3rd Respiratory Infection

Joey Arnetti

New Member
Joined
May 15, 2019
Messages
14
Location (City and/or State)
Hebburn, Tyne and Wear
Hi Guys.

We have a Horsfield tortoise who is 7 months old, weights 40 grams. He has developed what our vet believes is a respiritory infection. Symptoms are quiet clicking when breathing and occasional bubbles arounf the nose, more prominant in the mornings.
He has been nebulised twice a day 20mins each time with a solution of F10 (0.4ml to 100ml Saline). It seemed to do some good and after 3 weeks we stopped the treatment but pretty quickly the issue has returned.
He has a tort table with hemp substrate, UVA and UVB heat lamp with max peak temp of 32 degrees and a cooler end of the enclousre close to 20 degrees.

He is fairly dosile and we hadnt really had him long enough (only 3 months) to fully understand what his activity level would be, but we think he is less active than he originally was. He likes to be bathed and becomes more active after that. He's eating ok, a mix of pellets and dandilion / rose leaves and occasional kale, tomato and grapes etc.

The vet said due to his size it would be tricky to treat in any other way but we were hoping to see a full recovery by now. Any advice or help in any way would be really appreciated.

From everything we've been told and researched we believe we are doing everything right but would love to hear if anyone else has experienced something similar.

As a side note, his skin around his neck and face and head has become flakey and some patchs have fallen off to reveal new skin beneath. We know this is a normal process but wonder if the salt in the saline is having an effect on the rate this is occuring and he's drying out more than he usually would...

Thanks in advance.
Lucas & Adam
My Russian has had 3 separate chest infections over a 10 month period, he had to have antibiotic injections each time.

The first one and second one happened because he was near the radiator, the vet said he may of had too much humidity.

So 8 months later he got another chest infection.
So the vet said it could be the husbandry.
He had a soft soil recomended by the pet store, its happend twice with that soil.

So I changed it to coco coir, but noticed with both soil or coco coir, that when I lift his water or food bowls there is mold, I'm very concerned about this, as I make sure I wash and dry the terracotta flat bowls.

Are both bowls supposed to be on the base of my tortoises table ?? Just asking as I may be getting it very wrong, and I don't want to lose likkle Jack.

Can anyone help me with this, his tortoise table is 4ft by 6ft and he's 5 years old next month, and 6 and a half inches long on his shell.
 

Sarah2020

Well-Known Member
Tortoise Club
Platinum Tortoise Club
Joined
Mar 16, 2020
Messages
1,604
Location (City and/or State)
London, UK
Hi I would switch to orchid bark available from swell reptiles online. Deep clean and replace with bark. Also check temperatures they need heat and uvb light.
 

ZenHerper

Well-Known Member
Joined
Feb 27, 2020
Messages
2,078
Location (City and/or State)
New Jersey
My Russian has had 3 separate chest infections over a 10 month period, he had to have antibiotic injections each time.

The first one and second one happened because he was near the radiator, the vet said he may of had too much humidity.

So 8 months later he got another chest infection.
So the vet said it could be the husbandry.
He had a soft soil recomended by the pet store, its happend twice with that soil.

So I changed it to coco coir, but noticed with both soil or coco coir, that when I lift his water or food bowls there is mold, I'm very concerned about this, as I make sure I wash and dry the terracotta flat bowls.

Are both bowls supposed to be on the base of my tortoises table ?? Just asking as I may be getting it very wrong, and I don't want to lose likkle Jack.

Can anyone help me with this, his tortoise table is 4ft by 6ft and he's 5 years old next month, and 6 and a half inches long on his shell.
The greater majority of respiratory symptoms arise when environmental conditions are not suitable for the reptile in question. Reptiles have not been in captivity long enough to have evolve a way to adjust to a variety of world climates - their environments of origin must be carefully replicated in our homes and gardens.

This is the most up to date care for your species:
 

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