Urgent Care :: Closed eyes and husbandry issues

[urmiasunshine]

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How big is your turtle? Maybe 4 inches, seems a bit smaller to me. It is a baby I know that much.
How long have you had it? 2 days, however I rescued it from a previous owner who had it for about a month and a half.

What is the water temperature? about 75 degrees FH
Did you use a thermometer? yes
Are you using a water heater? no, getting one in the morning
How much water is in there? well its a 20 gal tank and the water is about 6 inches tall across it. If the turtle is a baby, how close does it need to be to the basking lamps? I placed the filter sideways so the water wudnt be too deep (if that's possible). Turtle is sticking neck up in basking area as if trying to get closer to it. I don't know how much water he needs I guess.
Are you using a water conditioner? yes
Are you using any filtration? yes, came with the startup kit at petsmart

What is the basking temperature? about 90 degrees FH
Is there a basking light? yes 50 W
Is there a basking platform that is easy to climb on? yes, 2 in fact.
What kind is it or what is it made out of? one of the floating flat platforms u can suction
Is there a UVB light? which one is that? i have one that goes across the rest of the cage for now since I still have to buy a water heater, but I am confused as to how it works. Basking light stays on for 12 hours, UVB how long? and what kind of light at night if any at all? Previous owner assumed that turtle was blind because it was constantly around a blacklight. Would this happen?

What have you been trying to feed it? yes, various pellets and dry krill in his tank. he wont eat anything.
When was the last time your turtle ate? unsure, at least a week and a half ago at min.

How big is the tank/pond/enclosure? 20 gal
Is the tank near a window? yes
Is the tank in a room with a lot of activity? not exessive

Have you read the Basic Care section? yes
Have you searched the forums for similar situations? yes

Is there any other unusual activity/symptoms? He is suprisingly active, just won't open eyes or eat

Hi there,
I decided to save a little RES from an owner who had assumed he blinded the poor guy with a blacklight. After the previous owner thought it was blind because it wudn't open its eyes, he stopped taking care of it alltogether. When I found the turtle, its cage was absolutely discusting. There were no basking areas or lamps, period. He was giving it some cheap pellets and that is it. The water was so cloudy that it was stinking up the place. The turtles eyes will not open and I cannot get it to eat. I am too nervous to force feed it. I went and bought the 20 gal tank, 50 W basking lamp, UVB lamp (goes across cage, dont know how bright it is but is keeping water temps around 75 degrees until I buy water heater tomorrow, some fresh vegetation, a few rocks, dechlorinator, conditioner, some dry krill and other various food pellets, a thermometer, some eye drops for the turtle and a filter.
since buying the cage and applying the eye drops, the turtle has begun to open his eyes and is basking. I believe it is certainly helping, but I don't know how to get him to eat, if I shud even worry about it at the moment and if I shud worry about infections. It was in an extremely bad enviornment and when I read up on everything it felt like he could have any of the diseases. Although he isn't showing any signs of RI, his eyes are swollen and he holds his head up in the air when basking. Is that normal? Does he need to have a humidifier? What do you do at night? How do I get this sick baby to eat? Also, his shell seems to have a pyramid shape to it and is sort of bumpy. Is this just malnutrition or something worse? So many questions, PLEASE HELP!

[marisa]

Welcome. A blacklight can cause eye damage, however, a vit A deficiency, poor water quality and respiratory infections are among the factors that can also result in closed, swollen eyes. If the turtle has been living for any length of time in substandard conditions with a poor diet, shell problems are inevitable. Can you post a pic of the shell dry?

It sounds like you've made a decent start in getting him healthier. Basking with the head up is not abnormal, he's just trying to get the warmth. A basking area temp in the range of 88 - 90F is good. When you get the water heater, set it to 78- 80F for now.

If the eye drops (Zoo-Med?) are helping the eyes, that's good. On the chance he has a Vit. A deficiency, you could also get some plain cod liver oil and apply a little to the lids (not in the eyes) with a q-tip once a day (it will be absorbed).

Try feeding him bits of tuna or sardines packed in water (smelly foods and foods that move are attractive, but I'd just try the smelly foods for now). If his eyes were closed, he wouldn't be able to see to eat. But, since you say they're now open, try holding a bit of the food in front of his nose in the water where he can also see it and see if he takes any. He's also in a new environment, which, while he's adjusting, often works against the desire to eat. Get a reputatble pellet (Reptomin or ZooMed is fine) and start him on that once he shows an interest in food.

It's really good that he's basking.

I don't know how you're measuring him, but to accurately describe his size, he should be measured straight down the spine from the scute in back of the neck to the ones above the tail, not including the curve of the shell. If, measuring that way, he's still 4 inches, he's not a hatchling/baby.