Please help! Sulcata stretching neck

[ilovemytortoiselarry]

Hey everyone, I have a sulcata who just turned 2 years old. She recovered from a calcium deficiency and a respiratory tract infection around May last year, but recently I noticed that she has been stretching her neck out for periods of time. I noticed that she was gaping 1 time, but other times she looked pretty normal. Should I be worried about this? Thank you. Here is a photo for reference:

 

[KarenSoCal]

She has a really funny expression on her face! Too cute!

Have you seen any bubbles from her nose? Have you double-checked the temps in her enclosure? Is she being kept warm enough? What are the 4 temps in her enclosure...warm side, ambient, basking, and low at night?

Knowing this will help us help you to figure out if it's a problem.

 

[ilovemytortoiselarry]

She has a really funny expression on her face! Too cute!

Have you seen any bubbles from her nose? Have you double-checked the temps in her enclosure? Is she being kept warm enough? What are the 4 temps in her enclosure...warm side, ambient, basking, and low at night?

Knowing this will help us help you to figure out if it's a problem.

Hello! Her temps are normally 27 degrees Celsius and up during the day, and around 30 at night. Her nostrils are clear but some bubbles can be seen occasionally. Thank you so much! ☺️

 

[KarenSoCal]

Hello! Her temps are normally 27 degrees Celsius and up during the day, and around 30 at night. Her nostrils are clear but some bubbles can be seen occasionally. Thank you so much! ☺️

Those temps sound good. The basking spot should be 35-36°C.

It sounds like she has an RI. The best home treatment is heat, so I would raise the temps in her enclosure a bit, just while she's sick. Don't let the nighttime temp fall below 30°C, and daytime should run at 32-33°C, with basking at 35-36°. Keep her at these temps until 2 weeks after all symptoms are gone.

Most of the time just increasing the heat will do the job, but keep an eye on her. If she gets significantly worse, get her to the vet.

We'll see what others have to suggest.

 

[ilovemytortoiselarry]

Those temps sound good. The basking spot should be 35-36°C.

It sounds like she has an RI. The best home treatment is heat, so I would raise the temps in her enclosure a bit, just while she's sick. Don't let the nighttime temp fall below 30°C, and daytime should run at 32-33°C, with basking at 35-36°. Keep her at these temps until 2 weeks after all symptoms are gone.

Most of the time just increasing the heat will do the job, but keep an eye on her. If she gets significantly worse, get her to the vet.

We'll see what others have to suggest.

 

[ilovemytortoiselarry]

Thank you for the reply, I will raise her temperatures until she gets better and give her warm calcium soaks every other day. She was well on the way to full recovery before so I’m sure she will recover quickly again!

 

[wellington]

The temps should be 80F all day and night with a day basking area of 95-100F.
Do raise the day/night temp to 85F until she seems normal again.
Do warm water soaks but without calcium. If the diet has been good she shouldn't need added calcium but a pinch a couple times a week is fine. To much is as bad as too little.
Also be sure that there is nothing stuck in her throat.

 

[Tom]

Hello! Her temps are normally 27 degrees Celsius and up during the day, and around 30 at night. Her nostrils are clear but some bubbles can be seen occasionally. Thank you so much! ☺️

These are fine ambient temps, but is there a warmer basking area? Does the tortoise have access to some sunshine to warm up? If not, it should. Here is the care info:

The Best Way To Raise A Sulcata, Leopard, Or Star Tortoise

I chose the title of this care sheet very carefully. Are there other ways to raise babies? Yes. Yes there are, but those ways are not as good. What follows is the BEST way, according to 30 years of research and experimentation with hundreds of babies of many species. Babies hatch during the...

tortoiseforum.org

 

[ilovemytortoiselarry]

Hello, yes there are

The temps should be 80F all day and night with a day basking area of 95-100F.
Do raise the day/night temp to 85F until she seems normal again.
Do warm water soaks but without calcium. If the diet has been good she shouldn't need added calcium but a pinch a couple times a week is fine. To much is as bad as too little.
Also be sure that there is nothing stuck in her throat.

Thank you! I will do that.

 

[ilovemytortoiselarry]

These are fine ambient temps, but is there a warmer basking area? Does the tortoise have access to some sunshine to warm up? If not, it should. Here is the care info:

The Best Way To Raise A Sulcata, Leopard, Or Star Tortoise

I chose the title of this care sheet very carefully. Are there other ways to raise babies? Yes. Yes there are, but those ways are not as good. What follows is the BEST way, according to 30 years of research and experimentation with hundreds of babies of many species. Babies hatch during the...

tortoiseforum.org

Hey, my tortoise has a warmer basking area and access to sunshine. However, I think insufficient sunshine may be the problem so I will let her bathe in the sun more often. Thank you!