Is my tortoise ill? Please help

[hollypop154]

Hi, I have a male Hermann Tortoise (5 years old). He has had no problems since having him but the last 2-3 days (today being the worst) he has not been interested in eating/drinking, seems very withdrawn, is hardly moving, never perked up after a bath, seems to be opening his mouth like he is yawning a lot (but it's not a yawn) and before his bath his eyes just seemed so glazed over. Is this a respiratory infection? Something else? I need advice on what to do. Thanks in advance everyone

 

[Jan A]

Hi, I have a male Hermann Tortoise (5 years old). He has had no problems since having him but the last 2-3 days (today being the worst) he has not been interested in eating/drinking, seems very withdrawn, is hardly moving, never perked up after a bath, seems to be opening his mouth like he is yawning a lot (but it's not a yawn) and before his bath his eyes just seemed so glazed over. Is this a respiratory infection? Something else? I need advice on what to do. Thanks in advance everyone

Welcome to the forum. Sorry your tort seems ill. It would help to give us more info & photos of his enclosure. What's his diet? Is there any chance something is lodged in his mouth? Is he kept inside or out? What are his temps & humidity in his enclosure? What lights are you using? Is his nose runny? Please give more info so our experts can help.

 

[Yvonne G]

Since tortoises don't breathe through their mouths, when the nostrils get plugged up, they go without breathing until absolutely necessary, then the open their mouth and gasp in air. Take the tortoise out into the sun (real good lighting) and look closely into his nose. Do you see anything plugging it? You can buy a squirt bottle of saline solution from the pharmacy (it's found in the contact lens section) and give a couple real good squirts up each nostril to see if you can clear it out. Don't worry about getting fluid into the lungs, because the nostrils end up in the roof of the mouth, not down into the lungs.

If it IS a respiratory infection, heat the tortoise's enclosure up to 85F degrees and keep it there day and night. A vet visit would be a good idea too.

Re-read the care sheet for your species and make sure you have his enclosure set up the way it should be. Nine times out of ten a tortoise gets sick because of his environment and the way he's being cared for.

 

[hollypop154]

Welcome to the forum. Sorry your tort seems ill. It would help to give us more info & photos of his enclosure. What's his diet? Is there any chance something is lodged in his mouth? Is he kept inside or out? What are his temps & humidity in his enclosure? What lights are you using? Is his nose runny? Please give more info so our experts can help.

Since tortoises don't breathe through their mouths, when the nostrils get plugged up, they go without breathing until absolutely necessary, then the open their mouth and gasp in air. Take the tortoise out into the sun (real good lighting) and look closely into his nose. Do you see anything plugging it? You can buy a squirt bottle of saline solution from the pharmacy (it's found in the contact lens section) and give a couple real good squirts up each nostril to see if you can clear it out. Don't worry about getting fluid into the lungs, because the nostrils end up in the roof of the mouth, not down into the lungs.

If it IS a respiratory infection, heat the tortoise's enclosure up to 85F degrees and keep it there day and night. A vet visit would be a good idea too.

Re-read the care sheet for your species and make sure you have his enclosure set up the way it should be. Nine times out of ten a tortoise gets sick because of his environment and the way he's being cared for.

Thank you all for your replies. Unfortunately my tortoise Milo passed away this morning. Vet suspected an underlying health condition. Gutted. I really did everything I could and paid a fortune to get him seen. He slipped away peacefully and I am having him cremated at the vets so I can keep his ashes ❤

 

[Yvonne G]

That's awful! I'm so sorry for your loss.

 

[hollypop154]

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Thank you all for your replies. Unfortunately my tortoise Milo passed away this morning. Vet suspected an underlying health condition. Gutted and so upset. I really did everything I could and he had a great life. I paid a fortune to get him seen by a specialist on a Sunday. He slipped away peacefully and I am having him cremated at the vets so I can keep his ashes ❤

 

[hollypop154]

That's awful! I'm so sorry for your loss.

Thank you Yvonne, I'm absolutely gutted ☹

 

[Jan A]

Thank you Yvonne, I'm absolutely gutted ☹

I am so very sorry. BIG hugs to you & your family. There just are no words.

 

[hollypop154]

I am so very sorry. BIG hugs to you & your family. There just are no words.

Thank you for your kind words