Care for star with respiratory infection...need help..

[geekinpink]

I decided to create a new thread since it's a different issue and experts might not notice my other one with a different title.

Does tortoise with respiratory infection recover from it? How to properly care for them so they'd get better?

My tort has been having injections... she's on her 4th injection. I'm going to go ahead and say that vets here are not really an expert on tortoise or exotic animals. That's why i need experts opinion here. Should she be getting better after the 4th injection? How can you tell?

This morning when I held her, you can actually feel something like a vibration...I nebulized her and she seems better.

I've up the temp on her enclosure. She still eats a lot and active. There's no more watery eyes and runny nose. Could she be getting better? Because these symptoms cleared up but she seems to be trying to breathe. (Like when people are coming out of a flu or cold, it becomes a harder to breathe since the mucous are thickening) This is what it seems like because you can hear it. Sound disappears after salinase drops.

I have another tort and I'm scared she'd get infected. How far away should her enclosure be? are side by side but totally different enclosure ok? What should I give the other tort so she won't get infected as well?

I'm so stressed and sad

by the way: my tort is about 6" big.

 

[cemmons12]

I'm no expert, but my sulcata had it and by the 4th injection his symptoms went away and a couple days later he was just fine. As far as them being close to each other I think the other one will be fine since its in a different enclosure. I would be sure to wash your hands before handle'n the healthy one after you have handled the ill one. I wish you luck, but it sounds like since the symptoms are going away and that its eating good it is getting better. Have a good day!

 

[Yvonne G]

Hi Aileen:

You're in the Phillippines, right?

Just continue to give the injections until it runs out. Some tortoises don't show improvement for a couple weeks into the treatment. As long as the tortoise is eating and acting normal, I wouldn't be too worried about it.

See if you can find little squirt bottles of saline solution at the pharmacy. It would be either in the contact lens area or in the cold remedy area. Squirt a couple of good, hard squirts up each nostril. If there is any blockage from dried discharge, this should clear it out. Don't worry about hurting the tortoise. The nose goes into the roof of the mouth, not down the throat into the lungs.

 

[egyptiandan]

This would all depend on what antibiotic your giving. Star tortoises do not tolerate Baytril very well at all (they usually have an allergic reaction to it). Do you know what your giving?

Danny

 

[geekinpink]

I cant remember what the antibiotic is called but i now its not baytril. The vet administers the injections every 2 days. He said its a mild antibiotic to see if it works and if it doesnt they will give another stronger kind. I changed vet recently and what i did observe is that with this new vet after injecting my tort she acts like nothing happened. Just goes to eat and walk around. The last vet i went to, after injections she just hide the whole day. I dont know if thats important. I changed vet bec the other vet does not entertain questions.

Yes im in the philippines. Were having monsoon rains, i upped the temp in their pen i hope it helps. They still get sunlight.

I bought salinase drop, it comes in a squirt bottle, usually used for infants to clear their noses when they have a cold. How often can i use it? Is as often as needed bad for them?

I know its not funny having a sick tort but i never thought such loud sound could come out of such a tiny creature! 2days ago she sneezed or cough so loudly it startled me, all my dogs and freaked my cats. I wasnt sure it came from her.

 

[Yvonne G]

If you've used it two or three times and it doesn't seem to help, then there's no point in using it anymore. But its just a sterile mixture of salt and water and is not harmful.

 

[geekinpink]

If you've used it two or three times and it doesn't seem to help, then there's no point in using it anymore. But its just a sterile mixture of salt and water and is not harmful.

It does help but it last for about 3 hrs. She seems better today though. I don't hear the sound and shes breathing better. Should i just stop the drops and stop nebulizing? There's nothing on the nebulizer, its just saline solution. continuing as a pre-caution will not harm them and make her worse?