Reptile & Amphibian Forums

I've posted this once to the wrong forum, so I hope I do this right this time.

I'm new to this forum, and new to tortoise owning. I got a red foot a couple of months ago. I really love him and am happy with my decision to get one. My problem is that I'm afraid he might be getting sick. I'm worried that I won't be able to get him to a vet soon enough because I'm in a rural area and it's the holiday weekend. I'm going to try and call tomorrow, but I was wondering if anyone had any advice to give me.

He's usually very active, but now he's just sitting in the corner of his tank, not really doing anything, and his appetite has really gone down as well. He's also making this soft, squeaking noise every so often that I haven't heard him make before. Also, when I purchased him, the pet shop owner told me that it's normal for them to open their mouths and make a yawning type motion every so often, but now he seems to be doing it more often. I read in different places that this is a sign of respiratory infections. I'm going to have a vet look at him A.S.A.P. but what can I do to keep him comfortable in the mean time?

The number one thing you can do for this tortie is make sure husbandry is absolute tops. Humidity and temperature for certain. I keep desert animals so am not the one to ask for red foot husbandry but I"m sure you've already researched that to the nines. Reptiles cannot produce a fever to ward off pathogens so raising the ambient temperature a few degrees (but still in the optimum range for the species) will be beneficial. Good luck with your vet vist

ps, the herp health and breeding is also a good forum to post this in. I replied here because I assumed you will be checking here first.

Thanks for replying. I appreciate it. I'm upping the temp and I've contacted some vets in the area and the woman I bought him from. They've given me basically the same advice you have for the time being.

Thanks again.