RI vs "too dry wheeze" - or are they the same?

[dabayliss]

Ok,

You all now have me worried - so here is my question:

How can you tell the difference between a respiratory infection and the little "whistle" they get when it is too dry? Or are they actually the same thing.

Both my original two redfoots got 'whistly' in January - so scanning forums etc the advice seemed to be "warm soaking - keep warm and moist". Did this and both whistles disappeared - and I didn't think any more of it.

Well I have now acquired two new redfoots - from a very dry environment - and the oldest has a very loud whistle. I assumed that warmth, humidy and a good daily soaking would fix things.

It is too early to know if it will work (took a couple of weeks with my other two) - but I would hate to be ignoring a real problem.

So - what is the deal here? Is one person's RI another persons 'dry whistle' or is there some way I can tell the difference?

 

[Yvonne G]

Hi David:

Really, the only way to tell is to have a vet do a mucous smear and determine if there is anything growing in it.

If the warm humid atmosphere in their new habitat makes it go away, then chances are it wasn't RI. You usually have to use antibiotic to clear RI up.

 

[Madkins007]

RI is a catch-all term for several diseases of the lungs and throat. The most common in tortoises is Upper Respiratory Tract Disease (URTD). URTD symptoms include:
- Discharges from the nares (nostrils) and/or eyes.
- Puffiness around the eyes. May have difficulty opening the eyes.
- 'Wet' wheezing, bubbling around nares.
- Eroded nares, often with grooves developing around the openings.
- Loss of appetite, weight loss.
- General poor health.

Read more: http://www.tortoiseforum.org/Thread-Respiratory-Infections-for-Tortoise-Keepers#ixzz1Ink6Lbqi

Wheezing is not really a major symptom of URTD, nor of pneumonia (same article), although it can be a sign of other issues, such as partial blockages etc. If it goes away and there are no other symptoms, I am not sure it is anything to worry about.