Introduction Spring and Summer have come to South Texas - trees are budding, flowers are blooming, and, yes, your lawn is needing mowing. But there's always a danger that some turtles will fall ill during the cold and wet winter months. The most common ailment is respiratory infection.
Respiratory infections are gravely serious, and, if untreated, often fatal.
There are predisposing factors that make turtles more susceptible to respiratory problems. The first is anatomical structure - the way the animal is built. Because turtles and tortoises are not equipped with diaphragms, they are unable to cough or discharge fluids or mucus that accumulate in the lungs. This convoluted shape makes it somewhat difficult for the animal to breath. This leads to another predisposing factor to illness - stress.