How do you treat a respiratory infection in a tortoise?

Your vet may administer an antibiotic via injection to counteract the infection, and you may need to give nasal drops to your tortoises as well. Nursing care, such as wiping away any nasal discharge is important too.

Can tortoises get pneumonia?

Tortoises are susceptible to pneumonia and other respiratory ailments. Symptoms include inactivity, runny nose, labored breathing, bulging eyes, swollen eyelids and loss of appetite. Tortoises inflicted with respiratory ailments often must move their head and forelimbs in and out to facilitate breathing.

How do I know if my tortoise is dying?

Here are the warning signs that a tortoise is very sick or dying:

1. 1/ Damaged Shell.
2. 2/ Skin Lacerations.
3. 3/ Lumps, Bumps, and Parasites on the Skin.
4. 4/ Labored Breathing.
5. 5/ Loss of Appetite.
6. 6/ Refusing to Hydrate.
7. 7/ Coolness to the Touch.
8. 8/ Listlessness and Paralysis.

What does an unhealthy sulcata tortoise look like?

A tortoise should have bright, shiny, alert eyes. Dryness could indicate dehydration or an illness. Excessively wet, runny, weepy eyes could be a sign of infection, so don’t ignore discharge.

What is a home remedy for respiratory infection in turtles?

Sometimes, just increasing the temperature in the enclosure will make your turtle feel better until it can be seen by a vet. Increasing the humidity is also helpful in loosening up any debris in your turtle’s respiratory tract, just like a humidifier or vaporizer helps you when you have a cold.

Can turtles recover from respiratory infection?

Treatment of respiratory tract infections usually involves administration of antibiotics, given orally, through injection, or possibly as nose drops. Very sick turtles may require intensive care, including fluid therapy and force feeding, in the hospital. Abscesses are treated surgically.

How can I treat my turtle’s respiratory infection at home?

How do I know if my turtle has pneumonia?

If the infection is severe, or if it spreads into the lungs, causing pneumonia, the turtle will often be seen tilted to the side while swimming, as its buoyancy will be affected.

What antibiotics can I give my tortoise?

Antimicrobial Drugs Used in Reptiles

Drug	Dosage
Ampicillin	Most species: 10–20 mg/kg, SC, IM, twice daily Tortoises: 50 mg/kg, IM, twice daily
Azithromycin	Ball python: 10 mg/kg, PO, every 3–7 days (3 days for skin infections, 5 days for respiratory tract, 7 days for liver and kidneys)
Carbenicillin	200–400 mg/kg/day, IM

How can I help my turtle with pneumonia?

Treatment of Pneumonia in Turtles A sterile saline solution can be flushed through a catheter and then drawn back out. Treatment will involve injectable antibiotics, to include enrofloxacin, ciprofloxacin, oxytetracycline and ampicillin.

How does turtle get pneumonia?

Inhalation of water is considered one of the primary causes of pneumonia in sea turtles, and secondary bacterial and fungal pulmonary infection is often seen following aspiration [3,4].

Can a turtle recover from respiratory infection?