You as a turtle owner likely love your pet very much and are always trying to take care of it. If your pet does something odd, like opening its mouth constantly, then you may become worried.
This article looks into why your red-eared slider keeps opening its mouth.
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My red-eared slider keeps opening his mouth
If your red-eared slider turtle keeps opening its mouth often you may become concerned and think that the animal is sick.
There a variety of reasons why these animals may do this including:
Overheating:
Overheating can make anyone act out of the ordinary, turtles included, this phenomenon can cause these reptiles to open their mouths constantly. This is done to regulate their body temperature.
These animals can’t regulate their body temperature internally, their body temperature is determined by their environment and what the animal does. So, when overheating, the animal will open its mouth to cool off.
What to do:
You can help your pet cool down by putting it in the shade or soaking it in some water.
To avoid cooling the animal too quickly you’d want to soak the reptile in warm, not cold, water so it can cool down and slowly dissipate any excess heat.
Obstruction:
Turtles are opportunistic feeders, they will eat almost anything they are given or find, even things that they shouldn’t be eating.
If your pet eats a foreign object that it shouldn’t have, and this object becomes lodged in the animal’s throat, then the reptile may continuously open its mouth to try to get the object down its digestive system.
Other signs of an obstruction in a turtle’s throat include drooling, open-mouth breathing, excessive swallowing, and regurgitation.
What to do:
Keep the turtle calm and assess the situation first.
You should not try to grab the object out of your pet’s throat but you can soak the reptile in some water and allow it to drink the water to help flush the object out.
If you notice your pet displaying other disturbing behavior then you may start to worry and for good reason.
Signs of sickness, a change in behavior, or signs of distress usually mean that there is something wrong with the animal. If you see odd signs then take your pet to the vet.
Respiratory infection:
Another reason why your pet may constantly be opening its mouth may be that the animal has a respiratory infection.
A variety of things can cause a respiratory infection in your pet, things like parasites, fungi, viruses, and bacteria
This condition will cause your pet to develop other symptoms in addition to open-mouth breathing, like lethargy, nasal discharge, wheezing, and weight loss.
A respiratory infection is a serious condition and can mean the death of your pet if you don’t address the issue promptly and correctly.
What to do:
Taking your pet to a vet is a must in this case, the vet will be able to diagnose your pet and suggest the correct antibiotics for your pet to take.
If you can’t immediately get your pet to the vet then isolate it to avoid the spread of disease and offer it supportive care.
If you enjoyed this article then you may also be interested in other turtle/tortoise related articles. Here are some articles that you may be interested in: Why Is My Tortoise Making Chirping Noises?, Why Is My Tortoise Squeaking And Not Eating?, Sulcata Tortoise Squeaking, Sulcata Tortoise Squeaking While Sleeping, Can Pyramiding On A Tortoise Be Reversed?, Why Is My Turtles Shell Bending Up?, Why Is The Bottom Of My Turtle’s Shell Pink?,