Vet tomorrow, or Monday?

[APBT_Fanatic]

I recently adopted Cricket, a little Sulcata hatchling (more info here: http://tortoiseforum.org/thread-15274.html ).

He arrived from Florida today (overnight shipping), but has had a bubbly nose for a few days. I was planning to take him to the vet tomorrow if they can fit him in, but was looking up some of the older posts and read that a bubbly/runny nose can be from the environment (dry, dusty, etc.), stress, stress from being handled too much, etc., and not necessarily URI.

Does anybody have any suggestions on what to do? I would hate to wait and it get worse, so am thinking I should just take him tomorrow anyways, but thought I would as for your opinions first.

Thanks!

 

[kimber_lee_314]

I would get him to the vet asap. Because he is new and young, he should be checked out by a vet. Babies can nose dive very quickly so I would take this seriously.

 

[APBT_Fanatic]

Thanks! That was my initial thinking.

 

[dmmj]

I don't think a bubbly nose will kill him by monday, but I wouldn't wait if I could get an appointment, if you can't keep him warm.

 

[Yvonne G]

This is MY OPINION:

Wait and see if he settles down and starts to eat. I don't start treating for a respiratory infection at the first sign of bubbles. And most vets don't realize that there are other causes of bubbly noses.

Set him up in his habitat and other than putting him in front of the food dish, leave him alone. Chances are pretty good that the bubbles are environmental or stress related and will go away on their own.

Make sure the substrate isn't dusty (moisten it).

 

[APBT_Fanatic]

This is MY OPINION:

Wait and see if he settles down and starts to eat. I don't start treating for a respiratory infection at the first sign of bubbles. And most vets don't realize that there are other causes of bubbly noses.

Set him up in his habitat and other than putting him in front of the food dish, leave him alone. Chances are pretty good that the bubbles are environmental or stress related and will go away on their own.

Make sure the substrate isn't dusty (moisten it).

Thanks for the input!

He is eating well, and is active. He is on Eco-Earth that is of course moist to help with the humidity. Do you suggest I still wait? If so, how long would you suggest I wait until taking him to the vet if the problem still occurs?

 

[South FL Katie]

He was on damp sphagnum peat moss while he was here but before me he was in pretty bad conditions although I think he was some kind of bark/mulch which I wouldn't think would be dusty but maybe it was.
I didn't notice any symptoms or bubbles until Thursday and it had been really rainy so I thought maybe the humid weather and cooler temperature (it got down to 75 for a couple hours) caused it. He was still eating and acting normal when he left last night but obviously we were concerned.

 

[APBT_Fanatic]

Yes, he has a heat lamp.

 

[APBT_Fanatic]

Called and this particular vet is not in over the weekend, so we will have to wait until Monday. He has an appointment Monday at 1:20pm

 

[Maggie Cummings]

Keep him a little warmer than normal and soak him everyday, his bubbles should be gone by Monday if they are environmentally related or caused by stress. If they are still there Monday it's probably an URTI.