is this normal?

[heyprettyrave]

is it normal for me to be able to hear her breathe, its very distinct and has been going on for as long as ive had her. i took her to the vet and they said that she was perfectly fine, but it concerns me? also is it normal for them to head bob? i read it was but i just wanted to make sure

 

[LindaF]

The only time I heard my red foot breath was when he was too dry. I used to have a problem with keeping humidity up. When I heard the "whistle" when he was breathing I knew it was time for a good soak which helped. The experts will need to weigh in about the head bobbing. Is he struggling to breath, or being aggressive, etc....

 

[cdmay]

is it normal for me to be able to hear her breathe, its very distinct and has been going on for as long as ive had her. i took her to the vet and they said that she was perfectly fine, but it concerns me? also is it normal for them to head bob? i read it was but i just wanted to make sure

Yes, it's very normal to hear them breathe, especially if they have any size on them. I can hear my big females breathing when they are hidden back into hedges even though I might be several feet away from them.
As long as it isn't a wheezing or bubbly sound you're OK. The head bobbing is normal.

 

[heyprettyrave]

well thats awesome to hear thanks a lot

 

[Madkins007]

Head bobbing- normal. If the throat is pumping as well, it is just smelling the air. Bobbing without pumping is plain breathing.

Whistling/wheezing- this is trickier. It can be a minor obstruction (these often clear after a good soak), dehydration (is it better after a soak?), early signs of respiratory infection (your vet should have checked for this), or something your tortoise does. I had a big male who wheezed most of the time for a while and constantly checked out OK.

 

[heyprettyrave]

i dont soak my tortoises, should i try it? the baby, gets in her water all the time, the bigger one doesnt, maybe like once a week if at all