Any animal or human that starts foaming at the mouth is likely suffering, and if you see this happen to your tortoise then you’d understandably be very worried and confused
This article is a look into why your tortoise may be foaming at the mouth
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Why is my tortoise frothing at the mouth?
When we think of forming at the mouth we usually think of a rabid dog or a raccoon, we don’t associate frothing at the mouth with a healthy tortoise, and foaming usually means that something is going on with your pet.
Here is why your tortoise may be frothing at the mouth:
Respiratory infection:
One of the reasons why your pet’s tortoise may be frothing at the mouth may be that the animal is suffering from a respiratory infection.
These types of infections are common, and deadly diseases, that many captive tortoises suffer from. If this condition is not treated in good time then the animal can develop pneumonia, which can be fatal.
Other signs of this condition in your pet include uneven lopsided swimming, swimming in circles, swimming upside down, breathing difficulties, a runny nose or mouth, wheezing, lethargy, loss of aperture, and bubbling or frothing at the animal’s mouth
What to do:
If you’re raising two tortoises then you’d need to separate them, this condition is contagious and you don’t want any more reptiles getting sick.
Once done you need to get your tortoise to a herp vet, a herp vet is a vet who eclipses in exotic pets like tortoises.
The vet will examine the animal, run tests on your pet’s blood, and administer antibiotics if your pet has a respiratory infection caused by bacteria
The sooner you get your pet to the vet the better.
If you can’t immediately get your pet to the vet then increase the ambient temperature in the animal’s enclosure, as well as the water temperature, by 10 degrees Fahrenheit.
Also, make sure that the tank doesn’t get cold and that no drafts are coming into the tank.
Overheating:
Another reason why your pet tortoise may be foaming at the mouth may be that your pet is overheating and or dehydrated.
Unlike humans, who will develop a dry mouth when dehydrated, tortoises will start to foam at the mouth when dehydrated.
Foaming at the mouth is the animal’s body’s way of keeping the reptile from overheating, it’s similar to sweating in humans, it cools the body down
While these animals do need to be kept warm the animals can also become too warm
What to do:
If you notice your pet foaming at the mouth then remove it from its heat source to keep it from getting hotter.
Once removed you’d need to soak your pet to get it to cool down, soak your pet in some water for a couple of hours and watch to see if the animal improves
You may need to change the environment of your tortoise’s enclosure permanently.
Not all these animals can live in hot dry environments, you’d need to look into the optimal temperature humidity for your type of tortoise.
You may need to take your pet to the vet if the animal is severely dehydrated.
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’s Mouth Black?, Why Is My Turtle’s Mouth Green?, Why Is My Tortoise’s Mouth Green?, Why Do Tortoises Like Corners?, Why Do Tortoises Like Shoes?, Why Do Tortoises Like Feet?, Why Are My Turtle’s Feet White?, Why Is My Turtle’s Mouth Foaming?, Why Are My Turtle’s Eyes Red?