I'm open to suggestions...

[Yvonne G]

Its a fat water turtle that hasn't eaten in a couple weeks. The turtle does the begging act when the food goddess walks into the room, but when offered food, the turtle spits it out and rubs frantically at her face with her front feet. Once the turtle spit up some clear mucous. She acts like the food tastes really, really bad. There's nothing stuck in her mouth. She has been offered veggies, greens, meal worms, cut up night crawlers, sardines (her usual favorite)...

I have no idea what might be wrong. The food is taken by other turtles so I doubt its the food.

 

[Candy]

Danny?

 

[Laura]

can you SEE in her mouth? No sores? Growths? Normal tongue so she can swallow..

 

[Tom]

Sounds like something "mechanical" with the mouth to me. Injury, foxtail in the mouth or soreness for some reason. I base this on the reaction after biting down.

 

[egyptiandan]

Can't think it's anything to do with her mouth as she is biting the food and spitting it back out. Your mouth has to work pretty well to do that. Got to be something to do with inside her mouth. I'm thinking tongue or throat, but maybe the roof of her mouth also.

Danny

 

[terryo]

Do you have any kind of fish in there with her? I had a rescue once that ate a baby cat fish. One of the hard wiskers stuck in the back of her mouth and the Vet had to take it out. I don't know how he did it, because I couldn't look and waited outside.

 

[Yvonne G]

Come to find out (Maggie's son and daughter-in-law came and helped to open the mouth) there was white fungus sort of stuff on the roof of the mouth. Maggie took an orange stick and scraped it off. Now she's looking online to see the treatment for mouth rot.

 

[Laura]

hoof and mouth disease! oh never mind...
how is she doing after the swabbing?

---

Bacterial infections are a common cause of disease in turtles and tortoises. With proper nutrition, housing, and sanitation many of these infections can be prevented, but even in the most well-cared for turtles or tortoises, infections can still occur. This article will cover some of the most common bacterial infections, as well as their recommended treatments. It should be stressed that this is just a simplified overview of several of the most common diseases. Some of these conditions can become very complicated and may require more exact diagnostics, cultures, and treatments than those listed. Many of the treatments require antibiotics that can only be prescribed by a veterinarian. If you suspect that your turtle or tortoise may have a bacterial, viral, or nutritional disease, be sure to seek out the help of a veterinarian that specializes in the treatment of turtles and tortoises.

Necrotic stomatitis

Necrotic stomatitis is an infection often caused by either the bacteria Pseudomonas or Aeromonas. It is commonly known as 'mouth rot' and is a common bacterial infection in turtles and tortoises. Mild conditions are often treated by swabbing the infected areas with diluted Betadine. More established infections often respond to antibiotics including cephalosporins and amoxicillin. In severe cases, injectable antibiotics must also be used. There are several factors that predispose turtles and tortoises to developing mouth rot. The most common is poor jaw alignment often caused by overgrown, damaged, or improperly trimmed beaks. Mouth injuries from thorns contacted during feeding can also be a cause. Tortoises may be particularly susceptible to these infections during hibernation.

 

[Yvonne G]

Thank you for that, Laura. Maggie just called me and said that they were able to swab the area with a diluted Betadine solution and that she has an appointment with the vet tomorrow.