Getting Marginated to open mouth for meds

[Adam S]

Hi,

I just got a 4 year old Marginated tortoise from a rescue situation. Is there any way or trick to get her to open her mouth for meds that's not too stressful? I've been using a strawberry with a hole in it and when she goes to bite it I squirt the meds in her mouth but she's getting wise to this. Any ideas?

Thanks

 

[ZEROPILOT]

Do you have access to Mazuri?
You could dampen the Mazuri with the meds. It's always easiest when the tortoise still eats.
Otherwise I think @Yvonne G posted about how to do this a while back. maybe she can help.

 

[Yvonne G]

Hi,

I just got a 4 year old Marginated tortoise from a rescue situation. Is there any way or trick to get her to open her mouth for meds that's not too stressful? I've been using a strawberry with a hole in it and when she goes to bite it I squirt the meds in her mouth but she's getting wise to this. Any ideas?

Thanks

If you can't get her to eat something with the meds in it, then forcing is the only option. And it is stressful, but only for a few minutes. I hold the tortoise in between my thighs tail down, head towards ceiling. Take hold of the tortoise's head with your thumb and index finger of your opposite hand behind the jaws and hold firmly. With the edge of a credit card or round end of a nail file, lay the card or file up against the side of the beak and try to insert it in between the upper and lower beak, then push it in and give it a twist to pry the mouth open. Squirt the meds as far back on the tongue as you can reach and hold the tortoise head up towards the ceiling for a minute or two to be sure she has swallowed the meds.

Some tortoises try to bite and that's a great time to insert the card or file.

It's much more important to get the meds into the tortoise than to worry about stressing her.

 

[Adam S]

Thanks for the replies. I have tried soaking the Mazuri, it just seems like I lose a little bit every time. She's on two meds orally every day and an injection every 72 hours. The strawberry trick worked today but will use Yvonne's technique if needed. Thanks again.

 

[Adam S]

I should also mention her appetite is very strong in her new environment.