# Tortoise & Turtle CPR Guide



## Sensimillia

After browsing the net I stumbled upon a site talking about CPR. 
I had a look and couldn't find a thread on how to perform it. However found several posts talking about when someone's had to use it to save their Torts life. Although I read mostly of mouth to mouth/nose and gently blowing.

Thought it would be a useful thread to have. Hope copy and pasting is ok, will add a link to where I found also.

"What To Do If Your Turtle Can Be Revived?

1) Grasp the turtle’s head behind the ears at the base of the skull and extend the neck completely.

2)Turn it head-down / tail-up and open its mouth. Some water will possibly drip out.

3)After the dripping stops, place the turtle on a flat surface (belly-down) keeping its neck extended.

4)Straighten his front legs and pull them straight towards you as far as they can go.
Keeping the legs straight, push them in as far as they will go.

5)Continue pulling and pushing the arm which helps airflow through the animals’ system.
Take the turtle to the vet so they can administer oxygen."

Website:








CPR in Turtles and Tortoises. YES! They CAN Choke and Drown!


While turtles and tortoises do not need to breathe very often, they do still require oxygen. We had found Popeye unresponsive last month after an apparent tortoise brawl. After doing CPR for 20 min…




crazycrittersinc.com





I'm in no way a expert and wouldn't know if the above technique works. However I hope it does and hope no one would need use it, but know how to incase of an emergency.


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## JeffR

Sensimillia said:


> After browsing the net I stumbled upon a site talking about CPR.
> I had a look and couldn't find a thread on how to perform it. However found several posts talking about when someone's had to use it to save their Torts life. Although I read mostly of mouth to mouth/nose and gently blowing.
> 
> Thought it would be a useful thread to have. Hope copy and pasting is ok, will add a link to where I found also.
> 
> "What To Do If Your Turtle Can Be Revived?
> 
> 1) Grasp the turtle’s head behind the ears at the base of the skull and extend the neck completely.
> 
> 2)Turn it head-down / tail-up and open its mouth. Some water will possibly drip out.
> 
> 3)After the dripping stops, place the turtle on a flat surface (belly-down) keeping its neck extended.
> 
> 4)Straighten his front legs and pull them straight towards you as far as they can go.
> Keeping the legs straight, push them in as far as they will go.
> 
> 5)Continue pulling and pushing the arm which helps airflow through the animals’ system.
> Take the turtle to the vet so they can administer oxygen."
> 
> Website:
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> CPR in Turtles and Tortoises. YES! They CAN Choke and Drown!
> 
> 
> While turtles and tortoises do not need to breathe very often, they do still require oxygen. We had found Popeye unresponsive last month after an apparent tortoise brawl. After doing CPR for 20 min…
> 
> 
> 
> 
> crazycrittersinc.com
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> I'm in no way a expert and wouldn't know if the above technique works. However I hope it does and hope no one would need use it, but know how to incase of an emergency.


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## JeffR

I can see this working and might try it if I unfortunately get in the situation. I had a Male Burmese Star appear to down while being give a bath. The water may have been too deep?? I looked down and his head was awkwardly out and under water and not moving. I picked him up and put him face down and because it was a yearling the shell was still a little pliable so I gave it a good squeeze and a lot of water came out of the mouth and he still was “floppy” so I instinctively continued to squeeze repeatedly (cpr) style and after a few minutes he started to move an perk up 
It is now almost a month later and he continues to do well. Just an anecdote and was a recent drowning on a younger tort so might not ever work again or be generalizable 
but it worked…..


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