Hector- noises, shell question, aggressive...

[Hector's Family]

Three things today.

Hector will be 4 in September. We noticed a few odd things.

1. He was grinding the top of his shell as he was trying to get under his slate at night. He did some damage in just two days. We now remove the slate at night. He doesn't seem to be in pain and it appears to be healing nicely. Is there anything we should be doing to speed the healing process?

2. This morning I found him at the side of his tank making a noise like a dog whining. When he saw me, he immediately stopped and came over to me. Once I walked away, he went back to the same area in the tank and did it again. His mouth is wide open while making the noise. Is this normal? Is he trying to tell me something?

3. He's been much more active this summer. My daughter thinks he's challenging and being more "aggressive" because he's hitting puberty. I'd like your thoughts on this. He's actually been biting my slippers and pants! I can easily get away from him, but his behavior has been different.

The only difference in our care is we've been providing fresh cuttings from the garden: dandelion, nasturtium, Landis winter lettuce, and clippings from a Tortoise seed mix. Wondering if that could be the change.

As always, thank you for all you do!

[lin]

Hiya.
It sounds like he possibly has a upper RTI and I think possibly have him see a vet as soon as possible, one that deals in exotics creatures, especially with experience with tortoises. With squeeks and noises from within it is always better to be save because once something takes hold it is a lot more traumatis to recover from.
If you tell us what area you are from we could perhaps direct you to a good vet if you dont already have one.
If you could show a photo of the shell damage from the slate we could maybe advise in that though.

Lin

[Nina]

Hi from me too, and it's great to hear from you again.
Lin, if I remember correctly, Hector is in North America, but i could be wrong.
Lin has answered the questions about the noises. But just to ask, is it a wheezing sort of noise, and is he doing it frequently?
Re the aggression, yes that is typical male behaviour, and nothing to be worried about.
Re the damage to his shell. Is the slate on the ground and Hector is burrowing under it, or is it the roof of a little cave. If the roof of a cave then maybe you could make it a bit higher so that he doesn't scrape his shell when going into it.

Nina

[Hector's Family]

The two white spots on his upper shell are where the damage occurred. I think that is a decent photo.

I am in Salem County, New Jersey, USA. We do have an exotic vet, but I'm not sure they have experience with reptiles.

I would love a recommendation for a trusted vet. Keep in mind that during these covid-19 shutdowns, I have no way to prevent them from giving him a shot because owners are required to wait in the car. I just wanted to be sure you were aware.

[Hector's Family]

He made the noise for about fifteen minutes this morning, intermittently. It was not constant. He hasn't done it since then.

I took a video (thankfully) when he was doing it. It's a crappy video, but you can hear the noise clearly. I figured it would help you help me. I don't know why I didn't post them in my original post. Apologies.

Here is the link to the video:

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1Zpbrmy ... sp=sharing

[Hector's Family]

The slate rock was resting on the coconut coir bedding. He was digging under to go to sleep at night. We simply remove it at bedtime and no further damage has occurred.

[Nina]

Hi Hector's family (lol, we don't know your name),

First thanks for the information, the photo, and the video, which are a great help.

Lin and I have discussed this and we think that although it could be a respiratory infection, it might also just be that he got some dust or a particle of something down his windpipe and was reacting to that. I would leave it for another 24 hours and keep a close eye on him. If there are no more noises then he's fine, but if he has more episodes of this then you do need to see a vet. If your vet is trained in 'exotics' then he or she should have training in reptiles (as they are included under the 'exotics' banner). But I've also had another look and on the Tortoise Rescue of Long Island website they have a list of recommended vets and there is one in New Jersey (in Blairstown). Here's a link to that page, so just scroll down: https://www.turtlerescues.com/veterinarian_listings.htm

If you have to see the vet, then you could request that they secure your permission before they give Hector any shots (although if it did turn out to be a respiratory infection he will need antibiotics).

Re the slate. Why not elevate it a little bit. If you put two bricks on their sides at either end, it would lift the slate up three or four inches and he might be able to go under it without scraping -- just a thought.

Finally, I'd just like to say that you are obviously doing something right because Hector has a very good looking shell! It's really difficult to raise a Russian tortoise with a smooth shell, because they are greedy eaters and tend to grow too quickly and get pyramiding. Hector's shell looks relatively smooth and he is a handsome chap!

Nina

[Hector's Family]

I can't even tell you how much I appreciate this forum...

Hector's shell (and care) is wonderful BECAUSE OF THIS FORUM. I knew, in advance, of their greedy tendencies and we watch him carefully! Thank you, really, for everything you do. I can't count how many mistakes you guys kept us from making!

This is the vet we normally see (Dr. Julie) and she has cared for our ferrets in the past. If he does it again, I'll make an appointment immediately. I didn't know that any exotic vet would also have training in reptiles. That is very comforting. https://www.delvalvethosp.com/

Are there any other signs of a respiratory infection we can keep a watch for?

Great idea on the slate! Thank you!

I'll post an update in the morning. Again... thank you, thank you, thank you, thank you!

Warmly,

Michelle (now you know my name, lol)

P.S. I know you love photos, so I found a few more!

[lin]

Hi Michelle ( at last)
Wow, dinner fit for a king (or queen) but I would remove the fruits though

Lin

[Hector's Family]

He gets a single strawberry and a single (very small) piece of cucumber each year (spaced six months apart.) The purple bit is a spotted bellflower.

It was the first harvest of the season celebration.

[Nina]

Hi Michelle (great to know your name!),

Aww, thanks for the compliments, and it's so good to know that we've been a help.
Signs of respiratory problems -- wheezing noises and often opening the mouth a lot -- as if trying to gasp for air. I think he is probably fine, and it was just a momentary thing.

Ha, ha -- Lin is right about the strawberry, but it won't kill him (a bit like giving a Mars bar to a baby -- they would love it, and it won't kill them, but not so good for them). I think once a year isn't going to harm him at all, and I'm sure he appreciates it. The cucumber isn't bad for him at all. The reason we don't recommend feeding a lot is because it doesn't have much nourishment in it. What it does have is water, so in really hot weather a piece of cucumber can help to rehydrate him. Also, if you ever have to give him medicine, then smearing it on some cucumber, or making a cucumber sandwich with the medicine in the middle works really well.

Hope elevating the slate a bit works. Also, it would make a little platform for him to climb up on (they love climbing up on structures and sliding down again. I've attached a photo of my Dolly doing her climbing exercise on one of those bendy log thingys.

Dr. Julie sounds perfect. I looked her up on that website and in the paragraph about her it says "Along with treating and helping dogs and cats, Dr. Julie has a special interest in exotic species such as rabbits, reptiles, ferrets and small rodents." So she does treat reptiles and Hector is in good hands.

Thanks for the other photos. Gosh, Hector is really handsome, and his shell is something to be proud of!

Nina
[attachment=0]IMG_9953 (Copy).JPG[/attachment]

[Hector's Family]

Quick update to let you know there have been no more noises at all. We hung out with him all day and there were none of the signs you mention.

Thrilled to report a good update. Even more excited to know we can see our regular vet with him should he ever need it!

Much appreciation!

[Nina]

Well, that must have been a great relief for you (and for Hector too, as I assume he doesn't always fancy a trip to the vet)!

Cheers, and thanks for letting us know (we can uncross our fingers now, as us hoping for a good result has obviously worked)!

Nina