tortoise wheezing?

[lordtedric]

So I have a 5 year old leopard tortoise. She appears to be rather healthy. Now that its summer time here in new england she is of course super active. Though one thing that has always concerned me is her breathing. She has always made this kinda of wheezing sound. Like a kid with asthma who just ran a marathon. Not to insult anyone with asthma but that's the best comparison I could think of. I feel like sometimes its more noticeable then others. Like today I can hear it from across the room when others days I cant hear it at all. I've taken to a couple different vets but none have seemed to be too tortoise savvy simply commenting on who cool she looks like its the first time they've seen one. So is this something of concern? Also does anyone know a well experienced tortoise vet in the MA/new England area?

 

[Yvonne G]

It might simply be something stuck in her nose. You can buy a little squeeze bottle of saline solution at the pharmacy in the contact lens area and squirt it up both nostrils (with a little bit of force, but not too much). Don't worry about it going into her lungs, because the nares end up on the roof of a tortoise's mouth, not down their throat.

You can check this list of vets in Maine, but call them and find out if they treat tortoises before you go:

http://www.tortoiseforum.org/thread-29685.html