Greek tortoises noises

Question
I have a 8-9 month old Greek tortoise. Her name is Tunks. We have had to change her from an aquarium to a more open cage due to she quit eating in it. She seems to make a hissing noise when disturbed, or if I stop her from going somewhere in my garden.Occasionally she makes a clicking noise also Is this normal. She has also had a nasal discharge. It is always clear. We feed her spinach, zoo med grassland tortoise feed, and morning glory flowers. She has been to the vet twice. But she never makes the noise when I take her to the vet. This is my first tortise and I am trying to take excellent care of her.

Answer
Hi Wenda,

It would help to know how big your tortoise is.  Pet stores often make up ages for tortoises, and yours could actually be a mature adult.  Tortoises don't do well in tanks because they're much too small and the glass makes it difficult to establish a temperature gradient (warm to cool).  They really need quite a bit of room if kept indoors, although ideally they should be outside in a secure pen for at least the warmer months.

Could you provide more information so I can help better?  I need to know exactly how you have Tunks set up:  size and type of enclosure, kind of substrate, temperatures on warm and cool end, brand of UVB bulb, etc.  

The hissing is normal, and is not actually hissing but rather expelling air from the lungs when the legs are pulled in (when startled or frightened).  The clicking may or may not be an issue.  Is she wheezing, yawning/gaping, or stretching her neck out frequently?  These are signs of a respiratory infection and need a vet's attention.  The clicking and runny nose are also possible symptoms, but if you are keeping her very dry it may be due to that.  There should be at least some moisture in the substrate.

You need to improve her diet.  Spinach is OK as part of a varied diet, but not as a staple.  Morning glory flowers are potentially toxic, and the tortoise food really isn't that great either.  She needs a wide variety of leafy greens and weeds:  turnip, dandelion, collards, kale, raddichio, endive, spring mix, clover, chicory, chickweed, plantain (the weed), mallow, sow thistle, hawkbit, prickly pear cactus, nasturtium, hibiscus, etc.  The more variety, the better.  Also provide her with a cuttlebone for additional calcium if she wants it.

If you can post back with additional information, I can help you to make sure she's set up correctly.  Thanks!