Reptile & Amphibian Forums

Hi, I need some help with my box turtles which i have two of. they both came out of brumation a week ago and are both looking a bit odd. my male who is about 4 years old had mucus coming out of his nose and mouth. I took him inside (they both live outdoors) and after spending the night under my care with lots of food and water he seemed to make a full recovery. what could this have been? he also has a dry patch of scales on his head almost fungusy, but i'm not sure. he is eating but seems a little sluggish.

My female box turtle is looking perfectly normal and healthy except that the skin around her neck seems to be swollen and puffy, but not in an edema (vitamin A excess) sort of way. she is eating and acting normally.

anyone have any ideas of what this might be? i've got them both indoors for now and i am ready to rush them to the vet if they start to look worse.

Take them to the vet now to have them checked.
The male sounds like it may have a respiratory infection that cannot be cured in one day. The female may have an ear infection. Only a veterinarian will be able to make a correct diagnosis and supply the correct medication to treat any infection.

I am a veterinarian that specializes in exotics. I see a lot of reptiles and have many reptiles/amphibian of my own (25 turtles including box turtles, to be exact among many others, some that I breed. I recomend bringing your turtles to a qulified veterinarian. It may be a respiratory infection versus others. It is best to have him looked at to be sure and get him treated properly. A respiratory infection will not get better on one day and he may look ok right now but could deteriorate. The "swelling" needs to be evaluated to find out for sure why it was swollen. That is not normal and should be evaluated by a vet. Im assuming he is not brumating right now. I wouldnt recomend he is. It is best to keep this guys warma nd in proper environments when sick. It speeds up their recovery. Hope that helps but I would get him looked at by a qualified vet.
chris

The above posts are both great

Hey Chris it is nice to have a vet visiting the forums; are you an arav member? I'll be missing the conference in Tuscon this spring but am avidly waiting for next years

My box turtles always puff up their throat some when they breath. Is this what you're talking about, or is their throat constantly swollen? If any of you can answer my question, I'd be very appreciative.