What could have caused my sulcata's RI??

I've got a young, 3 inch sulcata tortoise that's got a mild resperitory infection. I'm taking him to the vet soon, but what could have been the cause??


His living arrangements are as follows:


-45 gallon enclosure (not a tank, a sweater box type thing)


-Diet: grass, hay pellets, clovers, eddible flowers, cacti, more


-Heat and UVB lamp


-soaks every day


-moist hide-out


-grass to graze on in his habitat


-and I have a tortoise table for when he gets to be a juvenile in which I have an eddible garden for him when I put him there





Also, his first substrate was Timothy Hay and loam mixed. The Timothy hay became wet and white mold grew from it. I changed his bedding right away. Could that have causedhis RI? His bedding is now a playsand/loam mix and on a small side of the enclosure is loam/soil in which I grow a Sunset Cactus and I keep his sleeping box. Is all of this okay? I've done SO much research and know all that I can, but please, someone, tell me what could have caused the RI?
What could have caused my sulcata's RI??

FlowersBirthday FlowersSympathy FlowersYour Sulcata has a pretty sweet home. Sometimes RI problems come from being to cold, but that doesn't seem to be the case from what I see, or since the Sulcata is a desert species, maybe it is to wet other than that I do not know what to tell you. My Red foots have yet had any problems with RI. I hope your little guy gets better though..
Reply:I don't think the mold in the hay caused the infection it is possible but not likely. The key here is that the tortoise is young, which leads me to believe that it was already sick when you got it. Usually in pet stores they are not taken care of properly cause they want to get rid of the animal fast. Also remember to that when they are introduced to a new environment they are very shy and tend to hide in dark places so they can't be seen


The best thing to do for him is to confine him to the area where the light source is, give him a little shade spot so if it's to hot he can take cover but the overall heat will still make it to him. Make sure it's not to humid in their as well, no air conditioning can run on him either.


Try to nip this in the butt ASAP cause if the infection advances it could turn into pneumonia which would be very bad. Let me know if you have any more questions.....Good LuckReebok