First time vet visit and possible RI treatment

[Geng]

Hi guys,

For a half year I'm the proud and overworried owner of a 1,5 year old russian tortoise (female). After a half year I think it is really time to visit a vet for a medical check up, but I'm constantly postponing it because there is always some personal issue that is keeping me busy. Anyway, I want to take her to the vet this week because of this problem:

My tort has a runny nose for a month now. It started when I moved her to a bigger enclosure with new coco coir bedding. At first I though it was RI (panic intensifies), but a member told me that green yellow muscus shoud've come from both nostrills would it really be RI. In her case it's only her left nostril, clear discharge and only a bit. It was told that a runny nose can be caused by different situations, like stress by moving to a new home and a too dry substrate. She still eats and her temps are right (bask 100F, warm 80 - 90 F, cool 70F and night 65F without CHE).

For a week she is making regulary popping sound. Today I was giving her a warm soak. She ducked her head under and started blowing bubbles and making popping sounds from her mouth a lot. But I really panicked when she made a wheeze sound for the first time. After I put her back in her enclosure she would continue making popping sounds and blow a bubble once. Aside the popping, wheeze and bubbles her behaviour hasn't really changed. She walked around a bit when I was preparing her food. And when I hand fed her a dandelion flower she became really alert and speeded up to chump aggresively on her favorite snack.

Anyway, I want to take her to the vet this week. It is gonna be her first visit, so I need some tips regarding the treatment. What questions is he gonna ask me, what should I ask, what is a check up gonna cost etc. Oh and also, I don't have a car so I must take a 40 min train ride. It is quite chilly these days, so I wanna know how I should transport my tort during a 40 min cold trip.

 

[Pokeymeg]

Your vet should be asking you about your husbandry practices (temps, diet, etc) and what symptoms you're concerned about. Be sure to tell your vet about your move, etc, as stress can certainly play a role. If it's a respiratory infection, you'll need to administer antibiotics as instructed by your vet (either via food or injection). Costs vary so much based on your location and the actual vet office you're going to, so I can't tell you what price to expect.

As for keeping your tort warm, you could try putting a couple hand warmers underneath the box (or taped to the sides on the outside) you plan on carrying your tortoise in. Definitely do a test run and see how warm the box is. You don't want to bake your tort, you just want to keep the chill out!

 

[dmmj]

a good vet will ask a ton of questions about just about everything. no matter what the vet says no vitamin shots. That is usually the vets go to answer for everything and it usually turns out bad. if it is an RI which it sounds like to me you're going to need antibiotics can't say how long or what are all costs sorry

 

[Pearly]

I'd worry if my torts had ANY dischage from their nose. I think that anything coming out of ine or both nostrils is an indication of a potential problem. Have your temps dropped since moving the tort to bigger place?

 

[Geng]

I'd worry if my torts had ANY dischage from their nose. I think that anything coming out of ine or both nostrils is an indication of a potential problem. Have your temps dropped since moving the tort to bigger place?

I did panic at first, until some experienced tortoise keepers said that it isn't a big deal, but I should have a close eye on it. As long as there's no loss in weight and appitite there's no acute reason for a vet visit I've read. Her new enclosure has an extra bulb running + I bumped up the temp after I the runny nose accured.

Tommorow I'm gonna make an appointment, hopefully wednesday.

 

[W Shaw]

Whatever you carry him in, put a heavy layer of paper towel on the bottom, and have plenty of extra with you. He will poop in transit, so you'll need to be prepared to change the towels out a couple of times so he doesn't have to sit in his own "stuff."