DeanMckinney
Member
Hi Everyone,
Im seeking some advice on my Indian Star tortoise that has become sick with a respiratory infection and I cannot seem to get it cleared up. I have had this tortoise since it was a hatchling and it is approaching almost a year old at this point. We went on vacation at the end of February and I had a friend watch my tortoises while we were gone for a week, we live in NC and the nights were very cold. The heater in my tortoise room was accidentally unplugged when they were vacuuming up spilled food and the temps dropped down to 69 in the room before our main heat kicked on to over ride the system. My leopards, Aldabra and Redfoots all seemed to be fine when I returned home and realized the drop on the 24 hr thermometer but the damage had been done. The following week my Indian star started wheezing and struggling to breathe some, I immediately called the exotic vet to have him seen. They did an X-ray and ruled out pneumonia and put him on injectable antibiotics (fortaz) for 2 weeks every 72 hrs. They instructed me to keep the heat high 95 during day 85 at night and little to no humidity with soaks daily and to weigh everyday. He did seem to improve but then it came back again with same symptoms, I took him back for another chest X-ray, they kept him for 48hrs to do breathing treatments and then we are back on the same round of antibiotics once again. I did reach out to the breeder to get info on temps and humidity. but this was contradicting what the vet recommended. We are currently on the second round of antibiotics and I am looking for info on proper housing during treatment, temps and humidity and lighting. I do want to note that he has kept eating every day, drinking and defecating during soaks but clearly has congestion in his lungs. Its been almost a month now and I'm desperate for any suggestions. Thanks
Im seeking some advice on my Indian Star tortoise that has become sick with a respiratory infection and I cannot seem to get it cleared up. I have had this tortoise since it was a hatchling and it is approaching almost a year old at this point. We went on vacation at the end of February and I had a friend watch my tortoises while we were gone for a week, we live in NC and the nights were very cold. The heater in my tortoise room was accidentally unplugged when they were vacuuming up spilled food and the temps dropped down to 69 in the room before our main heat kicked on to over ride the system. My leopards, Aldabra and Redfoots all seemed to be fine when I returned home and realized the drop on the 24 hr thermometer but the damage had been done. The following week my Indian star started wheezing and struggling to breathe some, I immediately called the exotic vet to have him seen. They did an X-ray and ruled out pneumonia and put him on injectable antibiotics (fortaz) for 2 weeks every 72 hrs. They instructed me to keep the heat high 95 during day 85 at night and little to no humidity with soaks daily and to weigh everyday. He did seem to improve but then it came back again with same symptoms, I took him back for another chest X-ray, they kept him for 48hrs to do breathing treatments and then we are back on the same round of antibiotics once again. I did reach out to the breeder to get info on temps and humidity. but this was contradicting what the vet recommended. We are currently on the second round of antibiotics and I am looking for info on proper housing during treatment, temps and humidity and lighting. I do want to note that he has kept eating every day, drinking and defecating during soaks but clearly has congestion in his lungs. Its been almost a month now and I'm desperate for any suggestions. Thanks
