Chapter 5 of 9 · Red-Footed Tortoise Care Guide
Health, Quarantine and Hygiene
Disclaimer: I'm not a veterinarian and I don't hold a degree in animal science or animal care. This guide is compiled from the published sources listed in every chapter. For a sick animal, a reptile vet is the authority.
The short version
- Quarantine every new tortoise for 60–90 days, including captive-bred hatchlings.
- Get a fecal test from a reptile vet when you bring your tortoise home [8], and book a yearly health check [3].
- Humidity and temperature that are off are linked to pyramiding [8]. A pen kept too cold is a common setup problem behind respiratory infection (keeper experience, not proven).
- Bubbles at the nose, swollen eyes, a soft shell and not eating are the big warning signs [2][8].
- Wash your hands after every contact; all reptiles can carry Salmonella [3][9].
Quarantine
Every new tortoise, including captive-bred hatchlings, should spend 60–90 days in quarantine in a separate room with its own tools. This is the standard reptile-keeping practice. During quarantine:
- Weigh weekly on a gram scale and write it down.
- Have a reptile vet run a fecal test. Roundworms and flagellate parasites are common and often cause no signs [8].
- Watch for a bubbly nose, wheezing, swollen eyes, a soft shell, refusal to eat and runny stool.
- Imported adults, which are still legally traded, most often carry respiratory infections and parasites [2]. Choose an alert animal with bright, clear eyes.
Common illnesses
| Problem | Signs | Usual cause | See a vet when |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pyramiding | Scutes grow up into bumps or cones instead of lying flat | Young tortoise kept too dry, wrong temperatures, or a calcium, phosphorus or protein imbalance; not fully understood [8] | Not an emergency. Raise humidity to 70–80%, add a humid hide, and fix diet and UVB. Existing bumps do not flatten, but new growth can be smooth. Severe pyramiding can warp the spine and shell, so have a vet check it |
| Respiratory infection | Mucus bubbles at the nose, mouth or eyes; wheezing; neck stretched out; open-mouth breathing; lethargy; no appetite [8] | Mycoplasma or other bacteria, sometimes viruses such as herpesvirus or ranavirus; low vitamin A can be a factor [8]. Keepers find chilling and stress make it more likely. Warm and humid is correct for red-foots, not a cause | Promptly, for culture and antibiotics. Raise temperatures to the top of the range and keep humidity above 60% meanwhile. Foam at the nose or mouth is urgent [2] |
| Shell rot | Pits, soft spots, ulcers, discoloration or a bad smell on the shell; can reach bone [8] | Bacteria or fungus after scrapes, burns, bites, or sitting in dirty wet substrate [8] | Promptly, for cleaning and treatment. Keep the pen clean and well ventilated. Deep ulcers are life-threatening [8] |
| Metabolic bone disease | Soft or flimsy shell after 6 months old, misshapen shell or legs, slow growth, fractures [8] | Not enough calcium, not enough UV light (no UVB or a worn-out UVB tube), poor diet [8] | As soon as you notice it. Correct UVB and calcium. Prevention is a working UVB tube and calcium dusting |
| Parasites | Usually nothing; sometimes diarrhea or weight loss [8] | Roundworms and protozoa; heavier loads in imports and outdoor animals [8] | For a fecal test at intake and at the yearly checkup. Use only a vet-prescribed dewormer |
| Vitamin A deficiency | Swollen eyelids with discharge, ear abscesses, poor appetite, repeated respiratory infections [8] | Iceberg lettuce, high-meat diets or poor pellets [8] | When eyes swell. Fix the diet. Only a vet should give vitamin A, because overdose is possible [8] |
| Blocked cloaca (cloacolith) | Straining, making noise while straining [8] | Hard urate buildup, dehydration | Right away. This is an emergency [8] |
Call a reptile vet if
- Bubbles or foam appear at the nose or mouth, or your tortoise gapes or wheezes.
- Eyes are swollen or shut for more than two days.
- The shell is soft in a tortoise older than 6 months, or you see any pit, crack or bad smell.
- It has not eaten for more than 7 days in a warm, correctly set pen (hatchlings: 3–4 days).
- You see straining, blood in stool or urine, or any tissue protruding from the tail end.
- The weekly weight log shows steady loss.
- Sunken eyes or very sticky white urates (signs of dehydration) do not improve with soaking.
- It is injured by a fall, a dog or a lawn tool.
Find an exotics vet before you need one, ideally a member of the Association of Reptile and Amphibian Veterinarians (arav.org). We recommend a yearly wellness visit with a fecal test; problems caught early are easier to treat [3].
Salmonella and hygiene
All reptiles can carry Salmonella bacteria without looking sick [3]. Simple habits keep your family safe:
- Wash your hands with soap and water after touching your tortoise, its enclosure or anything in it, including its water and substrate [9].
- Do not soak your tortoise in the kitchen sink.
- Keep your tortoise off kitchen counters and away from food prep areas.
- Supervise children and make sure they wash their hands too.
The CDC says children under 5 should not touch reptiles, and reptiles are not recommended for homes with children under 5, adults 65 and older, or people with weakened immune systems [9].