Respiratory Infection - Please Help!!

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Niquekeys

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Hello Everyone! My name is Dominique and I am new here. Hopefully I can get some more help. I have a Russian tortoise named Cleopatra that I received from my brother as a gift. He purchased her from Petco. It was going pretty well for a few months, she was active and eating well getting a variety of greens daily, fresh water, using coco coir for the substrate, she does have a UVB bulb, thermometers, basking lamp, basically all she needs. It took me a few times to get everything right unfortunately bc all the misinformation I have received from the pet shops. Anyway two and a half weeks ago I heard a noise come from her enclosure. When I took a closer look she had a foamy bubbly discharge from her mouth and bubbles from her nose. I took her to the vet the next day. He diagnosed her as having a respiratory infection and vitamin deficiency. She received a vitamin shot and antibiotic (baytril) and I was instructed to bring her back in a week for another round of shots. Since the 1st visit she stopped eating and she was just sleeping. I started soaking her every other day to ensure she was drinking water, which she would take a few gulps. When I took her back for her second round of shots on Friday he actually told me I would have to begin to force feed her with baby food and he showed me how and it was horrible. Her weight was 319 on the 1st visit and she was down to 298 Friday. She hasn't begun to eat on her own yet and she's having trouble opening her eyes. When she's awake she always breathing with her mouth open and stretching her neck for air. Is there more I can do? How long does it take for it to clear up? Should I be force feeding her? What things am i doing wrong? i am very concerned about her and I just don't know what to do. Please help!!!! Thank you!!


She has also had a stool sample that came back fine.
 

N2TORTS

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Keep the temps higher than normal , but make sure you keep your lil guy well hydrated. Pedolite or even Gatorade if need be can be used during soaking times as well . Baytril takes several injections for the drug to take effect. Keep up the baby food …but remember tortoises can go a long time without eating as long as you keep them hydrated.
~ Hope you have a speedy recovery~


JD
 

Niquekeys

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Thank you so much!!! I really appreciate it. She has only had two injections and he said to bring her back if she doesn't start to eat on her own. Is that okay? Or is she gonna need more injections? Again thank you so much!
 

N2TORTS

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it's most giving 5mg injection (2.5%) for up to ten days. There is oral (10%)meds as well but the stuff taste nasty and most torts wont go near it . ( even disguising it within "treats" ) ...but it can be done. Your Vet* will have the best solution although many are not that schooled in Herp medicines. You also need to watch your guy as some torts have a not so good reaction to Baytril....and it could make things worse. Give it time .....
BTW .... what are your temps running ?
 

Niquekeys

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Normally 85-90 in basking area and 70-75 on cool side and I keep lights on for 12-14hrs a day


And yes unfortunately he was the closest vet to me who treated exotic animals. He's about 20 miles from me and the closest one after that idk.
 

theelectraco

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Niquekeys said:
Normally 85-90 in basking area and 70-75 on cool side and I keep lights on for 12-14hrs a day


And yes unfortunately he was the closest vet to me who treated exotic animals. He's about 20 miles from me and the closest one after that idk.



Personally I wouldn't opt for the oral Baytril. My tort recovered in two weeks using oral Baytril. Keep the temps up. Maybe start soaking her in strained carrots baby food. Personally I feel like injections stress the tort out, and for, what I have read on here most vitamin a injections aren't necessary usually.
 

Niquekeys

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Yes I feel the same way about the injections after witnessing it for myself. And should I mix the baby food with water or just let her soak in it? What will this help with? Thank you so much for your input.
 

N2TORTS

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Niquekeys said:
Yes I feel the same way about the injections after witnessing it for myself. And should I mix the baby food with water or just let her soak in it? What will this help with? Thank you so much for your input.

Soaking with mixtures is just fine although you need to watch the eyes. As far as the Baytril Oral Medication ..... they can taste it right off the bat ( its very very bitter ....I've tried it! ) ....try injecting a strawberry...Mango , even soak some Mazuri with a mix of Meds/H20. You will need to measure out the correct dosage .....while doing this .
Ask your vet if he would opt for oral instead of injections ( although the injections act much more quickly within the body) Torts are pretty hardy ......keep temps up and well Hydrated ...
 

Yvonne G

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Hi Dominique:

I'm so sorry that your little tortoise has a respiratory infection. I'm sensing that your vet is not well-schooled in tortoise medicine. Baytril is either given every other day for 10 days, or every day for 5 days. The injection really stings. Please don't allow any more vitamin A injections. It is very easy to get vitamin A into a tortoise without injecting it, and sometimes the injection causes the tortoise's skin to slough off.

For the time being, put the tortoise into a smaller hospital tank. Even a 10 gallon would be better than his regular home. Have the temp be an overall 85F degrees. Soak him every day in warm water mixed with a jar of either Gerber strained carrots or a few drops of liquid bird vitamins. The tortoise will absorb some nutrients through the thin skin around his throat and around the cloaca. Leave him in the soaking water for at least a half hour. You can position a light over the soak to help him stay warm but be sure you don't cook him. Ask your vet if he can get you a tube of Terramycin Opthalmic Ointment for the tortoise's eyes. A drop on the eye three or four times a day soothes those swollen eyes and helps him open them.

Good luck with your tortoise. I hope he gets well soon.
 

Niquekeys

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Thank you everyone for all of your help! The vet said she is done with shots. She doesn't need anymore and to only bring her back if she doesn't start eating on her own within a week. It's unfortunate for us that he is the nearest vet that would even treat her and he doesn't know what he's doing. I would have thought that he did and all that he was doing is all she needed until I came here. Now I don't feel too confident that she will recover. Besides keeping up the temps and keeping her hydrated is there anything that I can get to give her to help with the infection and her recovery? Between the two shots she doesn't seem to be any better. How long does it take to clear up? Thanks everyone for all of you help.
 

Yvonne G

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Well, like I said before, the normal dosage in order to clear up a R.I. is 5 injections at either every day or every other day. I doubt only two injections will have had much effect.

Did you look on our list of veterinarians? If you tell me where you are, I'll look on our list and see if there's a vet close to you.
 

Niquekeys

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I am in Slate Hill, New York


10973


I can look I found the vet list. The one I actually went to is one there.
 
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