Possible RI?! Help plz

[Nurstradamus]

Hello!!! I have had my baby Sulcata tortoise Pumpkin for a few months now. Two days ago pumpkin started to squeak, and I thought it was cute, so I took a video. I played with pumpkin and let her run around. The day after I panicked that it could have been a respiratory infection. I gave her a bath yesterday and she seems better. This morning I came down and she was sleeping, I woke her up to give her another bath, and when I woke her up she started to squeak and nose bubble a little. After the bath she ate a strawberry and she is all good again. It has improved over two days with the baths, but I’m still scared because she is only a few months old. She hasn’t shown symptoms other than nose bubbles and squeaks. I can’t take her to the vet because the current state we are in, but I really need help...

unfortunately you need antibiotics for a respiratory infection which is what she has.

 

[Yvonne G]

Is there anyway to treat RI? Do you think my tortoise has it?

The way to treat it is as has been told to you: cover the enclosure to keep the warm moist air inside and make sure the whole enclosure is 80-85F degrees day and night.

 

[DesertGirl]

Ok thank you so much!!!!

Are you anywhere near the Metroplex? I know TX is big. I was born there. Live in Vegas now. There is an ab fab exotic vet in Mansfield, Roger Kendrick at Country Club Pet Hospital. Cannot say enough good things about him. I first found him when I had a sick goldfish in the 1990s.

 

[PumkinRulez]

Thank you all!!! I found an online vet and started daily soaks, and Pumpkin is so much better!!! I haven’t seen any symptoms for three days and I’m still keeping a close eye on her, but Pumpkins doing so great!!!!

 

[DesertGirl]

That’s such great news!

 

[Tom]

Thank you all!!! I found an online vet and started daily soaks, and Pumpkin is so much better!!! I haven’t seen any symptoms for three days and I’m still keeping a close eye on her, but Pumpkins doing so great!!!!

Soaks don't stop a RI. Soaks are great for keeping your tortoise hydrated, but that has nothing to do with a RI.

RIs are caused by cold temps. Letting the tortoise out on the floor and not having night heat is what caused/is causing the problem. You don't need a vet. They will make things worse. You need a proper enclosure and warmer temperatures. Not a warmer basking temperature. A warmer ambient temperature in the entire enclosure. Like right now. Move the enclosure into a bathroom with a space heater if need be, but get the temperature in the whole enclosure above 85 and keep it like that 24/7 for at least two weeks after symptoms disappear.

Take a minute and read this thread that was linked for you. It explains everything you need to do and everything you need to get:

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

 

[PumkinRulez]

Update:

I switched to coconut fibres!!!
Also pumpkin is great and still no squeaking or nose bubbles!!!

 

[PumkinRulez]

It’s also eco live I have some iso pods in there!!!