Reptile & Amphibian Forums

Good evening everyone, I'm a long-time fan, but first-time poster. I'm concerned about my two-year old Aldabra.

He is about two years old and has been kept outside year-round. He has a large heated doghouse with a mercury vapor bulb available in fall-spring. Daytime highs of at least 70 inside with low Texas humidity. I brought him inside mid-December when I noticed a very mild runny nose and figured he had a chilly night. The discharge was clear and was bubbling just a little bit and making some wheezing noise. It cleared up after about a day or two indoors with 80 degree temps, 40-50% humidity. In the month and a half indoors it has re-occurred twice very briefly (about a day). He appears healthy in every other way; very active, normal thermo-regulating behavior, very hungry, good scute growth, etc. His cage-mate aldabra has not shown any symptoms, but is now separated. Under my care he has not been exposed to any other tortoises, equipment used on other tortoises, etc...

My question: Does anyone else have tortoises with the occasional runny nose? I've heard other people mention that their tortoises sometimes have a bubbly nose, but all the books and online articles suggest that I should rush him immediately to a reptile vet. What should I do?

Matt,
Better off safe than sorry. If it's just starting the vet may be albe to cure it with drops. It worked on my redfoot. The longer you wait the more it takes to cure it. So, if he were mine he'd be going to the vet. Hope this helps.
Charlie

Hello, I am not saying this isnt a cold,(does that make sense, its a double negative) but aldabras do drink through their nose sometimes causing a nasal discharge like you are describing for several hours. Also if the tort is getting too hot(or too cold) it eyes may water running down over the face and getting blown away from the nostrils during exhaling like a runny nose would. You or your vet will have to decide whats going on with the tortoise and if it is a cold treat it accordingly. Hope this hel[ps in some way and good luck with it! (did you happen to notice if it was drinking from the water bowl on the days it happens?)

Thanks both of you for the response! Good question on the drinking thing. One time he got wheezy and bubbly the night after drinking a lot of water. But today and yesterday I have no explanation. He hasn't had water in a while.

The bubbling is very slight sometimes. There is no moisture visable on the outside of the nostril, but if you look closely, you can see a small bubble inside.

One more interesting sidenote. It seems like it is only in the left nostril ???

Mike,

I am partially relieved, but still concerned... and disappointed with myself for not noticing sooner. While I usually check on them in the early evening... I woke both up in the middle of the night, and sure enough they both had watery moisture (a lot) in their mouths, noses, eyes, and necks, even the one I thought was unaffected. I went back and re-looked your Aldabra "sweating" thread from a while back, and this looks very much like the problem you described!

I understand that everyone determined this is normal (though weird) and the reason could be anything from dust, to humidity or temperature issues.

Possibly because of my low humidity, the excess tearing drys up quickly during the day, but in the evenings when they withdraw into their shells, it accumulates all over their faces and necks. That's what seems to be happening with mine. Their temps have been 75-80 consistently so I suspect humidity may play more of a factor.

My Aldabras skin gets really dry sometimes. I'm wondering if you have the same problem, and if you worry about it?

My aldabra gets the "sweats" when the humidity is low. I try to mist him and the pen daily. I use cypress mulch which holds the moisture well.It's intersesting that the redfoots respond the way to low humidy.I've never noticed a bubbly nose though.
Charlie

Hello again, with what you are describing, I would not be concerned at all. If it is happening at night I would not suspect the humidity though, (the moisture is coming from their eyes) instead I would quess it is excessive heat build up causing the eyes to water. You said the nite temp was 78-80, but is that under a heater? If yes the warm air could be escaping rather quickly and the torts are under a heater absorbing all the warmth of the heater and getting hotter than 80. I would try using a temp gun on them when this is happening (on top of shell, in front arm pit area, on top of head and on skin near tail ) to try to get a more accurate temp of the tort and not the ambient temp they are in. What Im trying to say is that just because your thermometer says 80 that doesnt mean your tort is 80! They are very good at absorbing heat and maintaining it. good luck and hope this helps!

Mike, I temped them tonight ... about 80-83, higher than I expected, but not too much different than ambient. The heater in their room is the hot air circulating variety and it is well outside the cage so they shouldn't be getting too hot from heater proximity. The only reason I turned the heat up that much at night was in case he was sick.

I was probably unclear earlier... When I mentioned humidity as a factor, I meant low not high. The reason I suspected low humidity to be the problem was this: During the day low humidity may cause excessive tearing to lubricate the eyes but its quickly evaporated in the dry air. When they hide in a dark corner withdrawn into their shells at night and the temp is a little cooler, their eyes continue to water, but maybe the moisture can't evaporate as easily so it accumulates on necks faces, mouths and noses??? He had no watery eyes or nose tonight, so I can't say for sure. I'm going to keep experimenting and try to find out.

Charlie, does this sound like the same thing you experience with yours? Does that low humidity explanation sound about right? I also use the cypress mulch inside, but mostly because its less smelly and hopefully more resistant to mold and rot.

Thanks for the help guys. At first it just seemed like the moisture was coming from the nose, and I got worked up over nothing.

Matt

Matt,
I think the low humidy is probably the answer. My tortoise room humidy runs around 50% so I soak the cypress weekly and mist daily. When I do this , his eyes don't water.
When his eyes water it runs down his neck. Haven't seen it around his mouth or nose.
We'll have to keep in touch and see how ours progress.
Charlie

My Aldabra room is very small, more like a closet, so I'm running a humidifier initially to see if that solves the problem. It seems to keep the humidity between 60-70% and that way I won't have to to soak the mulch. It seems like when the mulch gets damp, the odors are more apparent. Oh well, whatever it takes.

I will certainly let you know how it goes. I'm hoping it will help with their dry skin. When they were younger, they were crisp black, but after spending a year outside, they've turned dirty, dry and brown.

Well heres my 2 cents.
About the skin being dry mine i would say is pretty dry all the time but i dont really worry about it as there skin is thick and rough like an elephant. I dont really worry about moisture around the face. Its when the mouth is dry and parched looking with crust around the mouth that there is reason for concern. How do i know this? Well i forgot to check the heat house one night and the aldabra didnt make it in (the one night i dont check)to have a night of 30d weather. I brought him inside, put him on a heat mat and he made a full recovery in 24h BUT it was a close one! Also finding a vet with aldabra experince is in my area non existant. I have not had to take him yet but have discussed it with my vet. He and i have a very good relationship and are both tortoise nuts, lucky me. He has experiance with just about every reptile and turtle\tortoise in the world but never an Aldabra. I have called around my area trying to find an experianced Vet in the event i should ever need one but there is none. Looking in my formulary some antibiotics have specific notes for Aldabras. So i would not jump off to the vet first thing unless your Vet has a little seat time with Aldabras and dosent treat it like a Sulcata. My 2 cents.

Thanks for the warning about vet experience with aldabras. Can you tell me what books you use to find those specific antibiotic notes on aldabras? That would be good information to have just in case!

I'm glad he made it through 30 degree weather. Why did his mouth get dry as a result of the cold. How heavy is he? Did his weight and size help him get through the night?

I was looking @ the Exotic Animal Formulary 3rd ed. Actually i was just looking at it again and all i really saw in it was notes for Enrofloxacin (baytril) saying a galop. had diarreia. Other than that all i could find was notes on chemical restraints such as Michael Jacksons favorite propofal and other anesthetics. Im not quite sure why i was thinking there were more notes than that.

He is like 10 lbs. maybe a little more, not to big yet. There just very cold tolerant from what i have seen. I got lucky he rebounded so quick. This Aldabra stuff for me has been really learn on the go type stuff. I havent found much solid detailed information on them. So if you find a good source let me know! I dont really know why his mouth got all crusty. If i knew a vet with Aldbra or maybe galop. experiance i wouls ask. I would love to know myself.

Hay Charle, How those mt's.doing? Do they get runny eyes. I forgot to email you back the other day. My Mts will tear up or close if to dry .I use a hot air vaporizer, It works very good making warm steem air through the tortoise room. A word of caution,not so good on the wall paint! Also I open the window and door in the morning and turn on a window fan for about 30 min.If real cold just the inside door for a compleat air exchange. Grate way to start the morning with the steemy cypres mulch and puppy tortoise poo..........ahhh grate with that first cup of coffee. My adults were out walking around at 45F the other day. They warm up with their heat mats on all night and covered with a tarp, but it looks so wrong. They even get in the water. Of cource I cant take it and have to go out and luge them out. Crazy tortoises! Their killing me this winter. Vic.............USARK MEMBER........BAN HSUS & PETA

Hey Vic, the mountains are fine. The daily misting is keeping them happy. I have no idea when we'll get them outside. It's been a record winter here over 3 feet of snow ,2-3 ft more in the next 36 hours. It was even 9 below zero the other morning.
We may even lose power. I can see the living room full of tortoises as we all huddle up to the wood stove.
Charlie

I dont know how you folks do it! It kill me at this point! I have seen pictures of basements set up for tortoises i've sold to folks in NY ,Wis, MD.,MI.and they have big plants, grass ponds etc. all inside. I used a wood burner in my old house for 31 years. I loved it but didnt get much sleep loading wood all night. Vic......pic......Teakwood* a aberrant color morph of phayrei

Most of adult breeders have this every year, I think it is normal. I would have concerns if the color of the discharge were any color other than clear.

Note: We never let them get below 50 degrees during the winter, well anything over 100 pounds. Anything less is 55 degrees. We have had great luck with these margins.