tortoisetrustforum.org

hello everyone,
unfortunately i have seen that manny has started to get a slightly runny nose (i have seen one small bubble this am) and her/his breathing appears to be strained a little AGAIN! she was only treated in september last year for the same thing and i am worried that she has picked something up again so quickly.
I have her booked into the vets for a check up later this month but will bring it forward if i still notice the symptoms 2morow.

i just wonder if anyone else has had this problem with RNS type symptoms and whether it is something im doing wrong
she is in her tortoise table at the moment, the room she is in is small but has the window open a lot for air circulation and the temps are aprox 37-40 under the heat spot and 25-29 in the shade?????

stanny

Hi Stanny,

I dont know whether it would cause RNS or not but I would have thought that your temps were a little on the high side 32 - 34 is the basking temp normally advised, and a good 10 degrees cooler at the other end.

I would also say the temps are far too high. As Kathy says between 32-34 is the average temps for med tortoises.
And 25c at the cooler end.
What substrate is your tortoise on?
As some times rns is husbandry sometimes its bacterial or viral.
So a little more info might be useful.
But at the end of the day if he/she has had it before, you need to revisit the vet I think.

since this am I have lifted manny's megaray bulb slightly to reduce the temp and kept an eye on her. she is eating fine and up and about but does seem to be gettin sniffly, as before. i will ring the vets in the am to try and bring the appointment forward to this week.
the substrate is a sand/loam mix that i spray down every now and then to stop the table getting too dry and dusty. the temps are high but i was going on advice from the vets and also the 12-14" away from the torts shell measurement for the bulb. manny alwasy seems to prefer the hot end and spends hardly any time in the cooler end. i suppose i would have been worried if she never went down to the warmer end and reduced the temps earlier
just when i thought i was getting things sorted for her i really feel like im doing a rubbish job for the little thing.
stanny

Hi Stanny I know exactly how you feel as my poor tort Quasi has RNS even though she spent 5 nights in the vets & cost me £194

She was ok for 2 nights then it came back on the 3rd. At least yours stays under the lamp might just wants to go in the house & sleep.

Good luck & please let me know how you get on.

Jackie

hi jackie,
thank you, i will keep you informed! manny was in the vets last year and she cost me over £200 i know the feeling haha. you dont mind if the treatment works its just when it keeps coming back, i feel really lost about it all. im preparing her outdoor garden at the mo but still dont feel like i know what im doing at all theres always something else i need to do or ive got wrong and im scared it will mean she is not getting treated properly. just have to see what the vets says again i suppose
stanny

Could you lessen the amount of sand you use?
As this might well be getting up the nares.

hi sandy,
yes im due to change her substrate asap when i can get some play sand so will try adding slightly less than usual. thank you. would you suggest that i change her onto newspaper for now until she has been to the vets do you think? ive heard that some people do this when their torts have nose problems?
stanny

You could try newpaper, if you have a vets appointment. But sometimes more changes can make it worse.

I've found that the sand/soil was getting in Quasi's face as she kept trying to rub her runny nose I did what Sandy said & have added more soil & today added some more stones. Been checking my temp's are ok constantly, giving warm baths but right now need to find a better vet as can't keep paying out & she don't get better.

I'm so worried for Quasi but hopefully will find a vet tomorrow as got some bad news today but can't just leave my sick tort.

Jackie