RI help!

Kirin

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Yesterday Thor was sounding funny to me. When he got up today and I was feeding him, he had a lot of bubbles out of his nose. He is going to the vet asap. What test does the vet need to do to test for the R I? What is the best treatment for this? Please help!
 

ascott

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Are the bubbles clear or are they icky mucus like? What is the lowest your enclosure temp drops to --even at night? what are your humidity levels day and night?

What were you feeding him when you say he developed bubbles? And was he chowing down the food?
 

Kirin

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He is a 12 lb sully that sleeps inside at night. He has an oil filled heater that keeps him around 80 to 75 degrees. The bubbles looked clear but a lot and this was before he started eating. I had just put down his food, he was just sitting in the sun. I can't get him into the vet until Wednesday at 8 am( busy vet, great vet). What should I be watching to make sure it's not getting worse? If it does then the vet will squeeze me in.
 

ascott

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I would be happy first off that he is eating...good sign. I would also bump the night enclosure/sleeping area to no less than 80-83 and be diligent on this....What are the temps for him outdoors where he lives?

How long have you had the tort? I mean is he still relatively new to the location?
 

Kirin

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I have had him since August and I live in so cal. It is about 60 out right now and will have a high of 82 today. I just went out and took his temp, he is at 95 degrees.
 

ascott

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My gut is telling me that even though "he" is at 95 the air he is breathing in is not....I would try really hard to keep his temps warm (which will be tricky since he is outdoors)...I also believe he is likely adjusting still to his new surrounding....I also would take that into account...sometimes stress will offer up a bit of clear bubble nose and this does not mean he is sick...I would do what is needed to assure he is kept with some bumped temp zones and keep him hydrated and if he continues to eat, to bask, to exercise and have an overall good behavior I would kinda wait to see if this continues....how will you assure he is warm through the winter months?
 

Kirin

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It doesn't have a chill outside at all. I get very cold myself and as soon as I go outside it's hot. He is totally adjusted here to me and his surrounding. He comes to me all the time and he comes to the back door when he is ready to go to bed. Here is his box




When I said 60 degrees I was going by my phone. So I took a thermostat outside and it is 78 degrees. I was out hanging with Thor and yes bubbles are still there.
 

Yvonne G

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I think that we get all excited too early when we see bubbles. Bubbles doesn't necessarily mean respiratory infection. Could be allergies. Could be stress. Could be any number of things.

Here's what I do if I see bubbles. I make sure the tortoise's house is a little warmer than normal, and just keep my eye on the tortoise. If he eats and otherwise is acting normally, then I do nothing. If the bubbles turn to colored mucous or he stops eating, then he goes to the vet.
 

Kirin

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Thanks for the help but no one answered my questions. What do they do to test for an RI and what is the best treatment?


He will be going Wednesday morning. i know my boy and He is not acting himself. He is in one of his hideouts, which he hasn't been in since I opened his side yard up for him. I know he is not feeling good my poor boy.


He will be going Wednesday morning. i know my boy and He is not acting himself. He is in one of his hideouts, which he hasn't been in since I opened his side yard up for him. I know he is not feeling good my poor boy, I'm very worried.
 

Yvonne G

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If you take your tortoise to a vet and say he has bubbles and I think its an R.I. the vet will prescribe antibiotics (I should say, most vets) without doing any testing.

In my opinion, a test is a must. They should take a smear of the mucous and either send it to the lab or lab it themselves to see if there is an infection there. I don't like the fact that so many vets prescribe antibiotics without knowing for sure if the tortoise has an infection.

If it truly IS a R.I. then most times a vet will prescribe Baytril. Another good and not so invasive antibiotic is Fortaz.
 

T33's Torts

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Sorry bout your tort. But may I ask, which vet do you go to? I can't find one that will take reptiles!
 

tortugatamer

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They also might take blood to see if his white count is elevated.
 

AnnV

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I did the same as you and panicked when my I. Star made bubbles within 2 weeks of receiving him.
I took him to an exotics specialist and she gathered some of the liquid running from his nose for a culture. But brace yourself, it ran me $175 just for that culture. The whole bill was over $300 with exam and meds. I had to give injections of Fortaz because Stars can't be given batryl.
But I would do as the others say and hold off on any strong meds. The shots stressed my tort and traumatized me as well. I was happy to know what kind of bugs my tort harbored (three microorganisms showed in the culture), but there was no sign of improvement from abx at all. I bumped his temps up and kept him as stress free as possible. Finally, after about a month he started to clear. He has not produced bubbles again, but during the change to fall temps, he got a little noisy in his breathing again. Just for a short while. And we are not really past any fluctuations yet, here in New England. Heat on, heat off... Mine is strictly indoors now.
Maybe yours is reacting to a change in season. Feed some foods high in vit A. Steamed or raw carrots and cooked sweet potato may help.
Good luck. I know what a worry it is.
 

Kirin

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Thanks everyone. He will be going to the vet on Wednesday no matter what. I use Dr Greek in Yorba Linda. Great people there.
 
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