Hello,
I have a three-year old Eastern Hermann's tortoise. I've noticed that for the last few months, he's been making a squeaking noise almost constantly as he breathes. However, he does not have any other signs of a respiratory infection, so I truly don't think that is it. Is there any other reason he might be doing this? Or is it almost definitely an RI and a vet appointment is in order? His appetite is perfect, very active, clear eyes and nostrils, no lethargy, no nasal discharge or congestion, his eyes aren't swollen, no discoloration or shell abnormalities, no weight loss. Everything seems perfect except for the whistling sound.
For reference, here are my husbandry practices:
He is in a 4 foot by 8 foot enclosure. Ambient temperature of 80 degrees, basking temp of 95-100, 80% humidity during the day, around 90% at night. He has a UVB that is on for four hours a day. His basking bulb/regular lights are on for fourteen hours in the summer, twelve hours in the winter. He has constant access to fresh water and gets fed daily. His diet consists of a constant rotation of endive, escarole, mustard greens, turnip greens, dandelion greens, arugula, romaine lettuce, clover, oat grass, occasional dandelion flowers, and various tortoise toppers purchased from Kapidolo Farms. His current food toppers are calendula, nettle, mulberry, and hibiscus. He gets a few Mazuri pellets a week, and his food is sprinkled with calcium twice a week. Within the last few months, I made the switch from soaking him for an hour every day to an average of hour every two or three days. He never gets less than half an hour of soaking on the days that I do soak him, and the majority of the time it's a full 60 minutes.
The only possible ideas I have for what could be causing it are the fact that I am soaking him less now, as well as the fact that his enclosure substrate has been more damp than usual since his mister broke and I've had to rely on manually keeping up his humidity, which is fluctuating more easily than I'd like. He had his annual vet appointment already this year and everything was perfect according to them.
I have a three-year old Eastern Hermann's tortoise. I've noticed that for the last few months, he's been making a squeaking noise almost constantly as he breathes. However, he does not have any other signs of a respiratory infection, so I truly don't think that is it. Is there any other reason he might be doing this? Or is it almost definitely an RI and a vet appointment is in order? His appetite is perfect, very active, clear eyes and nostrils, no lethargy, no nasal discharge or congestion, his eyes aren't swollen, no discoloration or shell abnormalities, no weight loss. Everything seems perfect except for the whistling sound.
For reference, here are my husbandry practices:
He is in a 4 foot by 8 foot enclosure. Ambient temperature of 80 degrees, basking temp of 95-100, 80% humidity during the day, around 90% at night. He has a UVB that is on for four hours a day. His basking bulb/regular lights are on for fourteen hours in the summer, twelve hours in the winter. He has constant access to fresh water and gets fed daily. His diet consists of a constant rotation of endive, escarole, mustard greens, turnip greens, dandelion greens, arugula, romaine lettuce, clover, oat grass, occasional dandelion flowers, and various tortoise toppers purchased from Kapidolo Farms. His current food toppers are calendula, nettle, mulberry, and hibiscus. He gets a few Mazuri pellets a week, and his food is sprinkled with calcium twice a week. Within the last few months, I made the switch from soaking him for an hour every day to an average of hour every two or three days. He never gets less than half an hour of soaking on the days that I do soak him, and the majority of the time it's a full 60 minutes.
The only possible ideas I have for what could be causing it are the fact that I am soaking him less now, as well as the fact that his enclosure substrate has been more damp than usual since his mister broke and I've had to rely on manually keeping up his humidity, which is fluctuating more easily than I'd like. He had his annual vet appointment already this year and everything was perfect according to them.
