the vet, it gets injected twice. Poor baby! I almost cry! It's too young to deal with this. I don't know the name of the potion. Another thing is, Peppermint is too tame. It doesn't bite. Now, when it sees I'm holding syringe in my hand, it'll runaway or pretend to sleep! Poor Pepperminthy!

[marisa]

You could try blunting the end of a toothpick and use that to try to get him to open his mouth. I wouldn't think you'd actually have to pry it open---just keep gently touching his mouth/ the area around his mouth so that he gets annoyed and instinctively opens his mouth to grab it. If Peppermint shuts his eyes and pretends to be sleeping, he still at some point should open his mouth.

If the syringe is too big for him, to go to a pharmacy and see if they have a smaller one. Pipettes (sp) are quite small.

Is he still eating? If so, inject a dosage of the meds into some food. Live food (a piece of earthworm) would be good.

[sacrilegious]

you have to grab your turtle, and get a hold of its neck, and do the beak tapping thing to irritate it enough to get it to open its mouth from what i've heard most of the time. for my sick turtle unfortunately i tried that early and lost the patience and had to slightly pry its mouth open

if the medicine is suppose to make it better, then moments of discomfort while grabbing its neck is negligible in the long run compared to the medicine..

though i wish i could say that about my sick res right now...

[Tann]

Thank you, Marisa and Sacrilegious. I'll try it in the morning coz it sleeps right now. Sacrilegious, I'm sorry to hear that your RES is sick. Hope everything will be ok soon.

[Steve C]

What has worked best for me is holding mine part way in the water and tapping his nose lightly with the syringe till he open his mouth. You just have to be patient.

[kc]

i find that by using a soft little brush and brush the plastron just below the head works for me. my Luvia usually opens her mouth when i do that.

by the way, is the "potion" in the liquid form? if so and if you want your turtle to drink it, then maybe you can try spoon feed your turtle. sometimes when you put the liquid in a spoon and put at their mouth, they'll drink it a little.

[TXGUY]

WHAT A PROBLEM !!!!!!!!!!! hope I never have to go trough that

[Tann]

Thanks for your help...