RedFoot is wheezing

[Littleredfootbigredheart]

Did they test for mycoplasma?

good shout!

 

[Littleredfootbigredheart]

Hey yall… no clear answers yet. Her respiratory panel came back negative for everything. She’s wheezing loudly this morning, ate and moving around but I’m hitting a wall. Vet wants to try a different set of antibiotic, an oral one. If this doesn’t work, she can refer me to a vet in houston for a CT scan. Her organ functions were “beautiful” according to vet. What could be going on? I feel so defeated.

Have you managed to get videos of her wheezing to show the vet? Do they agree there’s still something respiratory when listening to the videos?

 

[betweenshells]

Did they test for mycoplasma?

Yes they did. And herpes and another one I believe.

 

[betweenshells]

I haven’t sent videos recently but I have been consistently thru this last month

 

[betweenshells]

I genuinely feel so defeated.

 

[Littleredfootbigredheart]

I genuinely feel so defeated.

Don’t get too down, it’s good that all the major tests have come back clear! Honestly I’d keep monitoring her for now, perhaps try that antibiotic the vet suggested, the fact she’s still eating is fantastic, if she was feeling super poorly she wouldn’t be doing that, if the wheezing doesn’t improve(I’d be interested to see a recent video too) then there’s still further investigations that can be done, all in all I think you have a relatively healthy tortoise by the sounds of things! I wonder whether her being a bit overweight could be contributing to the wheeze

 

[Alex and the Redfoot]

I genuinely feel so defeated.

Please, don't give up. You are doing great so far. I understand how exhausting it could be (in any sense - emotional, financial, time etc.).

Ceftazidime is a good antibiotic but it doesn't work against some pathogens (e.g. aforementioned mycoplasma). It's logical that vet thinks about using a different class of medications effective against other types of diseases. Negative test panel is not that bad (it's, at least, better than false positive results and treatment of non-existent infection).

Maybe @Dustin or @turtlesteve can suggest what else could this be or justify if CT can show anything.

 

[betweenshells]

Don’t get too down, it’s good that all the major tests have come back clear! Honestly I’d keep monitoring her for now, perhaps try that antibiotic the vet suggested, the fact she’s still eating is fantastic, if she was feeling super poorly she wouldn’t be doing that, if the wheezing doesn’t improve(I’d be interested to see a recent video too) then there’s still further investigations that can be done, all in all I think you have a relatively healthy tortoise by the sounds of things! I wonder whether her being a bit overweight could be contributing to the wheeze

Her blood did show some white antibodies so I think there’s some sort of infection besides weight. I would love to share a video on here does anyone know how I can do that? At work for the next few hrs but can send tonight. I appreciate y’all’s words it has been draining emotionally and financially.

 

[Littleredfootbigredheart]

Her blood did show some white antibodies so I think there’s some sort of infection besides weight. I would love to share a video on here does anyone know how I can do that? At work for the next few hrs but can send tonight. I appreciate y’all’s words it has been draining emotionally and financially.

I see, I can understand why vet wants to try a different medication then.

To send a video you have to upload it to an outside source like tiktok or YouTube, then paste the link here.

I’m so sorry you’re going through this stress, I find it stressful when a pet isn’t quite themselves too, I hate that it’s going on so long for youI really am hopeful she’ll get through this though, she’s clearly a strong feisty girl

 

[betweenshells]

I also did feel like she made some progress with the last course of antibiotics and then suddenly it stopped. The vet mentioned it could be something antibiotic resistant so maybe the oral med will do what it has to do. Bumping up her temps a bit today and tonight to see how that affects her, I had lowered it back down to 84-88. Bringing it up to 91-93.

I’ll figure out how to share a video through YouTube or maybe another type of link. My brother has mentioned maybe she ate something she wasn’t supposed to? Not sure how that could have happened. I have generally taken pretty good care of her - maybe enclosure needed adjustments but she’s usually been very healthy and minimal pyramiding after the shell affect from previous owner. But maybe my husbandry is still missing something? Here she is soaking yesterday morning.

Also, the vet wants to try the oral and suggests that one bc other antibiotics that are injectable can have side effect. She is a good vet so I trust her. If it is a respiratory infection and it’s not those three things they tested for, what else could it be?

 

[Littleredfootbigredheart]

I also did feel like she made some progress with the last course of antibiotics and then suddenly it stopped. The vet mentioned it could be something antibiotic resistant so maybe the oral med will do what it has to do. Bumping up her temps a bit today and tonight to see how that affects her, I had lowered it back down to 84-88. Bringing it up to 91-93.

I’ll figure out how to share a video through YouTube or maybe another type of link. My brother has mentioned maybe she ate something she wasn’t supposed to? Not sure how that could have happened. I have generally taken pretty good care of her - maybe enclosure needed adjustments but she’s usually been very healthy and minimal pyramiding after the shell affect from previous owner. Here she is soaking yesterday morning.

Her shell alone tells me what a great owner you’ve been, honestly you’re doing everything right by her! Sometimes they do get blips like this in life, but I’m sure no matter what’s going on, she’ll come out the other end soon enough!I’m hopeful the oral meds will help, I’d be surprised if her symptoms are to do with anything she’s eaten, she’s been indoors since this started correct? As in not grazing outside?

 

[betweenshells]

Her shell alone tells me what a great owner you’ve been, honestly you’re doing everything right by her! Sometimes they do get blips like this in life, but I’m sure no matter what’s going on, she’ll come out the other end soon enough!I’m hopeful the oral meds will help, I’d be surprised if her symptoms are to do with anything she’s eaten, she’s been indoors since this started correct? As in not grazing outside?

Yeah she’s been inside since mid November or so. November in TX can be warm and ideal temps for her til halfway. Could it be something else with my husbandry? Her temp control has been helping a lot, her humidity has consistently stayed above 70 often and every now and again I will spray with lukewarm water to get it up. Her substrate is constantly moist, not dry as I had before. Coconut and forest floor. Will add more forest floor this weekend. She has lots of fake plants in there she uses to hide, has water that I change often. I can’t say I’m always perfect because life happens and I can have lower capacity to keep up but I don’t think I’ve ever been neglectful. By next winter I will upgrade her indoor space and this coming warmer month I will prepare her outside one. That is, if she can recover from this!!!

 

[Littleredfootbigredheart]

Yeah she’s been inside since mid November or so. November in TX can be warm and ideal temps for her til halfway. Could it be something else with my husbandry? Her temp control has been helping a lot, her humidity has consistently stayed above 70 often and every now and again I will spray with lukewarm water to get it up. Her substrate is constantly moist, not dry as I had before. Coconut and forest floor. Will add more forest floor this weekend. She has lots of fake plants in there she uses to hide, has water that I change often. I can’t say I’m always perfect because life happens and I can have lower capacity to keep up but I don’t think I’ve ever been neglectful. By next winter I will upgrade her indoor space and this coming warmer month I will prepare her outside one. That is, if she can recover from this!!!

I really don’t think it’s your husbandry no, I guess it’s possible it was slightly too cool before the temperature control? But honestly your care sounds good, I’ve seen reds in much worse dire conditions, yours is so far from that I promise!! I really do think she will, this will all seem a distant nightmare at some point

 

[betweenshells]

I think it was too cool before the temp

I really don’t think it’s your husbandry no, I guess it’s possible it was slightly too cool before the temperature control? But honestly your care sounds good, I’ve seen reds in much worse dire conditions, yours is so far from that I promise!! I really do think she will, this will all seem a distant nightmare at some point

control. My roommate let me know she hasn’t moved today

 

[betweenshells]

This is the new antibiotic she will be taking orally

 

[Littleredfootbigredheart]

This is the new antibiotic she will be taking orally

I’ll wait to see what the others think to this stuff, we haven’t had to use it

 

[Introduction]

Aw bless her

This was squirt when we had to take her to the vet once, I kept trying to put the puppy pad over the fluffy hot water bottle, but she insisted on pulling it down, resting her chin like this and falling asleep the whole way back
View attachment 386536

That’s such a great idea. I never thought about using a hot water bottle on a car trip, thanks. I will definitely be using this tip

 

[betweenshells]

IMG_0374.MOV

drive.google.com

Does that link work? I uploaded a file to my Google drive. She was wheezing a lot more intensely this morning and wheezes more when she extends her neck out a lot. You can hear it slightly in the vid. Sometimes it’s worse than other moments. What do y’all think?

 

[Alex and the Redfoot]

IMG_0374.MOV

drive.google.com

Does that link work? I uploaded a file to my Google drive. She was wheezing a lot more intensely this morning and wheezes more when she extends her neck out a lot. You can hear it slightly in the vid. Sometimes it’s worse than other moments. What do y’all think?

She looks alert and I don't hear any wheezing.
She is not moving after you've risen temperature to 90s, right?

 

[Littleredfootbigredheart]

IMG_0374.MOV

drive.google.com

Does that link work? I uploaded a file to my Google drive. She was wheezing a lot more intensely this morning and wheezes more when she extends her neck out a lot. You can hear it slightly in the vid. Sometimes it’s worse than other moments. What do y’all think?

It works, I don’t hear wheezing either if I’m honest, thought I guess background noise might be drowning it out a bit. But all in all she’s looking good in this video!