RI survivability rate

[skuttle]

hi guys. can i ask if its true that with resoiratory infection it cant be cured? when you give antibiotics and the syptoms dissapear your tortoise still has the infection? any body has a tortoise that got cured with RI specifically lower respiratory infection that lived a long life? thanks

 

[Yvonne G]

I've been through quite a few R.I.'s with tortoises, especially desert tortoises. Some of the ones I've dealt with actually had the dreaded URDS caused by the micoplasma that is killing off the wild tortoises.

I've never had any die from it once I started the Baytril treatments. I use Baytril as a nasal flush. It seems to work better that way. I mix 1 part Baytril to 9 parts sterile saline and flush the nasal passages with it once a day.

 

[ascott]

While the torts symptoms can be treated and cured, the disease itself is not. The disease will remain in the tort and can rear itself if the tort is stressed at some point later...this does not mean that a tort will not live a long life, it can and they do (especially a captive tort that have complete environment control)..

The goal is to offer up a secure and steady environment to lessen the stress load---I don't mean the tort should never have daily stimulation challenges to keep it mentally healthy...but secure in proper temp, food supply and hydration along with safe and secure resting areas and such....

 

[skuttle]

Thanks guys if
Only
My vet gived baytril. Can i ask if how many shots more based on your experience should i give? I gave already 4 shots every other day so that makes it 7 days now that my tort has oxytetracycline i think the name of the antibiotics is "telidon"

 

[Sulcata_Sandy]

Yvonne,
I'm glad you mentioned the nasal flushes. Very effective. Several different cocktails lists in veterinary texts. My boss (former wildlife rehab DVM) likes Chlorhex 0.12%.

I'm giving Larry daily flushes now for possible substrate caught in his upper airway.
Watching him like a hawk for development of an URI.

I might X-ray him this week and get a baseline of his lung pattern, then if he does worsen or for future reference I can see changes much quicker. Plus, how fun! ...for me not Larry

 

[johnreuk]

They can be cured, it depends on what the initial cause is though eg viral/bacterial/fungal/mixed etc. Mycoplasma infections are usually intractable, and are managed as opposed to cured.

 

[skuttle]

How can you identify if its mycoplasma? Is it confirmed though tests only?

 

[Sulcata_Sandy]

Your Veterinarian would take a swabbing of the nose and/or throat, place the swab in a growth medium, and send it to a local reference lab (such as Idexx or Antech...both are excellent). In about a week you will get culture results stating the organisms found.