HELP!!!!! Redfoot whistling! Need some opinions!

hanban98

New Member
Joined
Jan 9, 2021
Messages
9
Location (City and/or State)
Evansville, IN / Ft Worth, TX
So I have been on google for several hours on several different occasions over my reptiles health. Just going to say that I have some diagnosed pretty severe anxiety and often over think things, so I don’t want to jump on a vet visit if it isn’t necessary and may just cause more stress. I have a 2.5 year old redfoot named Ziggy! (Gender not known yet) Ziggy is generally a very healthy tortoise witth a very strong developing shell. Quite impressed with him! I have had/ lived with him in Indiana for a year and a half since I got him, attending school. A couple months ago I took him to my herp vet because he squirted a bunch of liquid from his nose and then was whislitng for a day or so. Went to the vet, they said he was in perfect health and the whistle went away. So here i am now.. i have been on winter break from school since December 10th... we first went to Colorado for a week to my partners house and then down to Ft Worth Texas where we are currently. I have 2 other pets and a very small car so I usually don’t take his normal tank with us. He’s been fine before. At home his tank is 80-85 with a basking area of 90-95 and humidity 65-75%. When traveling in the car for long ours ,especially because it’s winter, I put hand/toe warmers under my animals carriers to keep them warm and check it with a thermostat periodically. So for his travel home i had a playpen with blankets, a heated blanket, his normal heating lamps, and big soaking water dish and the humidifier going. But of course in the winter in Colorado he dried right out so I started soaking him daily. So i get to Texas and he has the same set up. The humidity is better here and it is pretty warm. However, his skin was a little more grey than usual and now he has developed a whistle. It’s faint and comes and goes. There is no nasal discharge. His eyes aren't necessarily puffy but they are watery and a little sunken in. He’s eating great and very active. So I have heard that sometimes when Redfoots get too dry their nares can dry out and cause a whistle and click noise, the noises i have been hearing. I really don’t think he would’ve gotten too cold at any point, i am very much on top of that when trying to safely travel with 3 reptiles. I am scared he has developed a RI or has LRTD and it’s too early in the stages to be able to physically tell due to stress or changes in environment. I went and got him a tub and substrate and leaves and made him a pretty good replica of what he has at home, just less space. The temp right now is 88 and the humidity is 75%. I can still hear a faint whistle. (He’s been in here for about 24 hours. I am trying to get a vet appt scheduled for next week just in case it worsens. The only thing that worried me more was when something was in his nose a couple days ago, it could be dried snot but i never saw anything wet and he had just been eating bananas and mushrooms. I’ll attach the picture below. It wiped off with a wet qtip and his nositrls have been clear since. Please let me know what y’all think. I’m hoping he’s just dry and a couple more days in the new tub will clear it up. Just a really really stressed momma. Thanks so much in advance.08B59119-CEAC-4EEE-ADFD-7AE874DB6AF3.jpeg
 

KarenSoCal

Well-Known Member
Tortoise Club
5 Year Member
Platinum Tortoise Club
Joined
Jul 8, 2017
Messages
5,749
Location (City and/or State)
Low desert 50 mi SE of Palm Springs CA
Just a really really stressed momma.

...and a really stressed tortoise!

Travelling by car so much, and being in different enclosures has Ziggy so upset! He doesn't know these new places, plus the weather changes, plus the car rides...he never get a chance to settle in.

Stress is a killer all by itself. Add in that stress lowers immune response, and it's a perfect storm for illness.

Treat him for RI by raising temps and humidity.

Then stop dragging him all over the country.
 

hanban98

New Member
Joined
Jan 9, 2021
Messages
9
Location (City and/or State)
Evansville, IN / Ft Worth, TX
...and a really stressed tortoise!

Travelling by car so much, and being in different enclosures has Ziggy so upset! He doesn't know these new places, plus the weather changes, plus the car rides...he never get a chance to settle in.

Stress is a killer all by itself. Add in that stress lowers immune response, and it's a perfect storm for illness.

Treat him for RI by raising temps and humidity.

Then stop dragging him all over the country.

That’s what i am currently doing and warm soaks everyday. And it not like i enjoy doing this and I know he is stressed. I had no other option. It’s hard to find someone to want to come into your home and watch your animals for two months during a pandemic.
 

hanban98

New Member
Joined
Jan 9, 2021
Messages
9
Location (City and/or State)
Evansville, IN / Ft Worth, TX
He may need more humidity... Perhaps you could get someone to watch him while you travel? They hate moving around. You say you are in Fort Worth right now? I am nearby, but know nothing about redfoots. I suppose you could get someone to watch him from Tortoise Forum.
Im currently in ft worth and going back to Indiana on the 23rd so I still have to move him again ? i feel like such a bad parent ?? do you know any good herp vets around?
 

KarenSoCal

Well-Known Member
Tortoise Club
5 Year Member
Platinum Tortoise Club
Joined
Jul 8, 2017
Messages
5,749
Location (City and/or State)
Low desert 50 mi SE of Palm Springs CA
You are not a bad tort mama. And I do understand the difficulties with someone to watch him, especially with the pandemic. I am very sorry you have to deal with this.

Is there anyone either in IN or TX that could foster him? Put together an enclosure and leave him with someone.

I know this is late, but if you start a thread on here looking for a foster, someone in TFO might help you out.

If everything fails, sadly, you may have to think about rehoming him. The status quo can't continue.
 

hanban98

New Member
Joined
Jan 9, 2021
Messages
9
Location (City and/or State)
Evansville, IN / Ft Worth, TX
You are not a bad tort mama. And I do understand the difficulties with someone to watch him, especially with the pandemic. I am very sorry you have to deal with this.

Is there anyone either in IN or TX that could foster him? Put together an enclosure and leave him with someone.

I know this is late, but if you start a thread on here looking for a foster, someone in TFO might help you out.

If everything fails, sadly, you may have to think about rehoming him. The status quo can't continue.
I’m only traveling with him one more time before i move back to Texas for good. I’m not a person who typically travels a lot and i don’t think one bad experience is any reason for me to rehome him. I will never be doing that, he is my child. I do not want to foster him ever, I would be scared someone wouldn’t take as good care of him as I do and know his body language. I thunk THAT would stress him out. He is my baby and every vet he’s seen or herp specialist says he is so healthy and I must take really good care of him. I came here for advice on something I completely knew the reasons (and it’s not like i feel good about it???) not for someone to tell me to get rid of my tortoise. Honestly been crying all day since your last post because it made me feel so terrible. I don’t think I’ll ever be posting anything on this forum again. I already have a vet appt scheduled to check him out. I really do trust my own judgement, just thought some other tortoise lovers would have some helpful advice and not just straight up criticism!! Also it’s not a status quo he’s only ever traveled twice. I don’t think that a reason to rehome him if it’s only happening one more time...
 

KarenSoCal

Well-Known Member
Tortoise Club
5 Year Member
Platinum Tortoise Club
Joined
Jul 8, 2017
Messages
5,749
Location (City and/or State)
Low desert 50 mi SE of Palm Springs CA
I’m only traveling with him one more time before i move back to Texas for good. I’m not a person who typically travels a lot and i don’t think one bad experience is any reason for me to rehome him. I will never be doing that, he is my child. I do not want to foster him ever, I would be scared someone wouldn’t take as good care of him as I do and know his body language. I thunk THAT would stress him out. He is my baby and every vet he’s seen or herp specialist says he is so healthy and I must take really good care of him. I came here for advice on something I completely knew the reasons (and it’s not like i feel good about it???) not for someone to tell me to get rid of my tortoise. Honestly been crying all day since your last post because it made me feel so terrible. I don’t think I’ll ever be posting anything on this forum again. I already have a vet appt scheduled to check him out. I really do trust my own judgement, just thought some other tortoise lovers would have some helpful advice and not just straight up criticism!! Also it’s not a status quo he’s only ever traveled twice. I don’t think that a reason to rehome him if it’s only happening one more time...

When anyone posts on this forum, the members here have a primary purpose, which is to do everything we can in the best interest of the tortoise. That means that the tortoise is our # 1 priority, not you.

I have given you my opinion re' your current situation. I am genuinely sorry you are in this predicament, but from the perspective of what's best for Ziggy, I stand by my posts.

I am also genuinely sorry that you have been so upset by what I have said. But there is no purpose in telling you what you want to hear, when it is not in the tortoise's best interest. Sometimes what you need to hear is painful.

I hope you will stay on the forum, and others respond to you. I hope they have a solution for his clicking sounds, and helpful advice on travelling.

I will no longer respond to your posts so you will not have such distress from me again.

I wish you and your pets well in your remaining travels, and your upcoming move to Ft. Worth.

I'm going to tag some members to get them into this thread.
@Yvonne G
@Toddrickfl1
@Tom
@zovick
@ZEROPILOT
 

Yossarian

Well-Known Member
5 Year Member
Joined
Nov 21, 2015
Messages
813
Location (City and/or State)
Wales
I’m only traveling with him one more time before i move back to Texas for good. I’m not a person who typically travels a lot and i don’t think one bad experience is any reason for me to rehome him. I will never be doing that, he is my child. I do not want to foster him ever, I would be scared someone wouldn’t take as good care of him as I do and know his body language. I thunk THAT would stress him out. He is my baby and every vet he’s seen or herp specialist says he is so healthy and I must take really good care of him. I came here for advice on something I completely knew the reasons (and it’s not like i feel good about it???) not for someone to tell me to get rid of my tortoise. Honestly been crying all day since your last post because it made me feel so terrible. I don’t think I’ll ever be posting anything on this forum again. I already have a vet appt scheduled to check him out. I really do trust my own judgement, just thought some other tortoise lovers would have some helpful advice and not just straight up criticism!! Also it’s not a status quo he’s only ever traveled twice. I don’t think that a reason to rehome him if it’s only happening one more time...

You came here hoping for some advice because your Tortoise likely has a respiratory infection. You say you spend every second of every day making sure he is comfortable and well, but if you are being honest with yourself that is not true, or he would be housed in a climate controlled enclosure and not being dragged around the country in a little box.

@KarenSoCal has made a good faith attempt to tell you what is wrong and why your tort is not thriving. In addition to the likely RI your tort has, your pic shows the shell is pyramidding which is also an indicator of poor husbandry. Many owners of Tortoises come here with sick torts and they often react the way you have when told that what they are doing is not acceptable. Torts have very specific needs and that requires a highly controlled environment (your tort more-so than many species). Your Tort is Not having one bad experience, he has been extremely stressed for weeks, dragged from low elevation high humidity, to high elevation low humidity and back again, not to mention not having adequate space, light, heat, or humidity for weeks, the net effect is a strained immune system leaving it susceptible to infection. At the end of the day if you cannot provide that environment and refuse to try to, you are abusing your animal through neglect, even if it is because you love it and cant let it go etc. . .

After telling people like yourselves what your tort needs, compared to what your providing, and getting the responses we have received from you, we often have to tell people that they should consider rehoming the animal, but that was not the only solution to your problem that was suggested either. The most sensible option, if you are going to end up in Texas permanently is to set the tort up there and leave it there with family or friends until you return.

You were given advice in good faith, your response is dissapointing. You have a very young tortoise and it is already ill, if you are not willing to face up to how you have contributed to its illness then you are abusing your animal, pls dont do that, set your ego aside, use the advice given and find a way to care for your tort correctly. Best of luck to you and your tort.
 

Maggie3fan

Well-Known Member
5 Year Member
Joined
Jun 30, 2018
Messages
8,046
Location (City and/or State)
PacificNorthWest
I’m only traveling with him one more time before i move back to Texas for good. I’m not a person who typically travels a lot and i don’t think one bad experience is any reason for me to rehome him. I will never be doing that, he is my child. I do not want to foster him ever, I would be scared someone wouldn’t take as good care of him as I do and know his body language. I thunk THAT would stress him out. He is my baby and every vet he’s seen or herp specialist says he is so healthy and I must take really good care of him. I came here for advice on something I completely knew the reasons (and it’s not like i feel good about it???) not for someone to tell me to get rid of my tortoise. Honestly been crying all day since your last post because it made me feel so terrible. I don’t think I’ll ever be posting anything on this forum again. I already have a vet appt scheduled to check him out. I really do trust my own judgement, just thought some other tortoise lovers would have some helpful advice and not just straight up criticism!! Also it’s not a status quo he’s only ever traveled twice. I don’t think that a reason to rehome him if it’s only happening one more time...
I kinda think you are over reacting. We mostly thought you were moving to Indiana, too cold for most Redfoots. Some of the keepers thought it might be better to leave him in a warmer climate. That what 'fostering' is, one person takes care of the tortoise temporarily, then when you are ready you take him back. I have done that a number of times, it's no big thing. Remember, we cannot 'make' you leave him behind.
Now I am gonna give MY opinion as far as the tortoise is concerned, it sounds to me like he might have an Upper Respiratory Tract Infection, or a dry leaf up his nose.
There are several members here who have decided that a tortoise gets stressed if we change their routine much, or travel with them or let them out in the snow. One of our most revered chelonian experts decided that tortoises get stressed by too much moving, and his minions simply mouth his words and make it fact. No one has proven that to me however. I have traveled a lot with tortoises, I didn't see any popping anxiety pills, or crying into a pillow. I take my cat when I go, he's on a harness and leash. I raised a few tortoises and turtles in big glass aquariums, they didn't seem troubled by it, but the experts say they bang their heads and keep trying to escape, but that is NOT my experience
So I still disagree, I put any chelonian in a dark lidded box with a latching lid and my traveling tortoises sleep the whole time.
So I'm sorry you experts, you still haven't showed me that they actually do get stressed at moving. My tortoises don't get sick from traveling with me, they adapt well to a new temporary enclosure, with heat light etc. They don't ever stop eating.
So now you have seen more ways to go. Good luck
 

Maggie3fan

Well-Known Member
5 Year Member
Joined
Jun 30, 2018
Messages
8,046
Location (City and/or State)
PacificNorthWest
You came here hoping for some advice because your Tortoise likely has a respiratory infection. You say you spend every second of every day making sure he is comfortable and well, but if you are being honest with yourself that is not true, or he would be housed in a climate controlled enclosure and not being dragged around the country in a little box.

@KarenSoCal has made a good faith attempt to tell you what is wrong and why your tort is not thriving. In addition to the likely RI your tort has, your pic shows the shell is pyramidding which is also an indicator of poor husbandry. Many owners of Tortoises come here with sick torts and they often react the way you have when told that what they are doing is not acceptable. Torts have very specific needs and that requires a highly controlled environment (your tort more-so than many species). Your Tort is Not having one bad experience, he has been extremely stressed for weeks, dragged from low elevation high humidity, to high elevation low humidity and back again, not to mention not having adequate space, light, heat, or humidity for weeks, the net effect is a strained immune system leaving it susceptible to infection. At the end of the day if you cannot provide that environment and refuse to try to, you are abusing your animal through neglect, even if it is because you love it and cant let it go etc. . .

After telling people like yourselves what your tort needs, compared to what your providing, and getting the responses we have received from you, we often have to tell people that they should consider rehoming the animal, but that was not the only solution to your problem that was suggested either. The most sensible option, if you are going to end up in Texas permanently is to set the tort up there and leave it there with family or friends until you return.

You were given advice in good faith, your response is dissapointing. You have a very young tortoise and it is already ill, if you are not willing to face up to how you have contributed to its illness then you are abusing your animal, pls dont do that, set your ego aside, use the advice given and find a way to care for your tort correctly. Best of luck to you and your tort.
That was nicely said
 

newCH

Well-Known Member
5 Year Member
Joined
Nov 15, 2014
Messages
526
Location (City and/or State)
So.FL
Hello, I can understand you being a concerned tort momma. I have never experienced any health issues with my Sheldon so in that regard you describing blowing liquid out his nose sounded alarming.
Traveling can be rough, maybe somehow you can hide a wet sponge someplace in his travel carrier so he might benefit from the added humidity.
Also give him plenty of soaking.
I love to see my Sheldon drink. Dunking his head under the water to drink seems
so strange and cool at the same time.
Good luck with Ziggy. ??
 

Krista S

Well-Known Member
Platinum Tortoise Club
Joined
Aug 4, 2019
Messages
1,364
Location (City and/or State)
Saskatchewan
I am by no means an expert, but just wanted to share an observation. In the picture you’ve shared, the opening of one of the nares is super tiny in comparison to the other. I wonder if that small opening could cause a whistling sound?
 

mark1

Well-Known Member
5 Year Member
Joined
Dec 31, 2015
Messages
1,932
Location (City and/or State)
ohio
that very well could be banana in his nose , feeding them soft , or mushy food can and does get in their nostrils ........as for driving with him , if you can keep a stable optimal temp , my guess is 85 F , and provide him with familiar substrate he can hide in , i doubt it would cause him to become sick .......... you could try a 110 volt car power inverter to run a heat source in your car ....... you could also acclimate him to the box you move him in by feeding him in it regularly ........ his eyes look clear , if you can startle him and get him to quickly retract into his shell , it will often result in a discharge you are not seeing under normal conditions ......
 

New Posts

Top