Worried...

[jbd123]

Hi guys, I'm new here. I've been keeping reptiles for years, but it's been a while since I've had a tort.

I just recently got a leopard tortoise...and she was eating and doing very well, but now she's slowed down (I assume it's because of the cooler weather) and is not eating as much. But now for the past few nights I have heard little "whistles" coming from her. Sometimes she looks like she is breathing out of her mouth and not her nostrils. I do not see any mucus or foreign objects in or around her nostrils but I am afraid she may have an RI. After she gets going...the whistling stops and she breathes normally, not out of her mouth. I'm pretty confused, because years ago when my first tort got an RI the symptoms continued throughout the day (and there was alot more mucus, etc).

Her living conditions are as follows:

She lives in a 2'x2' 'tortoise table' that I built myself. There is a heat lamp on one corner of the enclosure (about a 90-85 degree hot spot) and the rest of the enclosure is pretty much room temp (nothing below 68 degrees). Above the entire enclosure is a UVB lamp for her to absorb calcium powder which I put on her turnip greens daily. She also gets the occasional dandylion flower (no pesticides-I assure you).

What do you think?

EDIT---and her bedding is timothy hay-no dirt or sand. She has easy access to water too.

 

[Yvonne G]

Well, you're correct in assuming that the symptoms fit a R.I. and either/or dry substrate. There's really no way for us to know. But you can try things and by process of elimination figure out what it was. I would first of all get rid of the hay substrate and give the tortoise something you can moisten. You have a couple choices: a mixture of coconut coir/sand or dirt, or cypress mulch. Some folks even use straight organic soil. You moisten the substrate, especially under the light, then the top layer dries out, leaving it moist underneath.

Just try that first of all and see if it doesn't help. Then if the tortoise continues to show the symptoms, I'm afraid you're going to have to go to the vet.

You might consider offering a few more things in the diet too. (nothing to do with wheezing, though) Turnip greens are ok, but not as the only thing offered. Variety is key. Feed the whole bunch of turnip greens until it is gone, then buy something else...escarole, say. Feed that until its gone, then buy something else, etc on and on.

For my babies, I start with a mixture bought in the produce section of the grocery store, called Spring Mix. To this I will add some dandelion greens and flowers, bits of clean grass, clover, or whatever weed happens to be growing outside at the moment. My sister takes a plastic bag and a pair of scissors and walks the street around her house, clipping here and there whatever looks tortoise-good. Be sure to wash it carefully.

---

And I forgot to mention:

to the forum!!

 

[jobeanator]

i had similar symptoms you had, and mine has a respatory infection. if hes not eating, and his eyes are closed then it probably is. right now what im doing for mine is i have a heat lamp on him, and ive been soaking him twice a day and applying his nasal drops after

 

[jbd123]

I appreciate all of the comments.

I am actually gone over the weekends, my grandmother takes care of her while I am away (currently in between moving). I will be sure to switch her substrate on Sunday evening when I return.

GOOD NEWS is that I decided to warm the ambient temps up about 5 degrees F, and this morning she ate like her normal self. I've been soaking her daily instead of every 48 hours as well. She's still got the clicking/whistling noise, but she's breathing out of her nose and there's still no mucus.

I hope it's not an RI, just because I know that traveling stresses her out, and the reptile vet I use is about 3 hours away. I would hate to have to put her through more stress than she's already in, but I will definitely do what is necessary.

Thank you: I appreciate the advice on the diet too. I had it EXTREMELY varied when I first got her (a mixture of chopped carrots, squash, turnips and dandelions as well as timothy hay) and she would eat around everything to get to the turnips and dandelions. Your advice makes alot of sense: I will be sure to do that.

Thanks so much for the welcomes too! I will keep you all posted on her progress, and try to post pictures!

 

[jbd123]

Got home last night, and I observed her. She was sleeping.

But last night, I heard more weezing (in fact it is worse than before) and this morning she has some mucus coming out of her nose. She ate just fine and even went to her water bowl for a drink though.

I will be taking her to the vet on Saturday. Thank you guys so much for your help.

 

[Tom]

Your temps seem too low to me. You don't say how big she is, but since she's in a little 2x2, I'm assuming she's small. I'm also assuming you have the babcocki subspecies as that is the most commonly available one.

Whenever I have any tropical reptile thats starts to get a respiratory infection, I always bump the cool side temps up to 80, day and night. Usually goes away in a day or two, if you catch it early.

Also, 85-90 is good for the warm side, but your "basking site" needs to be warmer, especially if you've got a sickie. I like 120, but only in that one spot! Hard to do in such a small enclosure. Take a temp gun outside on a sunny day and see how hot the ground and rocks get in the direct sun. Way over 120! Also, imagine how hot it gets in the equatorial African sun. My big clue here is that you saw improvement with a minor temp increase.

Further, do you have an outdoor enclosure? Leopards really really need sunshine. It has an almost magical effect on their mood, appetite and health. Get her outside in the sun as soon as the weather permits.

Even further, do you know about keeping young desert species of torts humid to prevent pyramiding. Yvonne is steering you in the right direction for substrate, I just wanted to add that you might want to look into a humid hide box too.

We are all constantly learning here, so keep us posted on all the details. We'd love to know what the vet says and whatever you do that makes it better.