Hi all. I have a 5 year old marginated tortoise.
A few days ago I.noticed he is quite bloated front and.rear. I do not live near any exotic vets unfortunately.
What could be causing this
The tortoise developed difficulty breathing/ mouth open and gasping for air.
he was prescribed a 10 day course of Baytril which reduced the swelling & breathing was less labored.
a few days after the difficulty breathing has returned along with bleeding from the mouth.The tortoise is gasping for air is very lethargic and not eating.
yesterday there was a strong ammonia smell from his tail.
the vet is liaising with a reptile specialist who has requested a swab sample to be taken.
a quick update in case people are searching for answers like i was
the tortoise was put of diuretics to reduce the swelling and was also connected to a tube for hydration.
the tortoise continued to deteriorate and started turning blue.
he died on the 28th October.
suspected heart failure / infection
I'm so sorry to hear this. The swollen look was telling us that he was retaining fluid, sometimes caused by kidney problems. Please accept my most sincere condolences. It's never easy to lose them!