Wheezing hermans

[hanley85]

Hello,I have 5 hermans tortoises and have had them for some time but recently I have noticed that one of them seems to 'wheeze'. It doesn't do it always but

 

[hanley85]

...but concerned it may have some sort of respiratory problem. Iv never heard it before,please can some one tell me if this is norm and should I be concerned?

 

[lismar79]

Is he eating and active as normal?

 

[hanley85]

Iv seen no change in her to be honest,she eating fine also.iv been using wood chippings as substrate and concerned the dust of them maybe causing her problems. However use the same substrate for the rest of my torts and they ok

 

[tglazie]

When do you hear this wheeze? Does it happen only when you pick her up, or does she walk about wheezing? Is the wheeze accompanied by a cough, regular sneezing, bubbles and flem from the nose and/or mouth? If you notice any of these signs, a respiratory problem is the likely culprit. However, to be honest, the only Testudo I've kept that seemed to have trouble with respiratory issues have been Greeks. A friend of mine had a couple of Goldens he bought as imports, and they had some serious respiratory troubles that kept them from acclimating initially. After a trip to the vet and some Baytril, they were doing fine. I've never had a problem with wheezing from Hermanns or Marginateds, but I've never kept a wild caught animal nor lived in a cool, wet climate that could produce such possibilities.

In all likelihood, the wheeze might be a hiss or other breathing type sound, but keep an eye on her nevertheless. If you notice any of the things I mentioned, or if she starts to go off her feed and remain hidden all the time, ensure that you separate her from the others and take her to a vet pronto. Respiratory illnesses are very nasty and can spread through a population very quickly. My uncle lost two leopards this way, when he introduced a female to his existing group that ended up being a passive carrier of some nasty respiratory illness. The female appeared symptom free, so after a three month quarantine, he decided to introduce her to the other girls. Two of his three didn't respond to treatment and died. Respiratory illnesses are very serious and very contagious. I don't want to inspire paranoia, but it is always better to be safe than sorry.

T.G.