General Care Discussion :: Wheezing/Whistling sound

Taking care of your turtle's overall health.

Post Posted: Tue Feb 05, 2019 7:04 pm   Wheezing/Whistling sound

How big is your turtle? 5"
How long have you had it? 2.5 Years

What is the water temperature? 30'C
Did you use a thermometer? Yes
Are you using a water heater? Yes
How much water is in there? 10 Gallon
Are you using a water conditioner? no
Are you using any filtration? Yes, External Sunsun canister

What is the basking temperature?
Is there a basking light? Yes
Is there a basking platform that is easy to climb on? Yes
What kind is it or what is it made out of? Plastic
Is there a UVB light? Yes

What have you been trying to feed it? Yes
When was the last time your turtle ate? Few Hours Ago

How big is the tank/pond/enclosure? 10 Gallon
Is the tank near a window? Yes
Is the tank in a room with a lot of activity? Moderate Activity

Have you read the Basic Care section? Yes
Have you searched the forums for similar situations? Yes

Is there any other unusual activity/symptoms? No



Hi, My RES has started making a Wheezing/Whistling noise since 10-12 days now. at first i thought he was just scratching the glass. but then I noticed that the sound was coming from the his nose. It only happens when he is submersed inside water and comes out to breathe. But it is literally the only symptom. Other than that He has been very active, and eating well, no lopsided swimming, AFAIK theres no mucus or visible discharge when he is basking, no labored breathing, no open mouthed breathing. there are no other weird behavior changes, Just a very loud/audible wheeze when breathing in water, not while breathing on land (basking). Could this be a respiratory infection? early signs? Do i need to visit a vet immediately? other than that, I have turned up the temperature of his tank to 30'C since 5 days.
Another fact is that my turtle is a bit (very) overweight, I do tend to over feed him, just cannot resist his hungry, yearning looks whenever i walk past.
I keep the turtle enclosure in my room and I like to turn the fan On while sleeping, the temperature of the air does tend to get quite cold. and there is no top cover on the turtle tank. Could that be a reason for the wheeze?
Fawad
 
Posts: 13
Joined: Mar 10, 2017

Post Posted: Tue Feb 05, 2019 10:05 pm   Re: Wheezing/Whistling sound

If the turtle was under for awhile and surfaces, you might hear/feel some heavy breathing. Same if the turtle is overweight.
User avatar
steve
Site Admin
 
Posts: 31430
Joined: Apr 11, 2005
Location: New York, NY
Gender: Male

Post Posted: Wed Feb 06, 2019 8:17 am   Re: Wheezing/Whistling sound

steve wrote:If the turtle was under for awhile and surfaces, you might hear/feel some heavy breathing. Same if the turtle is overweight.


Thank you for your reply. its not heavy breathing per say, its just a very audible wheezing/whistling sound (khrrr sheeeeee khrrr sheeeee) ...
so do you suggest I just wait it out for now? no need to visit the vet? and put him on a diet?
Fawad
 
Posts: 13
Joined: Mar 10, 2017

Post Posted: Wed Feb 06, 2019 10:48 am   Re: Wheezing/Whistling sound

If the sound is coming from the nose, I would not consider unusual but it shouldn't be a constant thing. If it's open-mouth wheezing, I would investigate further. As for a diet, that depends, it's usually better to feed less than what you think is required.
User avatar
steve
Site Admin
 
Posts: 31430
Joined: Apr 11, 2005
Location: New York, NY
Gender: Male

Post Posted: Wed Feb 06, 2019 11:38 am   Re: Wheezing/Whistling sound

Yes, It's definitely coming from his nose. Alright. thank you so much for the advice, I really appreciate it. is it possible to move this post out of urgent care and into the general information sub forum? since I do not feel that this is an urgent care/RTI issue hopefully.
Fawad
 
Posts: 13
Joined: Mar 10, 2017

Post Posted: Thu Feb 07, 2019 7:55 am   Re: Wheezing/Whistling sound

No problem.
User avatar
steve
Site Admin
 
Posts: 31430
Joined: Apr 11, 2005
Location: New York, NY
Gender: Male


Return to General Care Discussion

Who is online

Users browsing this forum: No registered users and 19 guests