Help me please!!! (runny nose)

Dana123

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The above will help you get everything you need.

Sand is not a good substrate because it can irritate skin and eyes and if ingested can cause the gut to become impacted which is very painful and can be fatal. The caresheet will advise you on what to get as well as lamps, diet etc. What you are feeding him is not good for him. So please read that carefully.

Your tort needs a secure enclosure (minimum 4 x 8 feet but the bigger the better ) and not be allowed to wander around a house. Things like cleaning chemicals,, dust, human hair and small hazards that could be swallowed are all dangerous for your tort. There have also been torts killed by getting crushed in doors.

You will need 2 enclosures and sets of lamps etc for 2 torts because they should never be kept in pairs.
Torts are solitary creatures and do not like or need friends. They find it very stressful having to share their space and that can cause illness and when the bullying starts (staring, following, nudging, barging, tipping or mounting and biting) it can cause serious injury and even death.
So please do not keep them together or they will have a pretty miserable life.
Oh thank you for telling me i will either separate them or return one back and take care of the sick tortoise
 

Lyn W

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Hopefully raising your torts temps will help with the RI, but just in case it doesn't and he needs reptile antibiotics try to locate a tort vet to save some time.
 

Dana123

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Hopefully raising your torts temps will help with the RI, but just in case it doesn't and he needs reptile antibiotics try to locate a tort vet to save some time.
I will try my best i hope he doesnt need a visit to the vet, poor guy
 

harrythetortoise

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Are they usually on the floor? From the pictures you posted, looks like the floor is part of the enclosure?
 

Dana123

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Are they usually on the floor?
Yeah they are i have a space under a desk and i used to have everything there from lights to beddings to everything but then i thought i need to change the place although they have a big space under there i just felt bad
 

harrythetortoise

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Yeah they are i have a space under a desk and i used to have everything there from lights to beddings to everything but then i thought i need to change the place although they have a big space under there i just felt bad
I see, the floor might have been too cold for the tortoises, and that could have been the cause for the RI. They do better with substrates they can dig into if they want to (coco coir, orchid bark, cypress mulch).
 

Lyn W

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I will try my best i hope he doesnt need a visit to the vet, poor guy
Do you have a safe and secure outdoors enclosure?
If it is warm enough in Kuwait, short supervised time in the sun for UVB will be good for him, but make sure it's not too hot and he has shade and water available. You don't want him to overheat and die.
 

Dana123

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Do you have a safe and secure outdoors enclosure?
If it is warm enough in Kuwait, short supervised time in the sun for UVB will be good for him, but make sure it's not too hot and he has shade and water available. You don't want him to overheat and die.
So here is the thing i live in an apartment and i have big balcony area and i was gonna add grass there but he chills there
 

TeamZissou

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Omg thank you SO MUCH god bless you so respiratory infection can be cured if i keep it warm right? And about the food is what im giving him good enough? Also you mean the sick tortoise is male greek tortoise? Or the other one? Do you need more pictures?

I'm having a hard time sorting out which one is sick, or even how many tortoises you actually have. In your original post you said you had one, then bought another one, and then returned the new one.

The tortoise in post #3 is a male greek. Post some more photos of the tortoise from post #10 and we can identify it.

The sick tortoise needs to be kept warm (greater than 29 C) with access to a 35 C basking spot to help him recover. It's possible to knock out a respiratory infection with warm temps, but is not guaranteed. It's the best first step.
 

Lyn W

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So here is the thing i live in an apartment and i have big balcony area and i was gonna add grass there but he chills there
Is it sunny out there?
As long as he is safe in something he can't climb over, or fall under or through the balcony rails then that will be OK for short periods of time, but I can't stress enough that he mustn't get too hot and needs to be able to get out of the heat.
People have used large bookcases with the shelves removed and lined with shower curtains before the substrate to make enclosures. Have a look at the Enclosures thread for ideas.
Torts need UVB from the sun or special lamps in order to absorb all the minerals and nutrients from their food so short spells will do him good.

www.thetortoisetable.org is a good guide to tort safe foods that you may find useful along with the caresheet recommendations.
Cucumber and some lettuces have little nutritional value and they should very rarely have fruit as they can't cope with the sugars in them. Cucumber also has a laxative effect.
A small pinch of calcium a couple of times a week is OK to give, or use a cuttlefish bone for him to nibble on or scrape some of that on his food. (Often sold for birds but with the plastic or metal cage clips removed).

Please read the caresheet carefully and ask as many questions as you need, all the members here only have the best interests of torts at heart and are happy to help keepers put things right.
 

Dana123

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Is it sunny out there?
As long as he is safe in something he can't climb over, or fall under or through the balcony rails then that will be OK for short periods of time, but I can't stress enough that he mustn't get too hot and needs to be able to get out of the heat.
People have used large bookcases with the shelves removed and lined with shower curtains before the substrate to make enclosures. Have a look at the Enclosures thread for ideas.
Torts need UVB from the sun or special lamps in order to absorb all the minerals and nutrients from their food so short spells will do him good.

www.thetortoisetable.org is a good guide to tort safe foods that you may find useful along with the caresheet recommendations.
Cucumber and some lettuces have little nutritional value and they should very rarely have fruit as they can't cope with the sugars in them. Cucumber also has a laxative effect.
A small pinch of calcium a couple of times a week is OK to give, or use a cuttlefish bone for him to nibble on or scrape some of that on his food. (Often sold for birds but with the plastic or metal cage clips removed).

Please read the caresheet carefully and ask as many questions as you need, all the members here only have the best interests of torts at heart and are happy to help keepers put things right.
Yeah the balcony is safe and i leave him there for 5min then back inside
 

Dana123

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I'm having a hard time sorting out which one is sick, or even how many tortoises you actually have. In your original post you said you had one, then bought another one, and then returned the new one.

The tortoise in post #3 is a male greek. Post some more photos of the tortoise from post #10 and we can identify it.

The sick tortoise needs to be kept warm (greater than 29 C) with access to a 35 C basking spot to help him recover. It's possible to knock out a respiratory infection with warm temps, but is not guaranteed. It's the best first step.
Is it male or female?
 

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Yossarian

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Sorry to say, but I think the pictures are too blurry to tell.
Will you give it another try?

The thumbs are grainy but when click through to the image they are clear.

I think the tort is probably a male, its not fully developed I dont think but in the second photo you can see concavity and the tail and anal scutes look sort of male to me.
 

Dana123

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The thumbs are grainy but when click through to the image they are clear.

I think the tort is probably a male, its not fully developed I dont think but in the second photo you can see concavity and the tail and anal scutes look sort of male to me.
So you’re telling me both of my tortoises are males??? I dont think i can keep them together unless they both are females right?
 

Lyn W

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So you’re telling me both of my tortoises are males??? I dont think i can keep them together unless they both are females right?
Torts of any sex should not be kept in pairs. They are solitary creatures and don't like sharing space or competition for food and basking spaces etc. Males and females only spend time together to breed but then go their own separate ways.
Being forced to live together in an enclosed space is very stressful for both torts and there will be bullying behaviour - staring, following, nudging, mounting, tipping barging and biting. The stress can cause illness and as the bullying become more aggressive there will be injury and even death. Some people mistake the behaviour for affection but it's far from that.

As well as bullying if you have a male and female the male will relentlessly pester the female to breed - a miserable existence for her.

Groups of torts work better but only if the gender mix is right and you have a huge space so that they can avoid each other.....much bigger than your balcony.

Also you should never mix species - they carry different pathogens that could make each other very sick..
 
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