Does my tortoise have a respiratory infection?

narmin

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Joined
Mar 15, 2021
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Birmingham
Hello everyone,
my tortoise makes squeaking noises out of his nose and he isnt really eating much. Whats happening? Should i be scared?
 

Yossarian

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Nov 21, 2015
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Can we see some photos of the tortoise please? And can you show us the enclosure/table you are keeping it on?

Otherwise, how old is it?
What are your temps, lights, food, etc. . .

Being scared wont help you. Listening to advice and fixing what your doing wrong so your tort can be healthy will help you.
 

narmin

New Member
Joined
Mar 15, 2021
Messages
10
Location (City and/or State)
Birmingham
Can we see some photos of the tortoise please? And can you show us the enclosure/table you are keeping it on?

Otherwise, how old is it?
What are your temps, lights, food, etc. . .

Being scared wont help you. Listening to advice and fixing what your doing wrong so your tort can be healthy will help you.
okay. my tortoise is around 4 months old and he normally eats vegetables ( ie red leaf, lettuce) i avoid spinach alot and i put a small amount of calcium powder given to us by the breeder. he also has a small bit of banana or grape every now and then but very ocassionally. i do hope to get some advice and i appreciate everything so much. let me share some pictures here:
Can we see some photos of the tortoise please? And can you show us the enclosure/table you are keeping it on?

Otherwise, how old is it?
What are your temps, lights, food, etc. . .

Being scared wont help you. Listening to advice and fixing what your doing wrong so your tort can be healthy will help you.
okay. my tortoise is around 4 months old and he normally eats vegetables ( ie red leaf, lettuce) i avoid spinach alot and i put a small amount of calcium powder given to us by the breeder. he also has a small bit of banana or grape every now and then but very ocassionally. i do hope to get some advice and i appreciate everything so much. let me share some pictures here:
 

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crimson_lotus

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Hello :) get rid of the clamp on your light and hang it from a stand or something more reliable.

Do you know what the temperature is in the enclosure? I can see it has a basking light but what about at night?

I am thinking (other than low temps) that your dry substrate could also be causing some squeaking. What kind of substrate is that?

Unrelated suggestion but I would put in another plant pot in there for him/her to hide in

 

narmin

New Member
Joined
Mar 15, 2021
Messages
10
Location (City and/or State)
Birmingham
Hello :) get rid of the clamp on your light and hang it from a stand or something more reliable.

Do you know what the temperature is in the enclosure? I can see it has a basking light but what about at night?

I am thinking (other than low temps) that your dry substrate could also be causing some squeaking. What kind of substrate is that?

Unrelated suggestion but I would put in another plant pot in there for him/her to hide in

thank you so much for ur suggestions!! ill do all of that. we're not sure about the temperature but we keep it on for around 12 hours a day or so and shut it off at nighttime. the substrate we use is soil for pet homes but if theres any you recommend regarding substrate, or anything else at all please let me know!
 

narmin

New Member
Joined
Mar 15, 2021
Messages
10
Location (City and/or State)
Birmingham
Hello :) get rid of the clamp on your light and hang it from a stand or something more reliable.

Do you know what the temperature is in the enclosure? I can see it has a basking light but what about at night?

I am thinking (other than low temps) that your dry substrate could also be causing some squeaking. What kind of substrate is that?

Unrelated suggestion but I would put in another plant pot in there for him/her to hide in

thank you for the care sheet! ill read up on it and make any changes to my environment. do you think i should take him to the vet though?
 

CherryN

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Mar 16, 2021
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Honolulu
I would take him to the vet. I just lost my tortoise recently so I on the paranoid side right now.
 

crimson_lotus

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thank you so much for ur suggestions!! ill do all of that. we're not sure about the temperature but we keep it on for around 12 hours a day or so and shut it off at nighttime. the substrate we use is soil for pet homes but if theres any you recommend regarding substrate, or anything else at all please let me know!

thank you for the care sheet! ill read up on it and make any changes to my environment. do you think i should take him to the vet though?

coco coir and orchid bark are two substrates that we suggest often on the forum. you could try either of those.

please get a thermostat with a temp monitor to make sure you are providing the correct heat for your tortoise - this is imperative as they cannot digest food when they are cold, they will move less, and could develop a respiratory infection if they do not have one already. I would boost the temperatures up as you are hearing wheezing and you need to make sure you are keeping them warm. I use this one: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07KC24CKD/?tag=exoticpetnetw-20

if you go to the vet and you get antibiotics, they will be pointless unless you adjust your setup. if you need more heat (especially at night time) please buy a ceramic heat emitter which emits only heat and no light. put this on a thermostat so that when your temps reach a certain point, the heat will shut off at the desired temperatures mentioned in the care sheet (high 70s, low 80s daytime and ~70 night)

CHE: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B001F9CV7K/?tag=exoticpetnetw-20

Example for light fixture stand: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B000255OUO/?tag=exoticpetnetw-20
 

Walnut's_pet

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Mar 12, 2021
Messages
49
Location (City and/or State)
Connecticut
Hello everyone,
my tortoise makes squeaking noises out of his nose and he isnt really eating much. Whats happening? Should i be scared?
Definitely follow the recommendations in the care guide. I saw the pic of the light for heat.... what about for UVB (or is that a merc vap w/ UVB)? If its not a mercury vapor then you need to invest in a florescent (t5 or t8 tube type) light that is specifically made for providing UVB (I recommend zoo med 10.0). Make sure the basking site and ambient air temps meet care sheet recommendations. Also invest in a hydrometer to measure humidity levels (critical for baby torts). With regards to the substrate, I've used soil in the past but found that it would dry too quickly and create layers upon layers of fine dust that would irritate my RTs eyes and breathing. Cyprus mulch or coco coir, as mentioned above might be a better option. Though the fine coir can also get dusty. ZooMed also sells this - no i dont work for ZooMed ;-) ... Also, lettuce doesn't have great nutritional value. There are links within TF to great guides for recommended foods. My RT's staples are fresh collard greens, dandelion greens and turnip greens (all found in our local market). A carrott, apple, or strawberry as a treat maybe once a month. She will not eat aloe unfortunately but many stand by it as an occasional treat for their torts.
 
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