My pet tortoise (a female Greek tortoise, about 6"), has had a runny nose since I got her from Petco, about 6 weeks ago. She has a very healthy appetite, and everything else seems normal. Petco wasn't very knowledgable about her, so I can't go to them for answers. Anyone out there who is familiar with turtle/tortoise care who can offer any insights? The closest vet that treats reptiles is not located nearby, and did not call me back when I contacted them with my question.
2007-03-05 03:23:50 · 7 answers · asked by Anonymous in Pets ➔ Reptiles
This link has some medical information.
http://www.chelonia.org/Articles/iberacare.htm
But it is a resperitory infection and seeing a vet who specializes in reptiles is a must if you want your tortoise to be healthy.
2007-03-05 08:27:35 · answer #1 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
A runny nose is a concern, and is probably a respiratory infection.
Try this:
1. Let it have a soak in warm water for about 10-30 minutes. The water should be no deeper than 1/2 the height of the shell. If it starts to struggle too much, take it out. Just FYI- it is normal for them to defecate in the water.
2. Boost tank temps to about 85-90F.
3. Make sure the tank has no drafts, cold spots, etc.
4. Add a good UVB bulb if you don't already have one.
5. Put an extra dash of vitamins on the food for a couple weeks.
6. Make sure there is a warm but humid part of the tank- perhaps a plastic tub with dampened Bed-a-Beast in it.
7. Make sure the substrate in the tank is not dusty or stinky.
If this does not help within a week, consider a vetor the help forums at http://www.turtleforum.com
My favorite site for Greek care is http://www.tortoisetrust.com.uk- they have lots of great info on housing, diet, etc.
2007-03-05 17:11:53 · answer #2 · answered by Madkins007 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
This sounds like it may be a Respiratory infection. You can try upping the temp in her tank by about 5-10 degrees for 1-2 weeks to see if it helps BUT 9 times out of 10 they will need some sort of anti-biotic, even if it looks like she is getting better..it doesn't mean she is and symptoms may return.
If it just looks like white crust around her nose it could also just be salt, some reptiles excrete salt from the nose when they have too much of it in their system. Either way I would suggest making an appointment with the vet as with turtles/tortoises signs of sickness usually show up a long time after they initially become sick, meaning she's probably been sick for a long time.
I hope this helps! Good luck :)
2007-03-05 03:31:11 · answer #3 · answered by ~Elyse~ 2 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Definitely get her to the vet. I had a Russian Tortoise form Petco for less than a week before he died. He was ill, but the runny nose was caused by small pieces of his bedding in his nose. Petco was of no help, they took him and left him to die, so I suggest not going through them- they are in sales, not qualified in animal health. A runny nose with a tortoise is a big deal and could be a number of things. Also, with a runny nose, they are likely not to eat, which of course is a problem.
2007-03-05 08:12:12 · answer #4 · answered by boofer 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
The best thing would be to bring it to the vet. The most likely will give you oral or inject-able antibiotics. Also check the humidity of the housing.
2007-03-05 03:41:46 · answer #5 · answered by Patricia 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
try calling that fish place in Lancaster, PA they have a huge reptiles section in the store. the number is 717-299-5691 I bet they can help you.
2007-03-05 03:32:00 · answer #6 · answered by Ms. Jay 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
maybe shes not a tortoise
2007-03-05 03:28:06 · answer #7 · answered by Kevin C. 1 · 0⤊ 1⤋