mohave desert tortoise

Question
I have a pair of desert tortoises one has an uri it is blowing bubbles out of its nose.Ihavehad desert tortoises for over twenty years and tis is the only the second time for this respitory infection. I am 100 miles from the nearest vet that will treat tortoises. I just need to know what they treat them with and how much to give them. My pet store said they could order the drugs for me if I knew what the drug is called.Thank you .  Norm

PS. the other tortoise is showing no symtoms at all I know this is highly contagious do I treat both? one is three years old the sick one is four years old.

Answer
Hi Norm,

Baytril injections in the front legs for 10-14 days are typically prescribed for URI in tortoises; however, I can't tell you the correct dosage as I'm not a veterinarian.  I would call the tortoise vet's office and see if you can do a phone consultation for a small fee.  Otherwise, try contacting the nearest herp society or tortoise rescue and see if they would be willing to help with dosage.

I would isolate the sick tortoise and keep it separate from your other tortoise, and then keep the healthy tortoise under observation for a couple of weeks, just in case.  You also should overwinter the sick tortoise (and the healthy one as well if it shows any symptoms at all), since attempting to hibernate a tortoise that's been ill in the previous year can be highly risky.  Good luck, and I hope your tortoise recovers quickly.