Bad signs ...

[alicia]

Hi Ellie

i don't mean this to sound rude but you have asked for advise and after being given good replys you come across as being defensive in your last reply.

most keepers have expierienced RNS at some point. it can be bought on by many reasos like stress or incorrect enviroment conditions.

you say your friend has a tortoise and she looked at him... personally i wouldn't trust that jasper is fine just because your friend says so, tortoises don't just get 'sniffles' like us having the common cold, RNS is an upper respiratory tract infection and if it carrys on it needs to be treated along with anything that may be causing it ( sorry to say but like the viv)

i hope jasper has a quick recovery

Alice.

[Paulg1]

Very good point Alice. My unfortuneate experience with RNS is not a fun one. Like you said most often it isn't a sniffle and goes away on it's own. I say again, most often. Not unheard of. I'd keep a real close eye on him for the next week or so for any bubbles or sounds of breathing distress. I brought up the point of the viv because alot of times you hear this "sniffle" thing from torts in vivs. People can stick their head in the sand all they want but the proof is there. I'm afraid this may just be the begining of a long line of health problems to come. I hope I am wrong, believe me I do. My point along with most if not all here is the well being of the tort which in turn makes the keeper happy as well.

[alotoffluff]

Im sure everyone just wants the best for little Jasper. Keep us posted Ellie.

[sahara]

Ellie you have to do what you feel is right.

[Ozric Jonathan]

Hi Ellie. Can I suggest that whatever you decide to do - and its your decision- you continue to look at this forum and put messages up.

I've been keeping tortoises for a while but I wouldn't have a clue if someone asked me to say if one was well or sick.

I'm sure you'll keep a close eye on Jasper. If he does have a RNS type illness, it needs to be treated. But maybe he doesn't. On the other hand Jasper might have been in close contact with large numbers of tortoises before he came to you and these conditions can make it impossible to completely control infectious illness.

So, please stay on board!

[Sally_liz]

I am by no means an experanced tort keeper, and when I first got mine last year I came on here for advice. They were older hermanns who I got (along with the viv) off someone who didn't want them anymore (how anyone could not love them I don't know!!!). Both of them had a problem with wheezing and breathing issues. I took them to the vet and he said he couldn't see an obvious problem but it wasn't nomal and there could be something underlying. After reading the posts on here I thought it might be an air flow problem. Now I leave the doors open daily (making it so they can't climb out) and after about a month the wheezing had almost completely cleared up. I still have them in a viv, as I have an extremely cold house (we've had frost on the inside of the windows) and I find this is better for me to keep a decent temp for them at night, but I'm not happy with it (in an ideal situation they would have a tort table for the day but i'm running out of space). This is my personal experance, and surely everyone learns from experance, I assumed the point of a forum was too pass on experances so other people don't have to make the same mistakes??

[3lli3 xx]

o.k sorry if i came accross as defence, because i really do appreciate your concern.The thing is i nevershould have posted this thread, as it really wasn't a big deal, practiclly one little bubble comefrom his his nose and he carried on as normal, it may have even been from his mouth ,as i was at a weird angle. This has ivolved into something much more serious than it was. trust me. as i mentioned earlier i am looking into converting my viv, either taking off top or doors, to make a semi-table type thing. But this "bubble" thing happened about a week ago now, jasper is fine, and trully one happy healthy tort. P.s. This "friend" who looked at my tort, is a breeder, who's husband is a vet, and she is almost 60 , been doing it all her life. so she probably knows best.

[Ozric Jonathan]

Thanks for that extra info Ellie. Sometimes a tort will blow a bubble or two at the nose after bathing.

The situation with vivs can be confusing when lots of pet shops aim them at tortoise customers. For Mediterranean species I personally think it's not the best kind of accommodation, but the more air moving about in it the better.