RI or dust?

[hunterk997]

I haven't been able to soak my ten month old hatchling the past two days, but she is currently soaking now. Last night she fell asleep in her humid hide, so I let it dry out over night to prevent an RI. But when I put her in her soak, she sneezed twice, then her eyes swelled a little bit and she rubbed them. Now she seems perfectly fine though. I can't tell if she has watery eyes. She was drinking and stuck just about her whole face under so her face is all wet. Do these sound like early stages of an RI? Or is it possible that she got some dirt in her eyes and nose last night (she was digging a little)?

 

[ascott]

fell asleep in her humid hide, so I let it dry out over night to prevent an RI.

I think perhaps I am just uninformed here is the humid hide not kept warm at all times? The best situation would to have a warm humid hide (the key is warm with humid) and if you have a hide that is humid but not kept warm is a dangerous place ..you are then providing a wet cold spot....

If your tort has only sneezed while in the soak, that is not unusual..if your tort rubs their eyes while soaking/or straight out of a soak, that is not unusual....if your tort becomes inactive, begins to have mucus in the nose (clear watery eyes/nose can be indicative of many other things besides RI, so to treat as an instant RI can actually be just as hazardous) and has a general lackluster then I would be concerned.

However, if you are running constant high humidity and temps that fall below 80 (day AND night) then you are setting up a recipe for an unhealthy tort.....if you are not running an entire high humidity enclosure and allowing dry cooler spots then that is fine...but if you are providing a humid hide please be sure to offer it as a warm humid hide...you can also offer a cool DRY hide which unto itself does not offer up a hazard....

 

[hunterk997]

fell asleep in her humid hide, so I let it dry out over night to prevent an RI.

I think perhaps I am just uninformed here is the humid hide not kept warm at all times? The best situation would to have a warm humid hide (the key is warm with humid) and if you have a hide that is humid but not kept warm is a dangerous place ..you are then providing a wet cold spot....

If your tort has only sneezed while in the soak, that is not unusual..if your tort rubs their eyes while soaking/or straight out of a soak, that is not unusual....if your tort becomes inactive, begins to have mucus in the nose (clear watery eyes/nose can be indicative of many other things besides RI, so to treat as an instant RI can actually be just as hazardous) and has a general lackluster then I would be concerned.

However, if you are running constant high humidity and temps that fall below 80 (day AND night) then you are setting up a recipe for an unhealthy tort.....if you are not running an entire high humidity enclosure and allowing dry cooler spots then that is fine...but if you are providing a humid hide please be sure to offer it as a warm humid hide...you can also offer a cool DRY hide which unto itself does not offer up a hazard....

Thank you for your advice. She ate right after soaking, so that's a good sign. I have her humid hide next to her baking spot, so it's usually 85-87F during the day on the warm end where it's located. My room doesn't drop below 80F at night so I thought over-night heating wouldn't be necessary. I have the warm side humid during the day, and the cool side dryer during the day. I also have a dry hide on the cool end, but she decided to sleep in the humid hide last night, and that's why I got concerned.

 

[ascott]

My room doesn't drop below 80F at night so I thought over-night heating wouldn't be necessary.

Absolutely would be beneficial to maintain night heat in that humid area....even if your room is 80 --the enclosure is going to be cooler if there is any humidity in there...you see what I mean?

I would run either a black heat night bulb or an appropriate heat mat under that spot...or a ceramic heat emitter....or work in a short heat rope for that humid hide/area....

 

[hunterk997]

I think I'm going to get a heat mat to heat it. But I won't be able to get anything for awhile. What do you suggest I do until I can get the mat?