Bubbly nose

Ben02

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Also forgot to mention in the one reply...
What does the injection antibiotics do? Can a injection be put in a tiny hatchling?
Don’t worry about injections for now, keeping him warm is the first line of defence in treating respiratory issues however there are many factors that can cause bubbles such as temps, substrate, etc Injections will only cure full blown respiratory infections.

I’ve seen a few tortoises in my short lifetime that were sluggish, not eating, basking 24/7, had constant discharge, and open mouth breathing. It was critical that they needed medication.
 

Ben02

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Also forgot to mention in the one reply...
What does the injection antibiotics do? Can a injection be put in a tiny hatchling?
Don’t worry about injections for now, keeping him warm is the first line of defence in treating respiratory issues however there are many factors that can cause bubbles such as temps, substrate, etc Injections will only cure full blown respiratory infections.

I’ve heard of a few tortoises that were sluggish, not eating, basking 24/7, had constant discharge, and open mouth breathing. It was critical that they needed medication.
 
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TortillaTheTortioise

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His had 3 warm steam soaks today because I know for humans warm steam can help open up your nose and I gave him some more of the nasal spray, I haven't seen any more discharge since. I'm not sure what to do for the breathing tho, is head bobbing another sign of a respiratory infection? When I lift him up he bobs his head in and out
 

Ben02

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His had 3 warm steam soaks today because I know for humans warm steam can help open up your nose and I gave him some more of the nasal spray, I haven't seen any more discharge since. I'm not sure what to do for the breathing tho, is head bobbing another sign of a respiratory infection? When I lift him up he bobs his head in and out
No,I think that’s just him saying “put me down human”, I’ve got a couple that do that:D
 

zovick

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Hi. Your tortoise has a respiratory infection. It needs warm temperatures as many have said, but it needs more than just increased temperatures. The clicking when breathing is a bad sign. If it were my tortoise, it would be getting injections of Ceftazidime every two or three days (every three days if the symptoms aren't too bad, every other day if they are more severe).

Additionally, you can get ophthalmic drops from your vet and try to drop one drop in each eye and a drop into the nostrils 3-4 times daily. The tear ducts and nostrils drain into the respiratory tract and the sinuses and help fight the infection. These drops are dexamethasone, polymyxin B, and neomycin. You could try the drops first (they are less costly) and if the symptoms don't go away in a few days, then go for the Ceftazidime injections as well.

Good luck,

Bill Z
 

zovick

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His had 3 warm steam soaks today because I know for humans warm steam can help open up your nose and I gave him some more of the nasal spray, I haven't seen any more discharge since. I'm not sure what to do for the breathing tho, is head bobbing another sign of a respiratory infection? When I lift him up he bobs his head in and out

The head bobbing is definitely a sign that the tortoise is having trouble getting air into its lungs. It needs to go to a vet while it is still eating. If you wait too long to go to a vet, you may have to watch your tortoise die.
 

Ben02

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Hi. Your tortoise has a respiratory infection. It needs warm temperatures as many have said, but it needs more than just increased temperatures. The clicking when breathing is a bad sign. If it were my tortoise, it would be getting injections of Ceftazidime every two or three days (every three days if the symptoms aren't too bad, every other day if they are more severe).

Additionally, you can get ophthalmic drops from your vet and try to drop one drop in each eye and a drop into the nostrils 3-4 times daily. The tear ducts and nostrils drain into the respiratory tract and the sinuses and help fight the infection. These drops are dexamethasone, polymyxin B, and neomycin. You could try the drops first (they are less costly) and if the symptoms don't go away in a few days, then go for the Ceftazidime injections as well.

Good luck,

Bill Z
From what I've learned, vets can do more harm than good. At this stage warm temps and frequent warm baths can really help without medical intervention. The tortoise is eating and active which makes me doubt that it has an RI, however it's still a possibility due to the clicking breath as you mentioned. We are already seeing improvements in the tortoise through the lack of bubbles. I would say give it a few more days of this method and then resort to vet advice. Could you post a picture of the drops you mentioned, I'm curious to get some for my tort arsenal:)
 

zovick

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From what I've learned, vets can do more harm than good. At this stage warm temps and frequent warm baths can really help without medical intervention. The tortoise is eating and active which makes me doubt that it has an RI, however it's still a possibility due to the clicking breath as you mentioned. We are already seeing improvements in the tortoise through the lack of bubbles. I would say give it a few more days of this method and then resort to vet advice. Could you post a picture of the drops you mentioned, I'm curious to get some for my tort arsenal:)

Head bobbing and clicking when breathing are bad signs. My point is that waiting until the tortoise is not eating and can hardly breathe at all will be too late to effectively treat the animal. I stated what I would do as a health care professional who has kept turtles and tortoises continuously since 1952 and who has bred many species for the first time in captivity. IE, I am not a newbie to this hobby. My advice is based on hard experience and also on the assumption that a knowledgeable reptile vet can be consulted for treatment of the animal. If that is not possible, then perhaps just doing as you suggest and hoping for the best is a viable idea.

The drops I mentioned are made by several manufacturers. They are simply called Veterinary Ophthalmic Drops or Veterinary Ophthalmic Solution. Ask any vet for them. They come in a small 5 ml. container with a dropper tip in the US. No time for pix of the bottle. Just ask for ophthalmic drops with the 3 ingredients I mentioned. The vet will know what you mean.
 

TortillaTheTortioise

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From what I've learned, vets can do more harm than good. At this stage warm temps and frequent warm baths can really help without medical intervention. The tortoise is eating and active which makes me doubt that it has an RI, however it's still a possibility due to the clicking breath as you mentioned. We are already seeing improvements in the tortoise through the lack of bubbles. I would say give it a few more days of this method and then resort to vet advice. Could you post a picture of the drops you mentioned, I'm curious to get some for my tort arsenal:)

The nasal spray isn't a animal product it's for human use but both of them only contain one ingredient that I researched are safe on cats and dogs and are not toxic to animals but can have side affects on some. I did take a risk using them on tortilla but it seems to help alot and I haven't seen side affects.

Iliadin- contains:Oxymetazoline HCI 0.25mg.Preservative:Benzalkonium chloride 0.005%

Not sure what the other ones called but it has Beclometasone dipropionate as the main ingredient.

He is doing better today, I've increased his temps and added a bowl of steam water into his enclosure for some humidity because I read warm humid air can make breathing easier with congestion and then put a plastic covering over the enclosure to trap in the heat. His had no discharge today at all, only clicking when he breaths.
 

zovick

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The nasal spray isn't a animal product it's for human use but both of them only contain one ingredient that I researched are safe on cats and dogs and are not toxic to animals but can have side affects on some. I did take a risk using them on tortilla but it seems to help alot and I haven't seen side affects.

Iliadin- contains:Oxymetazoline HCI 0.25mg.Preservative:Benzalkonium chloride 0.005%

Not sure what the other ones called but it has Beclometasone dipropionate as the main ingredient.

He is doing better today, I've increased his temps and added a bowl of steam water into his enclosure for some humidity because I read warm humid air can make breathing easier with congestion and then put a plastic covering over the enclosure to trap in the heat. His had no discharge today at all, only clicking when he breaths.

You should get the veterinary drops I recommended with the 3 ingredients. And again, clicking noises when the animal breathes are bad. It is a sign of pneumonia.
 

Ben02

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The nasal spray isn't a animal product it's for human use but both of them only contain one ingredient that I researched are safe on cats and dogs and are not toxic to animals but can have side affects on some. I did take a risk using them on tortilla but it seems to help alot and I haven't seen side affects.

Iliadin- contains:Oxymetazoline HCI 0.25mg.Preservative:Benzalkonium chloride 0.005%

Not sure what the other ones called but it has Beclometasone dipropionate as the main ingredient.

He is doing better today, I've increased his temps and added a bowl of steam water into his enclosure for some humidity because I read warm humid air can make breathing easier with congestion and then put a plastic covering over the enclosure to trap in the heat. His had no discharge today at all, only clicking when he breaths.
How’s he doing today? Or he might be asleep depending where you are in the world.
 

TortillaTheTortioise

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How’s he doing today? Or he might be asleep depending where you are in the world.
His doing a lot better, haven't seen discharge for 2 days and his breathing is sounding clearer as well. I'm still gonna carry on with the nasal drops until his breathing is silent.
 

CarolM

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Sorry I have been away. It however sounds like things are working out. Just keep on doing what you are doing as it is working. But considering you are or were raising Tortilla dry, we have to figure out why he got sick in the first place, so that it does not happen again. What are you using to keep Tortilla warm, as I know that during the day in Cape Town, it can be quite cold. Do me a favour and take a pic of your setup as a whole? It is going to get a lot colder, so we need to sort Tortilla out before it gets worse.
 

TortillaTheTortioise

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Sorry I have been away. It however sounds like things are working out. Just keep on doing what you are doing as it is working. But considering you are or were raising Tortilla dry, we have to figure out why he got sick in the first place, so that it does not happen again. What are you using to keep Tortilla warm, as I know that during the day in Cape Town, it can be quite cold. Do me a favour and take a pic of your setup as a whole? It is going to get a lot colder, so we need to sort Tortilla out before it gets worse.

I added on 2 lids with a space open for the basking spot (37°C) so the front side is the hottest area, the back is the coolest but I've added side heat packs to warm it up, Im also putting in boiled kettle water on the cold side so that it keeps that side a bit more humid and warmer. If I put my hand under the lid it feels warm and humid inside IMG_20190602_164052.jpg IMG_20190602_164056.jpg
 

TortillaTheTortioise

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For some reason my phone makes the enclosure seem dark, but here's a top view and a pic of Tortilla basking. It doesnt look like the best but it seems to be working to keep heat in, in 2 months when winter is over I'm going to get him a bigger enclosure I just don't want to stress him out while his sick and It will be harder to keep a large enclosure warm IMG_20190602_164846.jpg IMG_20190602_164746.jpg
 

CarolM

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I added on 2 lids with a space open for the basking spot (37°C) so the front side is the hottest area, the back is the coolest but I've added side heat packs to warm it up, Im also putting in boiled kettle water on the cold side so that it keeps that side a bit more humid and warmer. If I put my hand under the lid it feels warm and humid inside View attachment 273683 View attachment 273684
Ok, the pics are not showing for me at the moment. They will probably show much later. However how are you putting the boiling water in? As you don't want Tortilla to inadvertantly go into that hot water. If you mix the water into the substrate until it is nice and moist then the heat inside the enclosure will create the humidity that you want. But the trick is, is to have it wet and warm, NOT wet and cold. This is where the enclosed environment works the best, as it creates the greenhouse effect. Being warm and wet. If you can keep Tortilla's enclosure nice and toasty all the time, then you should not have a problem going forward, BUT you HAVE TO keep an eye on your temps and humidity. Humidity is for hydration and the heat is for warmth.
 

CarolM

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Ok, the pics are not showing for me at the moment. They will probably show much later. However how are you putting the boiling water in? As you don't want Tortilla to inadvertantly go into that hot water. If you mix the water into the substrate until it is nice and moist then the heat inside the enclosure will create the humidity that you want. But the trick is, is to have it wet and warm, NOT wet and cold. This is where the enclosed environment works the best, as it creates the greenhouse effect. Being warm and wet. If you can keep Tortilla's enclosure nice and toasty all the time, then you should not have a problem going forward, BUT you HAVE TO keep an eye on your temps and humidity. Humidity is for hydration and the heat is for warmth.
I see the pictures now. That gap you have is letting all the heat and humidity out. You really need to try and create an enclosed environment. If you have to use what you have, I would take the lids away and instead build a stand ( just take two pieces of wood and create a stand to hang your light on, then I would take plastic and cover the whole enclosure. It is not an ideal way to do it but it will still work. At the very beginning when I found Rue, i used a planter box and covered that with plastic. Not sure if you can see it properly, but I took some flat pieces of wood to make the walls higher and then duct taped the plastic to them with the light inside the enclosure. That created a nice and warm environment. 1515169085981.jpeg
 

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