Odd behavior in your turtle will quickly pique your interest if you’re raising these adorable little creatures, but why does this weird behavior happen?
This article looks into why your turtle blows bubbles out of his mouth.
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Turtle blowing bubbles out of his mouth:
If any of your pets were to start releasing bubbles at their mouths then you may think that the animal has rabies, thankfully turtles cannot get rabies, but your pet may be suffering from something else.
Here is why this may be happening with your pet:
Respiration:
Respiration is one of the simplest reasons why your pet may be blowing bubbles. Just as with humans, turtles breathe in air and expel carbon dioxide but unlike humans, turtles do this underwater.
These animals will come up to the surface to inhale fresh air, and can stay underwater for as long as 2 hours holding their breath.
They will release the waste carbon dioxide while underwater and this will look like a stream of bubbles.
What to do:
This is perfectly normal behavior for these little animals and isn’t something that you need to worry about, you also don’t have to do anything if you see this in your turtle.
If however, your pet starts to show signs of illness, distress, or a change in behavior at any time then you may need to take your pet to the vet.
Allergies:
If the bubbles that your pet is creating come out as foaming at the mouth, while the animal is out of water, then this may be happening because your pet is having an allergic reaction to something.
Humans and animals alike can be allergic to a variety of things and your pet may have been exposed to something it is allergic to.
Other signs of an allergic reaction in your pet, in addition to the foaming at the mouth, include swelling, vomiting, itching, hives, coughing, and diarrhea
What to do:
Taking your pet to the vet to have tests conducted will help you figure out what your pet is allergic to.
Removing the allergen from your pet’s environment will get the animal back to normal and will stop the allergic reaction.
Respiratory infections:
Another health-related reason why your pet may be blowing bubbles may be that the little animal has a respiratory infection.
Respiratory infections can develop in turtles who live in environments with sub-optimal humidity, or temperature, they can also develop if your pet’s environment contains irritants like viruses, bacteria, fungi, or parasites
Other signs of respiratory infections in your turtle include gasping for air, being lethargic, swimming to the side, swimming awkwardly, open-mouth breathing, wheezing, and discharge coming from the nose or mouth.
What to do:
Taking your pet to the vet in this case is also recommended. The vet will examine and diagnose your pet and will prescribe the correct antibiotics at the correct dosage for your pet.
If your pet isn’t seen by a vet, and treated, then its condition can get worse and your turtle may develop pneumonia.
If you can’t immediately get your pet to the vet what you can do is increase your turtle’s basking temperature by 10 degrees Fahrenheit and increase the temperature of your pet’s water by 5 degrees Fahrenheit.
This increased temperature should help the animal fight the infection for now.
Also, maintain a healthy environment for your pet, change the filter medium and water, and keep your pet eating.
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: Red-Eared Slider Breathing Heavily, Red Eared Slider Biting At Air, Tortoise Keeps Opening And Closing Its Mouth, Why Does My Turtle Open Its Mouth When I Pick It Up?, Turtle Opening Mouth While Basking, Why Does My Turtle Open Its Mouth Underwater?, Why Is My Turtle Shell Turning Brown?