Russian Tortoise Respiratory Infections

Question
Hello,
I have had a Russian Tortoise for almost a year now that I found on the side
of the road. The only information I have about the animal is that she is female
and full grown. I have had a lot of difficulty with respiratory problems. We did
a variety of antibiotic treatments (through a very qualified vet) and they
cleared up. She went into hibernation healthy and came out healthy about 3
weeks ago. She is really starting to eat well and become active. I am keeping
her indoors (usually and outdoor enclosure) until the weather is a consistent
80 degrees F. I took her outside and let her walk around the other day when
it was warm. I have a UV mercury vapor heat lamp on her (range from 85 - 95
F) in the day and a ceramic lamp (same range) at night. She now has another
respiratory infection (runny nose) and I have looked every where for causes of
this and I feel that I am doing everything right. The area and substrate
(sphagnum moss) are dry. The temperature is maintained. I feel that her diet
is proper (although I hear that carrots could provide Vitamin A, which I
haven't given her yet).
I have noticed that when she drinks (I give her a little more than 1" of water)
she puts her nose and mouth deep in the water and holds it under while she
drinks. Could THIS be the cause of all the respiratory infections??? Could she
be sucking the water into her nose? Would carrots or a vitamin A supplement
help? I am getting very frustrated and have spent a lot of money on vet bills.
Any help or advice that you may have would be really great.
Thank you,
Kelly

Answer
She may be dehydrated. Some of the symptoms are similar. Russians really don't want too dry of conditions, and when the moss dries out, it gets dusty, which can cause runny noses as well.

She may have also caught the bug from you or someone else- RI is a virus that is all over the place.

Some vitamin A in the diet is OK as long as you don't overdo it.

Russians are a bit tricky- too many people treat them like Greek or Hermann's, which they are not. Try asking people who specialize in them at http://www.tortoisetrust.org for some other opinions.