Your pet tortoise will act oddly from time to time. If this odd behavior only happens on occasion then you likely don’t have to worry, but, if the animal constantly acts oddly then you may start to worry.
This article looks into why your tortoise is squeaking and not eating.
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Why is my tortoise squeaking and not eating?
There are many animals that are known to make loud noises in the animal kingdom, tortoises aren’t one of them.
So, if your pet tortoise starts to make noises, if starts to squeak, then you’d understandably be worried.
If your pet not only starts to squeak, but also stops eating then you’d be even more worried.
This article looks into why your tortoise is squeaking and not eating.
Stress:
Stress can negatively affect both humans and tortoises, if your tortoise is stressed then it may start to squeak and may stop eating.
These animals are quite sensitive and can be stressed by even the smallest of things.
The stress can be caused by a sudden change in your pet’s environment, the presence of other pets, or disturbances in the area.
The stress will cause the animal to make unusual sounds, unusual sounds like squeaking.
Stress can cause your pet to take slow and shallow breaths, these slow and shallow breaths will sound like squeaking.
The stress will also make the animal lose its appetite and stop eating.
What to do:
You’d need to remove your pet’s stressors to get the animal to calm down, stop the squeaking, and begin eating again
This may involve removing other pets from the area, getting rid of disruptions, or giving the animal more time to get used to its new enclosure.
If your pet’s behavior continues, namely, if it completely stops eating and continues to not eat for more than a day or two, then you should consult your vet.
Your vet will do a thorough examination of your pet to get a diagnosis and then address the underlying cause of this behavior.
Respiratory infection:
Another reason why your pet may be squeaking and not eating may be that the animal is sick and the sickness that your pet may be suffering from may be a respiratory infection.
Respiratory infections cause tortoises to produce excess mucus, this excess mucus will fill up in the animal’s respiratory system.
As a result of the build-up of mucus, the animal may develop breathing difficulties and this will cause the animal to squeak
A sick tortoise will have a change in appetite and may stop eating altogether.
These reptiles stop eating because they feel discomfort from the illness. In addition, the reptile’s body will keep the animal from having an appetite and will rather focus its energy on trying to fight off the infection.
What to do:
Not only is not eating dangerous for tortoises, but respiratory infections are also quite dangerous to tortoises as well, these can be fatal if not addressed.
The best way to tackle this situation is to take your pet to the vet for an examination and treatment.
Treatment options for this condition depend on what caused the infection, if the cause was a bacterial infection then your pet will be given antibiotics.
If the condition is severe then your pet may be kept at the vet for observation. Isolate the pet until you can get it to the vet
If you enjoyed this article then you may also be interested in other turtle/tortoise related articles. Here are some articles that you may be interested in: Why Is My Tortoise Making Chirping Noises?, Sulcata Tortoise Squeaking, Sulcata Tortoise Squeaking While Sleeping, Can Pyramiding On A Tortoise Be Reversed?, Why Is My Turtles Shell Bending Up?, Why Is The Bottom Of My Turtle’s Shell Pink?, My Red-Eared Slider Keeps Opening His Mouth