Vet Q&A-Reptile

Hi may I ask can turtle get respiratory infection from human where human kept touching and petting the turtle . And can turtle catch respiratory infection from another sick turtle with ri together in a tank for a night . My baby turtle is sick and what dosage of baytril should I give him

Thanks for reaching out about Iggy. Reptiles can not acquire respiratory infections from humans, but possible from another turtle that has an infection. One night might be long enough to pass on the contagion. Check and correct husbandry such as water quality, water temperature, basking temperature and UVB exposure, as these are more likely components of illness. It is not legal to prescribe medications without a veterinary-patient-client relationship, meaning a physical exam. See your local veterinarian. Good luck.

I got my tortoise 2 months ago and I've been trying to find a vet ever since. Which has been difficult in my area. He is a horsefeild tortoise and has cracks in his shell and on his plastron. I want to know how heal them and are they from injury or parasites??

Hello, thank you for using Boop by Petco. The damage to the plastron is most likely from either trauma or infection. I have never seen something like this due to parasites. You should really try to find a local veterinarian to examine him as he likely needs more in depth treatment than what you can provide at home with over the counter remedies. You may need to travel towards Green Bay in order to find a reptile veterinarian. I found a few in that area. Here is one of them: ( https://countrycareac.com/search-animal-reptiles/ ) ( https://countrycareac.com/medical-surgical/medical-surgical-reptiles/ ) While you are waiting to get him an appointment you can try using this spray on the affected areas once or twice daily: ( https://www.petco.com/shop/en/petcostore/product/microcyn-manna-pro-ahwound-and-skin-care-spray-for-all-animals ) Hope this helps. Best wishes.

Will my leopard gecko fight with a baby one if I buy a new one and put them together

Yes, if it is another male. It is not recommended to keep 2 male Leopard Geckos in the same tank. A male and female should not be kept either since they will eventually breed. You can keep 2 females together.

I have a male eastern painted turtle. for the last couple of months he has had white stuff on his shell. I thought it was shell rot and scrubbed and treated with iodine daily and nothing happened. I thought it was a calcium deficiency so I added cuttlebone to the water and his shell has just gotten worse. I have seen him take bites from the calcium so I know if it was going to work it would have. I'm stumped on what else it could be. Please let me know! I do have a heat and UVB light in there.

Thanks for reaching out about Calypso and including photos. Do these lesions scratch off with the fingernail? That would be more likely hard water deposits. If these are erosions through the keratin of the shell, a veterinary visit is recommended to assess. Check and correct water quality, as high ammonia or nitrites can erode the shell, as can algal overgrowths attached to the shell. Good luck.

My bearded dragon is anemic, high uric acid and glucose. She has low blood count. Is there anything I can do for her? Any foods, probiotics, antibiotics, fluids, or treatment that can be done to help her? Please help and thanks so much. She is my best friend and I don't want to lose her.

Thanks for reaching out about Trudy and including images. The blood work does not indicate kidney problems as uric acid and potassium are not elevated. Severely anemic. A transfusion is recommended but you still need to determine where to blood loss is from, possible gastrointestinal. Endoscopy, parasite exam, intestinal/fecal cultures might be needed. Trudy should be hospitalized. Good luck.

Hello, I have a question. My dog just ate some of my bearded dragon’s stool on accident, and my bearded dragon is being treated for worms. Should I bring him to a vet? Should I be severely concerned?

It is possible for a dog to get parasites from your bearded dragon. Pin worms, for example, are a parasite that are commonly spread to pets and even to humans. It is important to wash your hands after handling and after cleaning the tank. Contact your veterinarian to discuss your concerns. The type of parasite will determine the treatment.

i got a pet turtle two days ago (looks like a caspian pond water turtle or a yellow belly slider) and today i observed some white spots like pimples on its feet, and some brown spots on its shell what could it be? could it be fungi or shell rot? how can i help it?

It could be minor infection. Without a physical exam, it is difficult to determine definitively. As long as Christopher is behaving normally otherwise, you can try managing it at home. Clean the areas daily using a soft bristled toothbrush and a diluted Betadine or chlorhexidine (Hibiclens) solution. Allow for a 1 hour dry dock (out of the water) after each cleaning. Maintain pristine water quality via filtration and regular partial water changes. At his size, water depth should be no deeper than twice his shell length. A balanced diet, vitamin/mineral supplementation and UVB lighting will all help to promote shell health. If he doesn't show signs of improvement in a few days have him seen by your veterinarian or a vet experienced in treating reptiles.

Lately I have noticed my bearded dragon leaving his mouth slightly open. Sometimes, when his mouth is fully closed, he seems to "exhale" and I can see a little puff of air push out from his lips. Also I can see his beard growing and shrinking as he breathes. His home usually gets around 90 on one end and he eats about 3-4 superworms per day. He has greens though rarely touches them. Calcium sand bedding and a uvb lamp. Is this a normal habit or a cause for concern?

Thanks for reaching out about Smaug and including photos. Husbandry sounds good but diet is poor. Insects are not a complete diet and are highly deficient in vitamins and minerals, especially calcium. The clinical signs you mentioned are possible early signs of metabolic bone disease (difficulty inhaling) or a respiratory infection. A veterinary visit is recommended to assess and provide a diagnostic/treatment plan. Try syringe feeding a vegetable puree or Gerber's vegetable baby food until a veterinary visit can be scheduled. If a respiratory infection, antibiotics will likely be needed to provide recovery. Good luck.

My 1 y/o corn snake currently eats hopper mice. Recently he's been eating 3 of them every week, however the lump in his body is still very visible from them. Should I continue with giving him 3 hoppers or move him up to medium mice? Or should I increase the time between each feeding?

An adult corn snake should only eat once every 7-10 days. Here’s a helpful rule of thumb that applies to most snake-feeding situations. It relates to the size of the prey items. You should offer your snake feeder mice or rats that are roughly the size of the snake at the snake’s widest part (the mid-body area). In other words, the feeder rodent should be 1 to 1-1/2 times the diameter of your snake’s middle. You can go slightly larger than this, but not much.