Respiratory infection on 9month greek tortoise

[Happy_Tortoise]

Hello,

My 9 month old greek tortoise is having a respiratory infection.

She has all the symptoms. Swollen eyes, gasping and weeding, she had bubbles on her nose but I only saw it once.

She eats less and sleeps most of the time.

Vet in Korea are not specialized in tortoise my boyfriend will keep searching the closest reptile vet but for now the only one is at least 1h20 away and have to take 3 buses to go there (and open 10:30am to 6pm)

Reptile shop advised us to use a nebulizer.
So I started using this with sterile saline solution (I used it only 2 times at the moment)

The lack of energy and gasping and swollen eyes think started a few days ago (maybe about 4 days)
Bubbles on nose I only saw it yesterday.

I dont have a heater so for now I am keeping the basking light on all the time to have a warm temperature. The room temperature is around 29 degrees Celsius.

My questions are :
1- what can be the causes of getting the disease so I can prevent it next time. (I also lately used a reptile fog humidifier about once a day. But I stopped since she is sick. I mostly used it if the humidity was below 50) but it seems she didn't like the fog.

2- What else can I do to make her feel better. I read about hot bath and increased temperature.

Thank you

 

[wellington]

She needs a basking area that reaches 95-100F
Raise the day temp to 85F day and night.
@Yvonne G

 

[Littleredfootbigredheart]

Hello, sorry to hear your baby is unwell😞did you manage to get them set up as discussed in your previous threads? Only I can see beech wood chip substrate on your cover photo? Also don’t use any humidifiers/foggers, they definitely contribute towards respiratory problems, maintain humidity by pouring lukewarm water into the corners of the substrate, not loads but enough to dampen the bottom layer, only do this once you switch out the beech wood chips, use something like orchid bark or forest floor. Humidity can be lower whilst they’re sick but make sure your substrate isn’t dusty, that causes problems too.
Make sure your day and night temps are warm enough, including your basking temp, warm enough temperatures are vital in fighting this

 

[Happy_Tortoise]

Hello, sorry to hear your baby is unwell😞did you manage to get them set up as discussed in your previous threads? Only I can see beech wood chip substrate on your cover photo? Also don’t use any humidifiers/foggers, they definitely contribute towards respiratory problems, maintain humidity by pouring lukewarm water into the corners of the substrate, not loads but enough to dampen the bottom layer, only do this once you switch out the beech wood chips, use something like orchid bark or forest floor. Humidity can be lower whilst they’re sick but make sure your substrate isn’t dusty, that causes problems too.
Make sure your day and night temps are warm enough, including your basking temp, warm enough temperatures are vital in fighting this

Hello,
Here is my set up at the moment. I moved food and water closer to the lamp so the turtle cam stay closer to the warmth until she feels better

 

[wellington]

Do you only have the one light?
She should have an incandescent flood bulb for basking under temps that reaches 95-100
Ceramic heat emitter for night heat and
Flourescent tube light for uvb

 

[Happy_Tortoise]

Do you only have the one light?
She should have an incandescent flood bulb for basking under temps that reaches 95-100
Ceramic heat emitter for night heat and
Flourescent tube light for uvb

I have 1 basking light and 1 halogen light (which is not installed). Should I get another one? I cannot install the halogen lamp because it is clamped but it doesn't fit the width of the wood. I think it is made for glass.

I got the UVB light ladt week, I tried to install it yesterday but it exploded (it was a US one and the voltage was wrong so I will contact amazon.. )

It is summer here and the temperature doesn't go below 27degrees so I didn't get the ceramic yet. I will planing to buy it around September.

 

[wellington]

I have 1 basking light and 1 halogen light (which is not installed). Should I get another one? I cannot install the halogen lamp because it is clamped but it doesn't fit the width of the wood. I think it is made for glass.

I got the UVB light ladt week, I tried to install it yesterday but it exploded (it was a US one and the voltage was wrong so I will contact amazon.. )

It is summer here and the temperature doesn't go below 27degrees so I didn't get the ceramic yet. I will planing to buy it around September.

Halogen, mercury and coil bulbs should not be used. Only one basking bulb is needed. A regular bulb can be used if more light is needed.
Arcadia sells the incandescent flood bulbs for basking.
Get the ceramic as you need to raise the temp to 85F day and night while she is not feeling good.

 

[Happy_Tortoise]

Halogen, mercury and coil bulbs should not be used. Only one basking bulb is needed. A regular bulb can be used if more light is needed.
Arcadia sells the incandescent flood bulbs for basking.
Get the ceramic as you need to raise the temp to 85F day and night while she is not feeling good.

The basking light I'm using now is the correct one. I am not using halogen. It was what I was using when I bought the turtle before coming to that forum.. I will look for the ceramic heat.

 

[Alex and the Redfoot]

I have 1 basking light and 1 halogen light (which is not installed). Should I get another one? I cannot install the halogen lamp because it is clamped but it doesn't fit the width of the wood. I think it is made for glass.

I got the UVB light ladt week, I tried to install it yesterday but it exploded (it was a US one and the voltage was wrong so I will contact amazon.. )

It is summer here and the temperature doesn't go below 27degrees so I didn't get the ceramic yet. I will planing to buy it around September.

If she sleeps in her hide, you can move basking lamp a little closer to it.

I see bark pieces in substrate - what kind of bark is it?

About UVB lamp. It's my fault - I should have checked that they are rated for specific voltage. While the voltage is not explicitely stated on Amazon, I have similar fixture at hand, so no excuses for me.

 

[Happy_Tortoise]

If she sleeps in her hide, you can move basking lamp a little closer to it.

I see bark pieces in substrate - what kind of bark is it?

About UVB lamp. It's my fault - I should have checked that they are rated for specific voltage. While the voltage is not explicitely stated on Amazon, I have similar fixture at hand, so no excuses for me.

I checked Amazon to see if it says the voltage. And it seems it says 220V so I don't know why I got a 120V. Amazon said they will refund me.
I will try to see if I can get from Amazon france as the voltage is same.
Just need to deliver to Korea.

For the bark : My Plant Okiata Bark Small Package
The hide was close. I removed it this morning I think because I couldn't catch her for the nebulizer.
She is always deep inside lately.
I will put it back later.

My colleague will bring me to a vet I'm about an hour. She looks blue to me so I am worried.

 

[Alex and the Redfoot]

I'll check what is this bark. If it is pine or cedar - this can explain some symptoms.

Good luck at the vet! Don't agree on vitamin A shots (they can offer it because of swollen eyes), deworming without tests and Baytril as antibiotic (Fortaz aka Tazicef has less side-effects).

 

[Alex and the Redfoot]

I checked Amazon to see if it says the voltage. And it seems it says 220V so I don't know why I got a 120V. Amazon said they will refund me.
I will try to see if I can get from Amazon france as the voltage is same.
Just need to deliver to Korea.

For the bark : My Plant Okiata Bark Small Package
The hide was close. I removed it this morning I think because I couldn't catch her for the nebulizer.
She is always deep inside lately.
I will put it back later.

My colleague will bring me to a vet I'm about an hour. She looks blue to me so I am worried.

The closest naming I can find is the orchiata bark and it's the pine bark from New Zealand local pines. Can you share the link to online shop? So I double-check this.

 

[COmtnLady]

I wouldn't take her hide away from her. She isn't feeling well and it provides some shade from the bright light, and probably allows her to feel safer (like nothing can sneak up on her if she falls asleep).

Its possible the respiratory infection is from dusty substrate. The coco coir works best as an under-layer. When it is on top, its surface gets dry and dusty, and her nose is only the width of your finger above it, so its easy to inhale those particles. As Alex said, cedar and pine are bad for tortoises, so get a 2-4 inch layer of cypress or fir bark (orchid bark) on top of what you have as soon as you can, to keep the dust down.

Do you soak her in water ? I don't know about Greeks, but many species do better with half-hour-long warm water soaks (only as deep as where the top and bottom parts of her shell come together. Make sure the water stays warm, since it is so shallow it will cool off rapidly. Replace it as needed.)

Don't let the vet talk you into vitamin shots. Also, many antibiotics are toxic to tortoises, so be careful what they try to do to her. (Ivermectin is a de-worming medication that kills tortoises, but some Vets will try it use it because they don't understand tortoise physiology.) Write down what Alex said in post #11 and take it with you.

Please let us know how she is doing.

 

[Happy_Tortoise]

The closest naming I can find is the orchiata bark and it's the pine bark from New Zealand local pines. Can you share the link to online shop? So I double-check this.

Hi,
I came back from vet and will post after I figure out the name of the injection he gave me (if it is written somewhere) but for short , it is not pneumonia but gas.

 

[Happy_Tortoise]

Hello all
Thank you for all the advices.
Unfortunately I was in the vet before I got info on the dangerous medicines so I didn't ask. And the doctor spoke only korean so I recorded the conversation so make my boyfriend listen later.

So from what I gathered so far (my colleague translated most of it to me), the doctor did a X-ray and said the lungs are clean. So no pneumonia or lung infection it seems.

However it seems she has a lot of gas which could block the airways.
He gave me a medicine to inject orally once a day for 1 week.
I share the picture because the name of the medicine is written nowhere I can see.

But the most important is the warm bath 10min once a day.

Because my tortoise was often going to her water bowl I didn't do a separate hot bath. I sometimes put her in her water and give her some food so she can stay there a little bit.

But from now I'll do a separated one.
Doctor said the nebulizer is not going to make her worse and she can only benefit from it. So I am thinking maybe doing it once a week.

And I will look for the bark as now the coco fiber is dry and I also don't like it.

Thank you

 

[COmtnLady]

Why does the syringe have a needle? For an oral medicine you should only need the rest of syringe - and the sharp needle would be a bad thing because it could poke through throat parts and send the medicine into the wrong place.

What is the medicine supposed to do?

I doubt any of us can read what is written on the packages. Could you get your boyfriend or co-worker to translate it and post it here, please?

"Gas" sounds like she's not digesting something well, .or eating something not quite right for her. Or she could have an impaction farther into toward her tail. If that's the case she needs to soak more often, and possibly have mineral oil enemas to move the blockage. But wait until someone much better versed in Greek tortoises than I am confirms that,

While my tortoise is a different species, she is about 10 years old and we soak her ever-other-day for at least a half an hour. It helps keep tortoises hydrated. They like to poop in the water, so it keeps that function working well, and mine likes to climb the walls of the tub, so she gets exercise, too.

 

[Happy_Tortoise]

I wouldn't take her hide away from her. She isn't feeling well and it provides some shade from the bright light, and probably allows her to feel safer (like nothing can sneak up on her if she falls asleep).

Its possible the respiratory infection is from dusty substrate. The coco coir works best as an under-layer. When it is on top, its surface gets dry and dusty, and her nose is only the width of your finger above it, so its easy to inhale those particles. As Alex said, cedar and pine are bad for tortoises, so get a 2-4 inch layer of cypress or fir bark (orchid bark) on top of what you have as soon as you can, to keep the dust down.

Do you soak her in water ? I don't know about Greeks, but many species do better with half-hour-long warm water soaks (only as deep as where the top and bottom parts of her shell come together. Make sure the water stays warm, since it is so shallow it will cool off rapidly. Replace it as needed.)

Don't let the vet talk you into vitamin shots. Also, many antibiotics are toxic to tortoises, so be careful what they try to do to her. (Ivermectin is a de-worming medication that kills tortoises, but some Vets will try it use it because they don't understand tortoise physiology.) Write down what Alex said in post #11 and take it with you.

Please let us know how she is doin

I can only find pine bark..

I found
Coconut bark

https://link.coupang.com/a/bHQlL1

I dont know what that is (it says flower pot bark)

https://link.coupang.com/a/bHQnxo

I wouldn't take her hide away from her. She isn't feeling well and it provides some shade from the bright light, and probably allows her to feel safer (like nothing can sneak up on her if she falls asleep).

Its possible the respiratory infection is from dusty substrate. The coco coir works best as an under-layer. When it is on top, its surface gets dry and dusty, and her nose is only the width of your finger above it, so its easy to inhale those particles. As Alex said, cedar and pine are bad for tortoises, so get a 2-4 inch layer of cypress or fir bark (orchid bark) on top of what you have as soon as you can, to keep the dust down.

Do you soak her in water ? I don't know about Greeks, but many species do better with half-hour-long warm water soaks (only as deep as where the top and bottom parts of her shell come together. Make sure the water stays warm, since it is so shallow it will cool off rapidly. Replace it as needed.)

Don't let the vet talk you into vitamin shots. Also, many antibiotics are toxic to tortoises, so be careful what they try to do to her. (Ivermectin is a de-worming medication that kills tortoises, but some Vets will try it use it because they don't understand tortoise physiology.) Write down what Alex said in post #11 and take it with you.

Please let us know how she is doing.

I can only find pine bark..

I found
Coconut bark

https://link.coupang.com/a/bHQlL1

I dont know what that is (it says flower pot bark)

https://link.coupang.com/a/bHQnxo

It says just tree bark

바크(멀칭용)1포대(11kg) 멀칭재 나무껍질

COUPANG

link.coupang.com

Anything you think might be good?
Coconut seems safer maybe

 

[Happy_Tortoise]

Why does the syringe have a needle? For an oral medicine you should only need the rest of syringe - and the sharp needle would be a bad thing because it could poke through throat parts and send the medicine into the wrong place.

What is the medicine supposed to do?

I doubt any of us can read what is written on the packages. Could you get your boyfriend or co-worker to translate it and post it here, please?

"Gas" sounds like she's not digesting something well, .or eating something not quite right for her. Or she could have an impaction farther into toward her tail. If that's the case she needs to soak more often, and possibly have mineral oil enemas to move the blockage. But wait until someone much better versed in Greek tortoises than I am confirms that,

While my tortoise is a different species, she is about 10 years old and we soak her ever-other-day for at least a half an hour. It helps keep tortoises hydrated. They like to poop in the water, so it keeps that function working well, and mine likes to climb the walls of the tub, so she gets exercise, too.

I think the needle looks sharp but it isn't?
Maybe it is just to make it easier to insert in the mouth.

For the food. I think of 2 things :
1- I gave my tortoise blueberries. She loved it so much I wanted to give it as a treat. I decreased it to one every week.
But about 2 weeks ago I gave her maybe about 2 or 4.
2- I can find some coconut fibers in a her poop and worried if the fibers might block something inside. I give the food in a dish but the fibers stick to her body and soils the food when she goes to eat. I feel she might eat a lot of the soil fibers.

Can it be one of those?

 

[COmtnLady]

2- I can find some coconut fibers in a her poop and worried if the fibers might block something inside. I give the food in a dish but the fibers stick to her body and soils the food when she goes to eat. I feel she might eat a lot of the soil fibers.

Exactly!
Those are definitely more reasons to get the fluffy substrate covered upas soon as you can. Its supposed to be a base layer, not on top.

You are doing a good job to be finding the problems and fixing them.

 

[Happy_Tortoise]

The bark I have I think is pine but also for orchid..

https://www.daltons.co.nz/orchiata

I think it is the one I have.
So not sure if it is good or not