Hi, I'm Sam. Long time reader, first time poster. Owner of a 1 year old Cherryhead, whom i've had for only 3 months.
I'm suspecting a URI.
Symptoms:
- swollen eyes - no discharge from what I can see.
- bubbles from nose
- bubbles from mouth (as of yesterday)
- wheezing (started yesterday)
- basking a lot
- not eating
Right now there's no discharge from the nose and mouth but I saw it yesterday morning and freaked out. She had not been soaking. Nose and mouth drainage looks clear.
What i've done:
- increased soaking to 3 times a day and adding in Vita-Sol. This will be third day using Vita-Sol.
- increased temps from 60W mercury vapor to a 75W (NOT coil). So now cool temp is in the low 90s and basking area is over 100 during day. I have this light going 24 hrs right now because I want to keep those temps up constantly.
- Vet appointment for tomorrow.
- tilting her downward to drain whatever mucus is clogging her nose and mouth.
My wrong-doings:
- Temps in Hawaii have been really cold at night. I thought having heat 14 hours would be enough but the 60W probably wasn't strong enough. 75W will probably become permanent until summer takes over.
- She is also recovering from a fungal shell rot. Treating with an athlete's foot liquid that has rid the fungal infection big time. Substrate has been changed twice since treatments have started. Cause of fungal infection was a type of cypress mulch that I was using. It had a huge amount of condensation and stored on a dark shelf... Perfect fungal growth conditions... I also had cardboard at the bottom of the tank (40 gall Exoterra) and that organic material was a good food source for fungus. So I took that out. Also, mold was growing at the bottom of a tile I had in there... Took that out. She is strictly on rehydrated coconut coir, rehydrated terrarium moss and sphagnum moss. Each time I changed the substrate, I disinfected before I shovled new substrate in. However, this fungal infection might have travelled to eyes and upper resp.
- I also wasn't using Vita-Sol before. She refuses to eat romaine, cat grass, hibiscus leaves or flowers, papaya, aloe, banana leaves, turnip leaves, bell peppers. She eats spring mix (minus spinach), kale, grass, apple if mashed, mashed pumpkin, mushrooms, brussel sprouts, zucchini and of course mazuri tortoise pellets.
I'd also like to add, she has a 15ft by 3ft area outside but i'm scared to leave her out there permanently because she is bite-size for stray cats. Only on my days off from work.
My question: Is there anything else I can do to help her immune system??? Is there anything I can do until the vet appointment? Anything i'm missing? Is this infection severe?
This combined with a fungal infection... I'm starting to think i'm the worst tortoise mommy in the world and i'm on my way in becoming a tortoise murderer... Are these problems common for first time owners? Any help is greatly appreciated.
Edit: I'm also spraying her eyes with a saline solution as recommended else where on this forum. Just took her out of her soak and there's no bubbles or mouth breathing so that's kinda encouraging. Also, eyes slightly open. I was convinced it was a Vitamin A deficiency but with the wheezing i'm thinking URI.
I'm suspecting a URI.
Symptoms:
- swollen eyes - no discharge from what I can see.
- bubbles from nose
- bubbles from mouth (as of yesterday)
- wheezing (started yesterday)
- basking a lot
- not eating
Right now there's no discharge from the nose and mouth but I saw it yesterday morning and freaked out. She had not been soaking. Nose and mouth drainage looks clear.
What i've done:
- increased soaking to 3 times a day and adding in Vita-Sol. This will be third day using Vita-Sol.
- increased temps from 60W mercury vapor to a 75W (NOT coil). So now cool temp is in the low 90s and basking area is over 100 during day. I have this light going 24 hrs right now because I want to keep those temps up constantly.
- Vet appointment for tomorrow.
- tilting her downward to drain whatever mucus is clogging her nose and mouth.
My wrong-doings:
- Temps in Hawaii have been really cold at night. I thought having heat 14 hours would be enough but the 60W probably wasn't strong enough. 75W will probably become permanent until summer takes over.
- She is also recovering from a fungal shell rot. Treating with an athlete's foot liquid that has rid the fungal infection big time. Substrate has been changed twice since treatments have started. Cause of fungal infection was a type of cypress mulch that I was using. It had a huge amount of condensation and stored on a dark shelf... Perfect fungal growth conditions... I also had cardboard at the bottom of the tank (40 gall Exoterra) and that organic material was a good food source for fungus. So I took that out. Also, mold was growing at the bottom of a tile I had in there... Took that out. She is strictly on rehydrated coconut coir, rehydrated terrarium moss and sphagnum moss. Each time I changed the substrate, I disinfected before I shovled new substrate in. However, this fungal infection might have travelled to eyes and upper resp.
- I also wasn't using Vita-Sol before. She refuses to eat romaine, cat grass, hibiscus leaves or flowers, papaya, aloe, banana leaves, turnip leaves, bell peppers. She eats spring mix (minus spinach), kale, grass, apple if mashed, mashed pumpkin, mushrooms, brussel sprouts, zucchini and of course mazuri tortoise pellets.
I'd also like to add, she has a 15ft by 3ft area outside but i'm scared to leave her out there permanently because she is bite-size for stray cats. Only on my days off from work.
My question: Is there anything else I can do to help her immune system??? Is there anything I can do until the vet appointment? Anything i'm missing? Is this infection severe?
This combined with a fungal infection... I'm starting to think i'm the worst tortoise mommy in the world and i'm on my way in becoming a tortoise murderer... Are these problems common for first time owners? Any help is greatly appreciated.
Edit: I'm also spraying her eyes with a saline solution as recommended else where on this forum. Just took her out of her soak and there's no bubbles or mouth breathing so that's kinda encouraging. Also, eyes slightly open. I was convinced it was a Vitamin A deficiency but with the wheezing i'm thinking URI.
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