Reptile & Amphibian Forums

Sam had his second shot today. He is eating a little bit but only if I put him in front of his food. He mostly just wants to sleep under his heat lamp. Does anyone have any ideas on what I can do to help him recover quicker or at least to help him feel a little better? Also how long until he should show signs of improvement? I was considering taking him in to someone else tomorrow if he isn't better....is this too soon...should I wait a few more days? I just don't want to wait too long and then have him die on me.
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Becki

1 Husband
4 kids
2 Hermans
1 Dog
4 Finches
1 Betta

Hi Becki,
When Herman, my Leopard Tort was sick he would only eat when I put him in front of his food too. He would just sleep under his light or in his hide and once he went to his sleeping spot, he wouldn't come out unless I dragged him out. I also noticed that Herman seemed worse after his injections and I concluded that he was really scared and stressed out. I am sure Sam will start feeling better very soon. Keep him extra warm. I blocked Hermans view of me from his enclosure so I wouldn't keep stressing him out everytime I walked by. I saw improvement the very next day after my 2nd injection. I found him at 530AM the next day checking out his enclosure like it was the first time he ever got to explore it before! I would wait until tomorrow, monitor his activity in the AM and afternoon and if he is not showing signs of feeling better, make an appt for late tomorrow or Friday. I understand how upset you are. I felt so helpless when my little guy was sick. I was extremely scared that I was loosing him. I am a new tort owner and I had not a clue as to what to do.
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Lisa

1 Mali Uro - Matilda
1 Leopard Tort - Herman
1 Shih Tzu - Jake

lisasmith@optonline.net
Monroe, NY

Thanks Lisa!

Did your little Herman make a clicking sound when he breathed? If so how long did it take (after how many shots) when that stopped? Tonight I soaked him again and he finally drank some water....he finally pooped....and he ate better than he did yesterday. (keeping fingers crossed). I can still hear a clicking everytime he breathes which worries me. I'm not sure how long that continues.
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Becki

1 Husband
4 kids
2 Hermans
1 Dog
4 Finches
1 Betta

No, mine didn't make that sound. The only sign I had was the drop in activity and then I saw bubbles... Since you've seen improvements (drinking water, pooped and appetite) I would go back for another injection just to be sure that whatever it is that he has is gone. Sometimes if you don't get enough antibiotic, it supresses it and he will later relapse. Since you still hear the clicking, it's best you go back. I am sure you will see even more improvement as the day goes on since he is feeling better but since the clicking is still there, I'd go back. I hope this helps. Like I said, I am learning with ya being a new mommy!
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Lisa

1 Mali Uro - Matilda
1 Leopard Tort - Herman
1 Shih Tzu - Jake

lisasmith@optonline.net
Monroe, NY

Do tortoise's ever blow bubbles from there noses if
they are ok is it always a bad sign ? ( cold etc ? )

I'm new to tortoise keeping and am intersted in any info
I can get .

sara x x

Hi,

When a tortoise blows bubbles from their nose, it could mean that there is a respiratory infection. Not a good thing, can lead to death if not treated. My leopard tort was blowing bubbles from his nose... He's all better now (knock on wood) because I took him to the vet for antibiotic treatments. If your tort is doing this, I would suggest keeping him warm by confining him to the warm part of his enclosure. Make sure you soak him everyday in warm water. I always stay close by when I soak my tort, changing the water and keeping it warm if he needs more time. Since you are keeping them warmer, they dehydrate and that is why you need to bring the soakings up. If you tort is blowing bubbles I would find a qualified vet that is familiar with reptiles. This website- http://www.anapsid.org/vets/index.html
and
http://www.herpvetconnection.com/
and
http://www.tortoisetrust.org/articles/herpvets.htm
and
http://www.arav.org/
are the most helpful links for qualified vets that I've found of which many were suggested from this tort forum.

What kind of tort do you have? I am a new owner too and learning. Definitely get your little one checked out by a vet though asap because it is very hard to treat once you let it go too far...(so I've read)...
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Lisa

1 Mali Uro - Matilda
1 Leopard Tort - Herman
1 Shih Tzu - Jake

lisasmith@optonline.net
Monroe, NY

Hi Lisa

Thanks for replaying to my post & THANK YOU so much
for your help and advice .

I'm NOT 100% sure I saw a bubble from his nose ?!?!?!?!
I may just be being paranoid as i'm worried about him and had read it
is a thing to look for in tortoises . I have made sure his hotspot
and hot end is warm enough and will make sure he gets little soaks .
He is 9 months old and is a "Marginated tortoise" ( Turbo is his name)

He is eating well and moving around lots , Last night I gave him a little
soak and he poo'd in the water which made me happy ( my bearded dragons
like to poo in the bath too don't worry I'll not let them meet or use the same bath water
ever !!! ) I give him one meal a day of mainly weeds and his calcium/vitamin supplements .
( I've only had him 48 hours )

I'm a little confused re substrates , he is on paper towels , the place i got him
from kept them on sand/soil mix . The other thing I've read is to use "timothy hay" ?
i'm in the UK and can not seem to find this stuff ? is it ok to use normal hay for
a little bed ?

Thanks once again , being a new keeper is worrying ....

Sara xx x x
Turbo the tortoise
Twiglet,Rhubarb & custard the bearded dragons

Sara, grass clippings or leaf litter will work just as well as any hay that you can find.
It sounds like you have a nice setup.
I have found that the people who have the least problems with hatchlings in the UK have them almost totally enclosed. Unless you are rich and keep your house hot I'm certain it gets chilly by you. With the totally or partially enclosed enclosure it is less likely that the tortoise will get chilled. You've seen how the humid hide has been pushed by me and others? Well, in your climate you do have to be careful and make sure that if you do use a humid hide that it is in the warm end and cannot be exposed to the chilly air. The important thing, as you seem to have gotten, is to give the little guy a choice.
On the vitamins, once a week is ok but not necessary if you are feeding a varied diet. Too much vitamins can tax the liver and kidneys. The calcium is important but I prefer calcium carbonate in the form of Cuttlebone.
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Ed
Tortoise_Keepers-subscribe@yahoogroups.com
Trying to keep the fun in Chelonian care

Hi Ed ,
Thanks for all your advice I really appreciate it

Yeah my little one lives in an enclosure with heating etc
I also have a ceramic heater which will work if the nights get to cold

It's not easy for me to give him a very varied diet as there is not to much
variety of weeds around ( only really have clover , dandelions & chick weed )
He does love his food

I do use calcium carbonate

Sara & Turbo

You really should get to know your neighbors.
City parks???
There are lots of resources out there.
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Ed
Tortoise_Keepers-subscribe@yahoogroups.com
Trying to keep the fun in Chelonian care

Hi Ed , I do get weeds from my friends and people in my street too UK is not to good for weeds but i do my best

Always worry about getting weeds from parks etc incase of
pestisides etc !!!

Sara & Turbo x x

You are joking, right???
Where in the UK do you live????
Everytime I've visited I thought this is tortoise heaven in terms of food. (now the climate... is another story)
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Ed
Tortoise_Keepers-subscribe@yahoogroups.com
Trying to keep the fun in Chelonian care

Ed , i'm in london so it's very much city here !
There are loads of weeds at the moment as it's raining ALL the time LOL , It's the choice of weeds I think I lack here ?!
Mainly dandelions and clover is the most common ....

Sara & turbo

Mine is sick and he has not blown any bubbles from his nose. Xrays show that he has fluid in his lungs though....I kept looking for bubbles or something but it never came. Just not as active..not eating like he used too...and the clicking sound.
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Becki

1 Husband
4 kids
2 Hermans
1 Dog
4 Finches
1 Betta

Bubbles aren't 100% a sign of RI. They might blow a bubble or two occasionally after eating or soaking (especially if they've been eating something wetter, like prickly pear), and in that case it isn't anything to worry about. If it happens often, or just out of the blue, then you want to look for other signs that something is going on.
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Sohni
Northern California

0.1 Baja de L.A. Rosy Boa
0.1 Okeetee Corn Snake
1.1 Rubber Boas
1.0 Leopard Gecko
0.0.1 Hermann's Tortoise
0.0.1 Marginated Tortoise
plus my kids' herps:
0.1 California King Snake
1.0 Mexican Rosy Boa
0.1 Leopard Gecko

Hi

I only see a little kinda bubble now and again ( very rarely )
he is very lively , likes to run around his tank lots and eats great ( not that that stops me from worring !! )

Sara x x

I agree with you....he still has three more shots that they gave me to give him. Hopefully that will be enough to cure him. He got up on his own this morning! And he has been cruising around his pen...now he is eating. I can still hear the clicking sound but I hope that goes away soon. (keeping fingers crossed that he is going to get over this soon and not get it back). I was so dreading that this medicine would not work.
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Becki

1 Husband
4 kids
2 Hermans
1 Dog
4 Finches
1 Betta

Hi Becki,
How is your Hermann tort doing? Can you do me a favor? Can you explain what happens when your tort is making the clicking sound? Is it faint or loud?

Thanks,
Lisa
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Lisa

1 Mali Uro - Matilda
1 Leopard Tort - Herman
1 Shih Tzu - Jake

lisasmith@optonline.net
Monroe, NY

He seems to be doing pretty good tonight. I have caught him eating on his own again. The clicking sound is fairly faint. I have four kids so it is kind of hard to hear him. . I usually have to hold him up to my ear then I can hear it. Its hard to explain...just a faint short click sound every once in awhile. Kind of like he has something stuck in his throat or something. You will know it if you hear it.
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Becki

1 Husband
4 kids
2 Hermans
1 Dog
4 Finches
1 Betta

Maybe the sound you're referring to is something like the crackle you hear sometimes when a child with bronchitis, etc. is breathing?
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Sohni
Northern California

0.1 Baja de L.A. Rosy Boa
0.1 Okeetee Corn Snake
1.1 Rubber Boas
1.0 Leopard Gecko
0.0.1 Hermann's Tortoise
0.0.1 Marginated Tortoise
1.0 3 Toed Box Turtle (rescued)
plus my kids' herps:
0.1 California King Snake
1.0 Mexican Rosy Boa
0.1 Leopard Gecko

Yeah...that is probably the closest you can come to describing it...but a really tiny raspy crackle.
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Becki

1 Husband
4 kids
2 Hermans
1 Dog
4 Finches
1 Betta

What I am now concerned with is now my leopard tort this AM was making a sound when I picked him up after his soak. It sounds like teeth grinding together or like he is chewing on cuttlebone. It's very faint but I heard it and he isn't doing it on a consistant basis... Once in a while I hear it now because I am listening for it. He does move his neck when he makes that sound so it is seeming to me that it's him breathing. I have seen no bubbles at all (which he did have before the Baytril), he is eating on his own, is very active, going potty regularly and is drinking water. I am unsure if I should take him back to the vet... What do you think?
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Lisa

1 Mali Uro - Matilda
1 Leopard Tort - Herman
1 Shih Tzu - Jake

lisasmith@optonline.net
Monroe, NY

My torts, all 14 of them, will every once in awhile make a clicking noise. The noise comes from their mouth as if they were grinding their "teeth" or beak. It is perfectly normal.

As far as Baytril for the sick tort, my vet prescibes my dosage as such: 3 shots every day and then every other day for 14 days. So, basically that comes out to 10 shots of baytril and it does not matter how large or small the tort is as long as the dosage it correct.

I hope this helps in some way.
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Kelly Wood

1.3 Cherry Head Redfoots

1.2 Brazillian Redfoots

1.1.4 Leopard tortoises

1.1.2 Sandfire Bearded Dragons

0.2 Dogs

1.3 Parakeets

Lisa,

I have noticed my other tortoise making a kind of click grind sound when she opens her mouth and then closes it again. Do you think that is what it is? It is different then the sound that Sam is making now though...and he does it with his mouth closed or open...whenever he breathes. I'm sure since yours seems healthy and active he is probably ok. But I totally understand your worries! Maybe you can call the vet and talk to him on the phone? That might set your mind at ease...or stress it out more! These guys are going to give me gray hair from so much worry!
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Becki

1 Husband
4 kids
2 Hermans
1 Dog
4 Finches
1 Betta