Reptile & Amphibian Forums

Hey folks. I think my tortoise may have upper respiratory. Over the last few weeks when I'd pick her up she'd make a whistling noise out of her nose. Today while I was admiring her as she munched on a strawberry I saw a snot bubble come out of her nose. She's a little cherry head redfoot tortoise. I'm not sure how old she is, maybe a year, maybe a little more. Her appetite has diminished a little I think too. To try and counteract what's been going on I've made sure there are no drafts in the room where her box is. She's living in a 4 x 3 box I made for her. I've got a fluorescent light above the middle and on her hot side I have a ceramic heat bulb on all the time and during the day her halogen heat lamp is on as well. Am I going about this right? Do you think it'll eventually correct itself? Should I maybe look into some veterinary treatment? I don't want to lose her, but I'm trying to avoid going to the vet due to financial limitations. Any advice would be awesome. Thanks folks.

If your tortoise has a decreased appetite and is bubbling from the nose, it is time for a visit to your vet for some antibiotic treatment. Also you must check the temperature in its box. Even though you have a heat bulb, it may not be warm enough for the tortoise. You should check the temperature of the substrate under the bulb. My Burmese Stars love to crowd together and even pile up under a 250 watt infrared bulb. I have measured the temp directly under it at 116F with a Raynger Temperature gun. I wouldn't allow any of my tortoises with signs of a respiratory problem to get below 70F in the coolest part of the enclosure. Just food for thought.

Unfortunately, an upper respiratory infection will not go away without antibiotics. You might try responding to this post & let people know where you are located- someone on the forum might be close by & be able to help out with any extra medication they have. This would be a last-ditch effort though because the animal really should be treated by a professional, which can get expensive because to properly diagnose a URI they will have to take two x-rays to see the extent of the infection.

I live out in San Diego. She usually makes the whistling/wheezing sound when I pick her up but today she wasn't makin' any noise.

If they are heavy and eating adding heat can pull them out of it sometimes.You should not tell people They ALWAYS need antibiotics.And they do not need an exray.A nasal or mouth culture medium would be more appropriate.If you use antibiotics ask your vet about gut flora,hydration and that good liver it has.And borrowing peoples left over meds,Ask them what they know about Amikacin C and if they do liver transplants in their spare time.We are all walking that thin line between chaos and stability keeping animals in captivity.Nothing is absolute. Vic

Sorry for getting under your skin, Vic. I was only forwarding what I learned from my experience with the URI my Leopard had last year. I'm sure that what I was told by a Doctor of Veterinary Medicine has little value next to your vast experience. Don't turn this forum into a pissing contest with your snide remarks.
David

Sorry I was so harsh,The writen word comes across so much more critically than a spoken word.We all just want the guys tortoise to get well.He should get professional help with it.I'll stop commenting on this type of stuff. Vic

They can get respatory infections from drying out their lungs.With all that heat make the substrate is very wet.Mold spores from hay and dust can do it too,its not always getting cold.Also if its on the floor it could be cooooold down there.I hate it when those snot bubbles happen!grose me out dude.If it stops eating hock somthing and get a VET,and I dont mean the sports car. joe6pax

Unless I missed it, you never mentioned what color the discharge is. If it's clear, perhaps the problem is environmental. If it's creamy in color, an infection is probably present.

No Internet advice will help your animal, unless it is to tell you to take it to a vet. If it is a bacterial infection, only the vet can prescribe the antibiotics, and correct dosage. Please do not extend his agony, and have him checked by a professional.

Wanda