Urgent Care :: urgent help needed.... my turtles eyes are shut

[111.ashwin]

my turtles shell is 1.5 inches long

about 6 months old....

he has not eaten for 2 weeks now....
his eyes are swollen and hav remained shut for more than a week..
there is no vet in my locality who can help much with turtles....
i put some eye drops(gentamicin) for a week which did not help..i then tried cod liver oil for a day..but it has not helped..
he is active but not as active as before... he still tries to get out of my hand when i pick him up... he does not hav any mucus ...i just noticed tiny bubbles out of his mouth... his shell is fine... really worried..plz help..
plz tell me somthin i can do myself coz deres no vet around...

[theartbook35]

Are you using UVB? If so, what kind is it? Some people have had issues with Repti-Glo 10.0 causing swollen eyes. Has your turtle pawed at the face at all?

The other possibility is, have you changed the set up recently? Sometimes turtles refuse to eat because of a new tank.

My other, bigger, concerns are about the water quality, and the possible absence of a UVB bulb plus a proper heat source. They need heat to maintain their metabolism, and if they are too cold, they will refuse food. My worry with water quality is if there is a chemical in the water left over from cleaning, it could be causing he eyes to be swollen.

Filing out the care information the site provides would be a big help.

[111.ashwin]

tnx a lot for the prompt reply....

i do not hav a proper set up.....i keep him dry most of the day.... and hes in water for like 3 hrs a day....which is in a separate container i shift him into....
but recently ive reduced the time hes in water to 1 hour.....
i am not using a uv lamp or a heater or a basking lamp.....
he is not scarred...
the container is quite clean...
i just noticed tiny bubbles coming from his mouth.... please help.... think its RI
and again no vets around... could u suggest a remedy....and somthin that wud entice him to eat.... i cant really get the whole set up (lamp et all) right away... could u suggest somthin that would make him better

[scottpkura]

Well if you don't have the right setup and don't have a vet what do you expect to accomplish? Get a proper water heater, and a proper Heat and UVB setup. You should have had this before getting the turtle. If you suspect RI, and don't have this your chances of helping your turtle dwindle dramatically. I'd suggest looking hard for a vet

To answer your Question about the eyes, here's what I suspect:

My turtle kept it's eyes closed when we first got her, there's quite a bit of Chlorine in Muncipal water. I don't know if they chemically treat the water in India or not, but you should look into a water conditioner or letting the water stand overnight to let the chlorine evaporate, it irritates their eyes.

[theartbook35]

Okay, I hope you have read the care instructions that this website provides, and that you have a good idea of what to get your turtle.

Now, this website: http://www.petdiscounters.com Will knock you for shipping, but you can get their supplies at a nice discount, and yes, I have bought from them a couple of times. Their 'turtle supplies' section is very large.

[111.ashwin]

hey thanks a lot... i got hold of a vet ... says its vit A deficiency and she gave a shot..... said its really necessary ... and she gave supplements as well....
my turtles opening his eyes a lil....but hes not yet well....hope it gets better by tomm....tnx again...

[theartbook35]

hey thanks a lot... i got hold of a vet ... says its vit A deficiency and she gave a shot..... said its really necessary ... and she gave supplements as well....
my turtles opening his eyes a lil....but hes not yet well....hope it gets better by tomm....tnx again...

Well, that's a good sign, at least.

I hope all goes well.

[jameshermanto]

wow.... you are from indian? same like ankit...

[111.ashwin]

yeah m from india...... whos ankit??

[Azfar]

search the member name Ankit. He is from India too good luck on your turtle..

[aero]

Are you using UVB? If so, what kind is it? Some people have had issues with Repti-Glo 10.0 causing swollen eyes. Has your turtle pawed at the face at all?

I on monday I bought my turtle a UVB light ($40 I wasnt ready to spend yet :/) and that is what is happening right now. I left it on all day when I went to work and came home to see his eyes closed. Thought he was sleeping, but he kept them closed... he'd open them for a minute to look at me and then to see his food while eating, but afterwards he would rub his eyes and crawl blindly under his little log thing. He's been doing that ever since.

The light is a R-Zilla Tropical 20 watt UVB halogen bulb. Think it'll get better if I just go back to the UVA light?

[UPDATE]

I changed his bulb back to the UVA and did a little research in class just now. Here is what I found for more info for those of us who are dealing with and may encounter this problem:

http://www.uvguide.co.uk/phototherapyphosphor.htm

[Caphits]

You should probably have gotten a reputable bulb. Either the reptiglo, or reptisun 5.0 UVB bulbs. The reptiglo is much less money too.

Both bulbs are very rare to cause eye irritation.

Make sure that your bulb isnt too close. That will make the UVB too powerful for the turtles eyes.

[Maltliquor45]

aero - you're still gonna need a uvb bulb...

i am using the zoomed reptisun coil 5.0 with no problems on 2 turtles. just follow the instructions.

maybe this stuff is expensive in India.

[aero]

Uh oh... he still keeps his eyes closed most of the day... he wont eat cuz he cant see... but when I pick him up he opens his eyes and when I put him down near his food he'll actively eat it.

Other than that, he hides under his log and tucks himself all the way in his shell... never seen him do that before... do you think he's depressed because of his eyes??

[Caphits]

Just so you know, turtles have to be fed in water, because they dont produce saliva.

Keep all UV bulbs off until the eyes get better. Keep feeding vitamin A high foods. Sweet potato... Carrots... Sweet red peppers (not hot chilies)... Dandelion greens are great too.

That should help with they eyes.


I really have nothing to say to help the original poster. If you dont have a OK setup, you cannot expect anything good to happen.