Tortoise nose whistle? RI recovery?

Bowser32

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About two months ago i think my Sulcata had a RI. One day he had a runny nose that whistled with watery eyes and once i gave him a soak he was blowing bubbles out of nose. At the time i was in the process of moving enclosures and it turned out the night time temps were getting in the 70s. The following week i corrected everything and kept good care of him. Now two months later he still has this nose whistle everytime he breathes. Everything about his behavior is perfect he is active all day eats everyday sleeps at 85 degrees and nothing appears to be stuck in his nose. Is this just a lengthy recovery? is this anything to be concered about? Attached is a video of him whistling today

 

Bowser32

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any help or advice would be greatly apprciated!
 

mark1

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literally all the time ? does he do this when he is not stressed ? when he is in his normal enclosure being left alone ? does he live outside ?
 

Bowser32

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literally all the time ? does he do this when he is not stressed ? when he is in his normal enclosure being left alone ? does he live outside ?
yup just his passive breathing and curious sniffs he has the whistle. he lives indoors
 

mark1

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while i do not have tortoises , i have had quite a few in the past , i am sure that is not normal ......you may want to have a good tortoise vet take a look at him ..... being in arizona i cannot imagine you don't have access to quite a few experienced reptile vets ....... maybe someone else will weigh in , but i would look into keeping him outdoors as much as possible ......jmo
 

Bowser32

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while i do not have tortoises , i have had quite a few in the past , i am sure that is not normal ......you may want to have a good tortoise vet take a look at him ..... being in arizona i cannot imagine you don't have access to quite a few experienced reptile vets ....... maybe someone else will weigh in , but i would look into keeping him outdoors as much as possible ......jmo
thank you for your input. hes been getting 1 hour outside about once a week in the outdoor pen its just been getting a lil too hot for him at 105F
 

MsBijou

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He is definitely sick. That sounds like uri and his eyes look swollen as well.

Does he have a basking spot. He should have an spot that is about 100 - 110 Fahrenheit. 80-85 is fine for the rest of the enclosure. Keeping the heat up to 85 at night is good for a sick tortoise but after he’s been seen by a vet (a vet will likely suggest antibiotics) and is 100% completely healed he should be fine for nighttime temperatures in the 70’s. The night temps dropping is very important so unless he’s sick, go ahead with the 70’s.
 

Donna Albu

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thank you for your input. hes been getting 1 hour outside about once a week in the outdoor pen its just been getting a lil too hot for him at 105F
Welcome! From a fellow Arizonian, 105 is not too hot for him providing he has access to shade, and plenty of water & mud. His outdoor enclosure should also have insulated housing in the cooler part of his enclosure and a great door. Ours are commercial freezer flaps - they were pricey at the time, and I'm sure they've gone up, but they are 18-19 years old and still in perfect shape. If you want to know about the house, I can tell you how it went together last fall. While they have heat for the short time it gets cold around here, we used the same level of insulating that you'd use in a colder climate to protect against the extreme heat (115-117, even it 120 once!). The now adults have been outside full time for about 12 years and are doing great. Your guy needs way more sun than an hour a week.
 

Bowser32

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Welcome! From a fellow Arizonian, 105 is not too hot for him providing he has access to shade, and plenty of water & mud. His outdoor enclosure should also have insulated housing in the cooler part of his enclosure and a great door. Ours are commercial freezer flaps - they were pricey at the time, and I'm sure they've gone up, but they are 18-19 years old and still in perfect shape. If you want to know about the house, I can tell you how it went together last fall. While they have heat for the short time it gets cold around here, we used the same level of insulating that you'd use in a colder climate to protect against the extreme heat (115-117, even it 120 once!). The now adults have been outside full time for about 12 years and are doing great. Your guy needs way more sun than an hour a week.
I should add that hes only 11 months old from my understanding hes too young from the full time outside no?
 
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Bowser32

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He is definitely sick. That sounds like uri and his eyes look swollen as well.

Does he have a basking spot. He should have an spot that is about 100 - 110 Fahrenheit. 80-85 is fine for the rest of the enclosure. Keeping the heat up to 85 at night is good for a sick tortoise but after he’s been seen by a vet (a vet will likely suggest antibiotics) and is 100% completely healed he should be fine for nighttime temperatures in the 70’s. The night temps dropping is very important so unless he’s sick, go ahead with the 70’s.
he has a basking spot that reaches 103 but he spends most of his day walking around never just basking
 

MsBijou

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he has a basking spot that reaches 103 but he spends most of his day walking around never just basking
Please take him to a good vet. A vet who is experienced in tortoises would be ideal. He IS sick and it will not go away on its own. If it progresses into pneumonia it will be difficult to save his life.
 

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