Sneezing Russian Tortoise but no Respiratory Infection

[tort_us]

I need advice on why my tortoise keeps sneezing/what to do about it.

I first noticed he sneezed a lot after a few months of owning him. I brought him to the vet, concerned that he might have a respiratory infection. Vet said he showed no signs, but we gave him a series of antibiotic injections just to be sure. He continued sneezing, even after we finished the injections.

Fast-forward to now, approximately 8 months later. He still sneezes multiple times each day, but shows no other signs of anything wrong. He doesn't have any discharge from his nose, eats and explores like normal (more than most torts, actually), and goes to the bathroom regularly.

When we first got him, we used organic topsoil. We thought that maybe it was the substrate, so we switched to a mix of coconut coir and cypress mulch (what we use now). He still sneezes just as much. Changing the temperature higher also seems to have no effect. The dirt is fairly dry, so we do wet and mix it when we notice him sneezing, but it's inconclusive as to whether or not it helps.

I'm at a loss for what to do. I don't want him to be constantly uncomfortable (sneezing/ wiping his face), but there's no respiratory infection and it doesn't seem to get better or worse with different substrates/temperatures. He's otherwise perfectly healthy, but I'm worried. Does anyone else have a similar problem? Advice?

Thanks in advance.

 

[wellington]

Hmmm, you already did what I was going to suggest, change substrate and not let it get dried out.
What type of lighting are you using?
The only thing I can think of too try is using no substrate. If that doesn't work then it might be a deformity in his nose/throat/sinus that just makes him sneeze. See if others have any ideas.

 

[wellington]

Btw, what are your temps all over, basking and night time?

 

[tort_us]

Btw, what are your temps all over, basking and night time?

My temperature at night is ~80 everywhere, and my temperature during the day is ~80 almost everywhere and ~90 under the basking light. We use a regular heat lamp at night and a UVA/UVB bulb during the day.

 

[wellington]

The temp can be lower at night. However, not till the sneezing thing is figured out.

 

[Minority2]

What type of food do you offer your tortoise? Messy and sticky foods can get into their nostrils which may cause them to purposely sneeze and pick at their noses in an attempt to get rid of the blockage.

 

[tort_us]

The temp can be lower at night. However, not till the sneezing thing is figured out.

Yeah, he's only a year old, though, so I want him to have night heat. At least until he's a bit bigger.

 

[tort_us]

What type of food do you offer your tortoise? Messy and sticky foods can get into their nostrils which may cause them to purposely sneeze and pick at their noses in an attempt to get rid of the blockage.

He doesn't usually get anything sticky. Occasionally he gets a tiny piece of fruit as a treat, but his usual diet is dark leafy greens and weeds. He also gets 8-10 little pieces of Fluker's Crafted Cuisine Tortoise Diet each day (which I guess is kind-of sticky?) but he sneezed the same amount before we ever gave him the food.

 

[Minority2]

He doesn't usually get anything sticky. Occasionally he gets a tiny piece of fruit as a treat, but his usual diet is dark leafy greens and weeds. He also gets 8-10 little pieces of Fluker's Crafted Cuisine Tortoise Diet each day (which I guess is kind-of sticky?) but he sneezed the same amount before we ever gave him the food.

Pellet type foods aren't meant to fed regularly. Offer it once or twice a week at most.

Question: How does your tortoise utilize his enclosure? Does he spend a lot of time near the heating fixtures? Does he avoid them? How does he react to the night lamp at night? Include specific details as to hides, burrowing, and location if you can. Pictures are always helpful.

 

[tort_us]

Pellet type foods aren't meant to fed regularly. Offer it once or twice a week at most.

Question: How does your tortoise utilize his enclosure? Does he spend a lot of time near the heating fixtures? Does he avoid them? How does he react to the night lamp at night? Include specific details as to hides, burrowing, and location if you can. Pictures are always helpful.

It's not really a pellet per say, it's... moister than that? I'm not sure how to describe them. The package says to feed 10 of them every 12 hours each day, and that they can replace his normal food, but I prefer to give him mostly vegetables and weeds during the day and just feed those to him along with his food in the evening.

He spends most of his time under his logs. He doesn't spend a lot of time sunning himself like some tortoises; he prefers to be under his log or slightly dug into the dirt. Sometimes he'll come out and sun himself for a bit and eat, or walk around and climb his logs, but he usually likes to be hidden away. If we put him in his outdoor enclosure, he does the same thing.

He doesn't really react in any noticeable way to the heat lamp at night.

 

[Minority2]

It's not really a pellet per say, it's... moister than that? I'm not sure how to describe them. The package says to feed 10 of them every 12 hours each day, and that they can replace his normal food, but I prefer to give him mostly vegetables and weeds during the day and just feed those to him along with his food in the evening.

He spends most of his time under his logs. He doesn't spend a lot of time sunning himself like some tortoises; he prefers to be under his log or slightly dug into the dirt. Sometimes he'll come out and sun himself for a bit and eat, or walk around and climb his logs, but he usually likes to be hidden away. If we put him in his outdoor enclosure, he does the same thing.

He doesn't really react in any noticeable way to the heat lamp at night.

What is the humidity level inside your enclosure? How high is it? Wet and mix your substrate every couple of days for a closed chamber setup. Every other day for an open table setup.

Russian hatchlings can handle 70F night time temperatures even with relatively high humidity levels.

I tried searching for the ingredient list but was unable to any listing in their official website. Do you mind taking a picture or providing a link of the information so I can see for myself?

Most pellet style tortoise foods are somewhat similar to kibble and animal feed. The creation process and added ingredients used to aid in that process makes pellets unhealthy when used as a main staple. This is one of the reasons why many pet owners choose not to feed their dogs and cats only on dry foods. If you intend to continue doing so I would suggest possibly increasing the amount of soakings you do and getting an additional water dish in case they require it.

 

[tort_us]

What is the humidity level inside your enclosure? How high is it? Wet and mix your substrate every couple of days for a closed chamber setup. Every other day for an open table setup.

Russian hatchlings can handle 70F night time temperatures even with relatively high humidity levels.

I tried searching for the ingredient list but was unable to any listing in their official website. Do you mind taking a picture or providing a link of the information so I can see for myself?

Most pellet style tortoise foods are somewhat similar to kibble and animal feed. The creation process and added ingredients used to aid in that process makes pellets unhealthy when used as a main staple. This is one of the reasons why many pet owners choose not to feed their dogs and cats only on dry foods. If you intend to continue doing so I would suggest possibly increasing the amount of soakings you do and getting an additional water dish in case they require it.

The humidity level is usually around 50. It's sometimes lower, and it never gets above 60 (unless we've just mixed water in; then it's higher for a few minutes). We have an open table setup and we spray it a few times every day but mix water in only about once per week unless we notice him sneezing a lot. I'll try every other day. What consistency would you recommend for the dirt? How damp should it feel?

Yeah, I've read that they can handle room temperature at night, but other sources say they should have heat until they're older. I don't see any downside to just keeping a heat lamp on (except that it could dry the dirt out). Is there one?

I've attached pics below. Fresh veggies and weeds are a much larger percentage of his diet than the Fluker's pieces. He eats a lot each day, so the 10 pieces don't really amount to much in comparison to the veggies he's already consumed.

He gets soaked every other day for 20 minutes, and he has a big water dish just in case but he never uses it on his own. I've seen him walk through it maybe five times by accident, and drink out of it once.

 

[Minority2]

There's a lot of fruits, vegetables, and processed ingredients in that pellet. In my opinion it's nowhere near as nutritious as the other more popular brands. The vegetables in that list aren't the types you want your tortoise to eat everyday. The amount of sugar in that formula is probably very high per pellet.

For example: Kale contains a good amount goitrogens. Excess amounts can lead to liver, kidney, and thyroid issues. Kale and other similar foods that are high in goitrogen should only be offered every other week. You want their bodies to process out those trace amounts of harmful properties before they eat more of it.

Use these links to read up more on harmful properties and to see how often a specific type of food should be fed to your tortoise:
https://www.thetortoisetable.org.uk/index.php
https://www.thetortoisetable.org.uk/tortoise-diet/harmful-properties/

Raise your humidity levels to 70% if you plan to continue keeping your cool side at 80F. Those temperature levels you currently have now are more for hatchling Sulcatas and Leopards but they are still fine for Russians. Russian tortoises are from arid climates. They instinctively burrow in an attempt to self regulate their heating and cooling needs. Night heat is really not necessary even for established hatchlings. People only really use it if their indoor enclosure temperatures go under 60-65F. Some members also suggest that a cooling off period is beneficial and may help with adapting to new environments.

Pour a generous amount of water and mix the substrate around. You'll want your substrate not to be wet on top. Keep experimenting on the amount of water needed. Make sure your thermometer and hygrometer readers are relatively accurate.

Here are some links to Russian care sheets:
https://tortoiseforum.org/threads/b...or-other-herbivorous-tortoise-species.107734/
https://tortoiseforum.org/threads/russian-tortoise-care-sheet.80698/

 

[tort_us]

Okay, we'll start feeding him those only 2-3 times per week in small doses.

What temperatures/humidity would you suggest? What do you use?

Thank you for all of your advice. Still, this doesn't solve the sneezing problem. I wish I knew what was wrong.

 

[Minority2]

Okay, we'll start feeding him those only 2-3 times per week in small doses.

What temperatures/humidity would you suggest? What do you use?

Thank you for all of your advice. Still, this doesn't solve the sneezing problem. I wish I knew what was wrong.

It's too early to tell. If I were you I wouldn't wait until your tortoise starts to sneeze as a sign to raise the humidity levels in your substrate. I would just continue to the hygrometer and raise the humidity levels when it falls down a certain percentage. For example if my goal is 50-70%, I would start raising the humidity levels before it falls below 60.

Russian tortoises indoor temperatures:
95-100F Basking Light. Can reach upwards of 105F during certain times of the day.
85-90F Warm side.
80-75F Cool side.
70-68F Night time, no heat.
I'm currently running 70-80% (as oppose to 50-70%) humidity level.