# How to treat runny nose



## Mina Adel (Jul 30, 2016)

a small male desert tort has bubbles on his nose.
it happened after I soaked him for an hour or may be more.
I was afraid of bladder stones. because males are more affected than females and are easily die ... as their urinary system is longer and narrower . so I soak them daily.
any advice will be appreciated..


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## Jodie (Jul 30, 2016)

If that is the only time you have seen any symptoms, I would not worry much. Keep an eye on him though. If it continues, his breathing sounds raspy, or more discharge, then you will need to see a vet for RI.
I don't keep DT''s, so this is what I would do for my leopards, Sulcata or Russians.


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## Pearly (Jul 30, 2016)

I've never had to deal with it but heard that in respiratory infection some torts blow bubbles out of their nose. The only think I'd know to do is to bump up the temperature in the enclosure to 85F (that's about 29 degrees Celsjus) I'd also be sure humidity is at least 80%. People and animals have easier time getting over respiratory infections when the air they breathe is humid. And of course golden standard of warm soaks. If it was my tort I'd be on the phone booking appointment with my reptile vet but I know you are unlikely to have that option so just soaking, keep warm/humid, make sure she gets good diet and eats it daily. Also keep this sick tort separated from the others if you don't want more sick torts. That's all I can think of for now. Good luck


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## ascott (Jul 30, 2016)

Mina Adel said:


> a small male desert tort has bubbles on his nose.
> it happened after I soaked him for an hour or may be more.
> I was afraid of bladder stones. because males are more affected than females and are easily die ... as their urinary system is longer and narrower . so I soak them daily.
> any advice will be appreciated..



If yiu notice bubbles after soaking I would not worry at all...oh and both males and females equally can be plagued with stones...so be certain to keep tort hydrated


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## Mina Adel (Jul 31, 2016)

ascott said:


> If yiu notice bubbles after soaking I would not worry at all...oh and both males and females equally can be plagued with stones...so be certain to keep tort hydrated


I thought males can't excrete small stones as females do ...


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## JoesMum (Jul 31, 2016)

Mina Adel said:


> I thought males can't excrete small stones as females do ...


Neither gender can easily excrete stones, especially the larger ones. Both genders are equally susceptible to them. It's best to avoid them in the first place by soaking.


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## jockma (Jul 31, 2016)

Since this happened after a soak I think it's possible he was dehydrated and rehydrated too quickly, and vomited a small amount of fluid back up. I've seen that happen with other reptiles (and dogs, and cats, and humans...) but I assume it also happens to torts. If the bubbles aren't going away I'd second Pearly's concerns about an RI but bubbly noses can also mean stress, parasites, irritants in the enclosure etc


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## ascott (Jul 31, 2016)

Mina Adel said:


> I thought males can't exifrete small stones as females do ...


Nope...you were not told correct. Stones can and are a hazard to both male and female. A well hydrated tortoise has a much better ability to clear their system than one that is not...

Also, how did you determine the species of tortoise in your care? May we see a pic?


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## JoesMum (Jul 31, 2016)

ascott said:


> Nope...you were not told correct. Stones can and are a hazard to both male and female. A well hydrated tortoise has a much better ability to clear their system than one that is not...
> 
> Also, how did you determine the species of tortoise in your care? May we see a pic?


@ascott Mina is in Egypt and has quite a few of these locally rescued tortoises. Mina is struggling with limited space, resources, support and information in a country that has a very different attitude to wildlife to his.


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## Gillian M (Jul 31, 2016)

Please post pictures. These would enable members to give you advise more easily.


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## Mina Adel (Jul 31, 2016)

my enclosure


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## Mina Adel (Jul 31, 2016)

I gave them once calcium powder ... I found stones in their urine and all my males died. 6 males.


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## JoesMum (Jul 31, 2016)

Mina Adel said:


> I gave them once calcium powder ... I found stones in their urine and all my males died. 6 males.


It is unlikely that one dose of calcium powder caused this problem. They would have been severely dehydrated for some time to develop stones. 

If you are soaking them daily, a tiny pinch of calcium powder on their food 3 times a week is fine.


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## jockma (Jul 31, 2016)

If they all died within days, weeks or months of each other I would suspect an infectious disease. If they all died around the same time (within hours of each other) I would suspect some kind of poisoning. Don't think the stones or calcium powder had anything to do with that.

I'm very sorry to hear they didn't make it.


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## Mina Adel (Jul 31, 2016)

jockma said:


> If they all died within days, weeks or months of each other I would suspect an infectious disease. If they all died around the same time (within hours of each other) I would suspect some kind of poisoning. Don't think the stones or calcium powder had anything to do with that.
> 
> I'm very sorry to hear they didn't make it.


Thank you a lot for your feelings. what kind of infectious desease? like what ?
respiratory infection.


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## jockma (Jul 31, 2016)

You will need to separate them all. You cannot keep any of them together. There is no other way to prevent diseases from spreading among them.


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## Mina Adel (Aug 2, 2016)

that's him


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## BrianWI (Aug 2, 2016)

Are mycoplasma an issue in other countries like here for our desert tortoises?


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## Mina Adel (Aug 4, 2016)

BrianWI said:


> Are mycoplasma an issue in other countries like here for our desert tortoises?


 I don't know what is Mycoplasma 's symptoms ?


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## BrianWI (Aug 4, 2016)

Mina Adel said:


> I don't know what is Mycoplasma 's symptoms ?


Basically repeated respiratory problems.


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## Linhdan Nguyen (Aug 4, 2016)

Was the water warm throughout the whole 1 hour soak? Or was the water cold when the 1 hour was done? 
Your tortoise could have gotten sick from sitting in cold water, and if their immune system is already weak.


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## Mina Adel (Aug 4, 2016)

Linhdan Nguyen said:


> Was the water warm throughout the whole 1 hour soak? Or was the water cold when the 1 hour was done?
> Your tortoise could have gotten sick from sitting in cold water, and if their immune system is already weak.


yes i think they have respiratory infection. the water becomes cold and their immunity is weak. i don't know what to do now...


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## Linhdan Nguyen (Aug 4, 2016)

Mina Adel said:


> yes i think they have respiratory infection. the water becomes cold and their immunity is weak. i don't know what to do now...


Just do as suggested above, bump the temp up to 82-85F, day and night. Keep him separate! You dont want the other tortoises getting a respiratory infection either. 
Keep soaking the tortoise. 20-30 mins a day. Make sure the water is always warm ! 
And keep offering foods. 
Does the sick tortoise still eat?


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## Mina Adel (Aug 4, 2016)

Linhdan Nguyen said:


> Just do as suggested above, bump the temp up to 82-85F, day and night. Keep him separate! You dont want the other tortoises getting a respiratory infection either.
> Keep soaking the tortoise. 20-30 mins a day. Make sure the water is always warm !
> And keep offering foods.
> Does the sick tortoise still eat?


yes he eats...
some one told me to put antibiotic drops in his nose. 
one drop each day.


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## Linhdan Nguyen (Aug 4, 2016)

Mina Adel said:


> yes he eats...
> some one told me to put antibiotic drops in his nose.
> one drop each day.


Im no expert. Ive only had my russian tortoise for 6 months. Everything i know, I've learned from here. So i dont know about the antibiotic drops in the nose. 
Making sure you bump the heat up to around 82-85F should help though.


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