low range still sick

[Angryfab]

Mainly just giving an up a date
It's amazing how much you can learn a bought a animal when it's sick and you're trying to get it better.
So now I know that the bubbles in her nose are not good .
Called a lot of vets an the only 2 I found were off work till Friday .
Called Auburn University and they said that I could bring her down there so I'm keeping close eye on her till Friday if she gets any worse I will be heading to auburn

 

[Angryfab]

Wright now doing the soaks with the carrot baby food an keeping a close eye on her

 

[Yvonne G]

Bubbles from the nose might also be just because the tortoise is stressed. Your tortoise needs to have it's territory defined, and must be left there to acclimate. It doesn't help to be moving it around here and there to see if it will eat. Set it up in an outdoor enclosure where it will be safe, with a shelter, waterer, etc. and just leave it alone to be a tortoise. Or, just leave it in the temporary box you built for it and let it get used to living in the box.

If you start baby tortoises out at a young age moving them here and there, they get used to new places, but a tortoise that has lived in one place for a long time, then gets moved to a new place, then at that new place keeps getting moved around here and there, that stresses him out big time. Stress causes bubbly nose. And unless the vets at the university take a smear of the mucous and look at it under the microscope and test it, they are just guessing that the bubbles mean a R.I.

 

[Angryfab]

Yes she has been in the box now for a week without moving her
Still not eating .she tends to get in the coolest. Spots away from the basking spot or in the hide an not move .I offer food constantly .
No poop I'm soaking her twice a day an have just started the baby food

 

[Angryfab]

The vet I am going to take her to has treated them before all the rest I've talked to haven't

 

[Tom]

In addition to the stress related factors that Yvonne mentioned, RIs are typically cause by temps being too low. Frequently, a tortoise can be "cured" by simply by raising the temperatures.

Since we are in the sulcata section, I'm guessing we are talking about a sulcata.

What size?
What are your four temps? Warm side, cool side, basking area and overnight low?
What heating and lighting equipment are you using to maintain these temps day and night?

 

[Angryfab]

She is around 8 in long
Under the 150 ceramic coil heat bulb is 100 +-
Far side 78
Mid 85
Got the zilla 1000 wat temp control
Still in temporary box

 

[Angryfab]

This is her soak

 

[Angryfab]

 

[Tom]

She is around 8 in long
Under the 150 ceramic coil heat bulb is 100 +-
Far side 78
Mid 85
Got the zilla 1000 wat temp control
Still in temporary box

She needs a basking lamp during the day. The CHE is good for over all temp maintenance, but she needs an indoor "sun" to bask under. I'd get a 100-150 watt flood and set the height so basking temp under it is around 110-115. Keep this lamp over to one side, and make sure you use a ceramic based fixture for it. Set this bulb on a timer to come on around 6:30am and go off at 8:00pm

Then set the CHE over the middle of the whole box and set the thermostat to 86. Put the probe over in the coolest corner.

Soak this tortoise in warm water EVERY day with these hot temps. You need a bigger soaking tub. You can pick an 18 gallon tote for about $5 at the hardware store when you are getting your timer and light fixture.

Leave things set this way until at least two weeks after symptoms disappear. After that, you can gradually reduce your settings to the more normal temps for a suclata.

If you do these things, You might be able to solve the problem without the stress, hassle and expense of a vet.

 

[Angryfab]

 

[Angryfab]

Ok I have this fixture an a 75-watt incandescent light bulb in it now I turn it on about 5 in the morning andoff a bought 8 .
I will get the tote today
If I might ask why the big tote

 

[Angryfab]

I've been soaking her at around 90 f

 

[Tom]

If I might ask why the big tote

They need enough room to turn around and be active in the soaking water. Also, a larger water volume helps keep the water warmer for longer.

I would raise the water temp up to about 95-98 if you are using a thermometer. That will keep the tortoise warmer for longer.

 

[Tom]

Ok I have this fixture an a 75-watt incandescent light bulb in it now I turn it on about 5 in the morning andoff a bought 8 .
I will get the tote today
If I might ask why the big tote

If you are getting the correct temperature with that fixture mounted on top of that screen, then great. But I suspect will ned to get the fixture inside the enclosure and closer to the tortoise, and not through that heavy screen, to get maximum benefit from your heat lamp.

If you hang that fixture and bulb inside the enclosure, it might give you the correct temp and you won't have to buy anything new.

 

[Angryfab]

If you are getting the correct temperature with that fixture mounted on top of that screen, then great. But I suspect will ned to get the fixture inside the enclosure and closer to the tortoise, and not through that heavy screen, to get maximum benefit from your heat lamp.

If you hang that fixture and bulb inside the enclosure, it might give you the correct temp and you won't have to buy anything new.

 

[Angryfab]

Like this

 

[Tom]

Like this

Yes. That looks good. Put a temp probe under the lamp and let it cook for a couple hours. What temp do you get? If its too hot, you can get a smaller wattage bulb, or you can run an in-line rheostat to dial down the heat a bit. Too cool? Use a higher wattage bulb, or lower the fixture a bit.

I like to use a flat piece of slate or sandstone under my heat lamps for basking too.

Set your temp probe on a brick to approximate tortoise shell height. For a tortoise possibly fighting a RI, I would take it to 110-115. If ambient in the whole box climbs to 90-95 during the day, all the better. Ambient temp in Tomboutou Mali is 105 today. What you you thnk the ground in the sun would temp at?

 

[Angryfab]

Yes. That looks good. Put a temp probe under the lamp and let it cook for a couple hours. What temp do you get? If its too hot, you can get a smaller wattage bulb, or you can run an in-line rheostat to dial down the heat a bit. Too cool? Use a higher wattage bulb, or lower the fixture a bit.

I like to use a flat piece of slate or sandstone under my heat lamps for basking too.

Set your temp probe on a brick to approximate tortoise shell height. For a tortoise possibly fighting a RI, I would take it to 110-115. If ambient in the whole box climbs to 90-95 during the day, all the better. Ambient temp in Tomboutou Mali is 105 today. What you you thnk the ground in the sun would temp at?

okay so put a break with a thermos thermometer on it to simulate the tortoise is back and that should be a hundred and ten hundred fifteen that makes sense now.
A quick question I've had the tortoise now for a little over a week should I be worried that it hasn't eaten how long do I need to go before I need to worry

 

[Angryfab]

I haven built the outside box because I was afraid of moving it an even worse if it up an dies .so I think at the most it won't hurt for the vet to do exam Friday just to make sure all is good. Or into your opinion do you think it would just stressed her more