Vet update + need some help!!

[derrick0312]

I have brought my tort to a vet because she has runny nose and heavy breathing since thursday, but improving gradually in her own. The vet said it's nth serious, but gave her two injections of anti-inflammatory medicine and antibiotics...I will need to observe her for two days and then see if she will improve.

Another note is that, the vet said her mouth/tongue is quite pale, a sign of anaemia. Caught me offguard!! I wonder if anyone could tell me what is the cause of anaemia in tortoise, and what's best for me to do? the vet said she's too small to do any test but just have to observe...

She has had worm treatment around a months ago, and ever since she has been feeding well, poo/pee regularly and been very active...

[burnt toast]

Im no expert Derick just wanted to say one of mine had a pale mouth/anemia & the cause of his was he had a very heavy worm load 3 different types, had them when I got him - turned out where I had him from's neighbour's cat used to come in their garden & poop & the tortoises loved to eat it if they got chance! It took a while to get rid of them because after he'd been treated about 4 times & I sent a sample off to my vets to confirm clear, they told me he was clear but had given me someone elses results! So had to start the worming procedure again. So poor Ozzie developed anemia & a low imune system. All this happened within a month or so of me getting him, he was 6 months old & 27grams but it has slowed his growth & he's now 2 years old & hovering just under 100grams.

Have you had your tort long? where did it come from? Have you had a sample to check the worms have actually gone?

It could be any one of a number of things but basically I think your tort is a bit under the weather, not 100% & thats probably why its developed RNS.

[Kirkie]

It's a tricky one because anaemia is usually a secondary symptom of something else. So it could be related to the respiratory problem your tortoise has been treated for. Without a blood test it would be difficult to confirm. Additionally young reptiles can have a low red blood cell count and a tortoises red blood cell levels vary throughout the year, lower pre and post hibernation.

I suppose you could try adding some iron rich feeds like Kale, watercress or cabbage. Feed strawberry or pumpkin seeds at the same time as these improve the absorbtion of iron.

The trouble with feeding dark, leafy greens is that they also contain a lot of blockers for other vitamins and minerals so you need to balance it out.

You could up your suppliments (if your not using the daily) as nutrobal and the like contain iron.

[burnt toast]

Yes I agree totally with what Kirkie has just said, my vet told me it can take 400 days for a tortoise to replenish its red blood cells. Perhaps another way of getting extra vitamins into him would be what I did with my Rambo: add a dose of Abidec baby growth vitamins to his bath. (ones in orange box sold at sainsburys etc) they are liquid vitamins for human babies. Dosage wise for my smaller torts I gave about an inch in the dispenser tube added to a bath 6 x 8" at about 3/4 of an inch deep - only once per day. This helped one of mine who couldnt grow without it but I also used it for Ozzie for a long while. You have to persavere as it doesnt work overnight, but at least this way you arent giving him anything to block absorbtion.

[derrick0312]

thanks all for the advices. I have had my tort for only 4 months, and it has been quite a worrying yet lovely four months I had...

Yes she did have worm infection before, and have been two treatment a month ago. Since then she's improving - eat well, become more active, and poo/pee regularly. I take this as a good sign.

I will certainly try to add some iron-rich food to her diet as it seems a good thing to do. The thing that bugs me is that I can do very little as she is so small and the vet thinks given her size (30g, 5.2cm), it's very hard to do any test and the result may be confusing anyway...Maybe helping her through diet is the only way I can help her now =(

[Kirkie]

The worming treatment can be quite harsh, this could have compounded into the RNS. They react well to antibiotics, it should clear things up. You just need to make sure everything is spot on with your setup. You should keep the temperature up overnight for a while to give the antibiotics a chance to work. Mid 20's.

Not sure what else to suggest, if the tortoise is active and eating thats good. Sounds like you've had a worrying start. Normally I'd suggest something like a nasal flush or nebulisor treatment for RNS but the laboured breathing suggests that this may be a lower respiratory tract infection rather than an upper so antibiotics was the way to go. I had a turtle with a lower respiratory tract infection. I had to give it 5 injections over 15 days plus oral baytril daily, it responded well to the first shot though. I'm wondering if yours was just given a precautionary shot, I've had tortoises get over a runny nose just by upping the temps and giving a couple of F10 nebulisations.

Keep those temperatures up, don't let things get to dry and dusty or too damp. If you've got a humidity gauge 50-60% is what I keep my babies at and they do fine with this.

Hope things pick up for you and the tortoise.