help!!!!! i thik my sulcata has a respitory infection what can i do to help him now 
respitory infection
- Thread starter shelber10
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Maggie Cummings
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Raise the temperature in his habitat and take him to the Vet on Monday...
First of all, before you get all upset, check out a few things: Is his substrate dry and dusty? Is he hydrated? Has he been held a lot lately? Has anything changed in his environment?
In my opinion, we rush to the respiratory infection diagnosis too soon. Lots of things cause bubbles or a runny nose. If the tortoise is eating and otherwise acting like a tortoise, then I wouldn't worry about it yet. However, if he stops eating or if the discharge changes to thick and colored, then its time to worry.
Sulcatas suffer with runny eyes and noses when they have to live in real dry, dusty conditions. When they are a bit dehydrated they sometimes will have a bubbly nose. Its stressful for a baby to be held a lot and that causes a runny nose. And lastly, they like to see the things in their habitat stay the same. When you move their "furniture" around it causes stress and a bubbly nose.
Why do you think he has an infection?
Yvonne
In my opinion, we rush to the respiratory infection diagnosis too soon. Lots of things cause bubbles or a runny nose. If the tortoise is eating and otherwise acting like a tortoise, then I wouldn't worry about it yet. However, if he stops eating or if the discharge changes to thick and colored, then its time to worry.
Sulcatas suffer with runny eyes and noses when they have to live in real dry, dusty conditions. When they are a bit dehydrated they sometimes will have a bubbly nose. Its stressful for a baby to be held a lot and that causes a runny nose. And lastly, they like to see the things in their habitat stay the same. When you move their "furniture" around it causes stress and a bubbly nose.
Why do you think he has an infection?
Yvonne
emysemys said:
I've just learned a lot from Yvonne's response! Thanks......but.. Do you think its bad to bring my tort outside on these early spring days. Now I'm concerned about changing his envirnment too much. Whats the trump card....natural sunlight and a changing envirnment OR stable envirnment and no sunlight until summer arrives? My gut tells me some sun is best, even if he cannot live outside this early in the spring. It should be noted that I have seen no side effects from bringing him out on sunny days.
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Maggie Cummings
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This is exactly why I don't like to offer advice and am not good at it. When someone asks about a respiratory infection I assume they know their animal HAS a resp infection. Yvonne goes into it a little deeper and questions them to make sure they know what they are asking about. I learn at the feet of the Master...
Betts, she means in their main habitat the torts don't like things moved around. They get comfort from the familiarity. When you bring your tort back in from outside the first thing he will do is sniff the substrate to see if it smells like home, at least mine do. I take my small torts outside for sun every chance I get, but I don't change the place that their hides or plants or rocks are inside their regular habitat. At least I think that's what she means...
Betts, she means in their main habitat the torts don't like things moved around. They get comfort from the familiarity. When you bring your tort back in from outside the first thing he will do is sniff the substrate to see if it smells like home, at least mine do. I take my small torts outside for sun every chance I get, but I don't change the place that their hides or plants or rocks are inside their regular habitat. At least I think that's what she means...
Thanks everyone for the advice I will bring him to a vet on Monday thanks everyone again
They become familiar with the "routine." I call it the "ins and outs of Spring." and the "ins and outs of Autumn." When the weather is getting cold in the fall, you have to bring your tortoise in at night and out again in the morning...likewise in the Spring. They become accustomed to this routine and its not stressful for them. Once they get outside, like Maggie said, their habitat is the same familiar habitat that they're used to living in. And when they get brought back inside, they realize, hey, I've been here before. This is my home. So, the ins and outs of Spring doesn't seem to cause stress.
Yvonne
Yvonne
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