How do you treat an infected 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.
What month do tortoises come out of hibernation?
The hibernation period should not be longer than 12 weeks, meaning a tortoise put into hibernation in November will be brought out around the start of February. There are many different methods of hibernation, so we will only briefly go over some here.
Is it normal for a tortoise to go missing?
So, it’s normal behavior for a tortoise to go missing – they hide naturally and it’s not your fault if your tortoise does disappear. However, knowing this won’t help you get your tortoise back and while it’s likely that your tortoise is simply chilling in a burrow – it’s also possible that they’re elsewhere.
Why does my tortoise go into hiding in the morning?
Temperature changes can make tortoises go into hiding but it can also bring them back out of hiding. When the morning sun comes out, the temperature goes up and they can come scuttling out of a burrow or from under something to soak up some rays. So, keep your eye out when the sun comes up.
What does it mean when a tortoise can’t find a burrow?
A big warning sign is that the weather has suddenly changed to get much warmer or much colder – that’s a real trigger for tortoises to start burrowing. Check around the edges of rocks and any plants, in particular, they’re a tortoise’s favorite spot. If they can’t find a burrow, a tortoise is likely to aim for the shade.
Is it normal for a tortoise to hide its eggs?
A female won’t always nest in a burrow, but they’ll always nest near one and usually in such a way that they can hide their eggs if they feel that they need to. So, it’s normal behavior for a tortoise to go missing – they hide naturally and it’s not your fault if your tortoise does disappear.
How can you tell when a tortoise is dead?
The eyes are often one of the clearest indicators of a tortoise dying. A dead tortoise tends to exhibit sunken eyes with no sign of life and dullness to them. The third eyelid may also be more visible.
How can you tell if a tortoise has an ear infection?
The eyes of a healthy tortoise – by comparison – should be clear and bright. There should also be no sign of discharge or infection. It is also important to take note of any incidence where a tortoise starts rubbing eyes or ears with their forelegs. This is a clear sign of an eye or ear infection that irritates or pains them.
What to do if you can’t find your tortoise?
As soon as you notice your tortoise is gone, get everyone in the house together and ask them to help search the surrounding area. If you’re outside you want to carefully search each part of the ground, tortoises can seem invisible if you’re not looking carefully.
What does it mean when a tortoise rubs its eyes?
It is also important to take note of any incidence where a tortoise starts rubbing eyes or ears with their forelegs. This is a clear sign of an eye or ear infection that irritates or pains them. In some cases, this could be as simple as a minor infection or a vitamin deficiency.
