Swollen eyes?

dmmj

The member formerly known as captain awesome
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We took our Baby to the Exotic animal care with big red puffy eyes and was told to use Saline drops that a person would use for contacts!
As long as it is pure saline it is safe.
 

nandusnandus

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It appears that you were given some good information above. As usual, @mark1 and other folks are all over it. Another possible cause of the eye trouble is vitamin A deficiency. I am not aware of this being a prevalent issue in these tortoises. I am aware of it being an issue in some Terrapene. All the same, it is an easy possible cause to "empirically" treat. Vitamin A is important for eye health. A deficiency not only affects the ability of the eye to properly moisturize/lubricate, but also has a direct effect on the on the health of the conjunctiva and cornea. Adding a bit of vitamin A to the diet is easy, typically present at high levels in orange-colored food items including carrots, sweet potatoes, and pumpkin. Something I've done is add a single drop of cod liver oil (a source of "active" vitamin A versus the plant based sources which require further alteration in the body to become useful to the the animal) to turtle/tort food and repeat in a week or two. I've seen puffy, difficult-to-open eyes clear quickly this way. Be careful not to overdo it. Remember the saying "too much of a good thing..."

I acknowledge that this may well not be the cause of your tort's problems. Nevertheless, it is simple to do, won't hurt anything when done in moderation, and may help significantly. If your tort gets better, you won't know which of your multiple treatments was the cure. We aren't conducting a scientific experiment, though. We just want the little one to be better.
 

Obbie

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I had people tell me my Sulcatta has Vitamin A deficiency. She quit eating, I’ve been told to use Beta Carotin that her body will use it or turn it to Vitamin A. I’m putting a drop in her Tortoise Chow, and spoon feeding her. It’s only been a week, her eyes are still closed -I’m using Sustane eye gel.
 

Gijoux

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It appears that you were given some good information above. As usual, @mark1 and other folks are all over it. Another possible cause of the eye trouble is vitamin A deficiency. I am not aware of this being a prevalent issue in these tortoises. I am aware of it being an issue in some Terrapene. All the same, it is an easy possible cause to "empirically" treat. Vitamin A is important for eye health. A deficiency not only affects the ability of the eye to properly moisturize/lubricate, but also has a direct effect on the on the health of the conjunctiva and cornea. Adding a bit of vitamin A to the diet is easy, typically present at high levels in orange-colored food items including carrots, sweet potatoes, and pumpkin. Something I've done is add a single drop of cod liver oil (a source of "active" vitamin A versus the plant based sources which require further alteration in the body to become useful to the the animal) to turtle/tort food and repeat in a week or two. I've seen puffy, difficult-to-open eyes clear quickly this way. Be careful not to overdo it. Remember the saying "too much of a good thing..."

I acknowledge that this may well not be the cause of your tort's problems. Nevertheless, it is simple to do, won't hurt anything when done in moderation, and may help significantly. If your tort gets better, you won't know which of your multiple treatments was the cure. We aren't conducting a scientific experiment, though. We just want the little one to be better.

Vitamin A is also extremely helpful for ANY infection.
 

Gijoux

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I had people tell me my Sulcatta has Vitamin A deficiency. She quit eating, I’ve been told to use Beta Carotin that her body will use it or turn it to Vitamin A. I’m putting a drop in her Tortoise Chow, and spoon feeding her. It’s only been a week, her eyes are still closed -I’m using Sustane eye gel.

Your Tortoise most likely can't convert the Beta Carotene to the Vitamin A.
 

Gijoux

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I had people tell me my Sulcatta has Vitamin A deficiency. She quit eating, I’ve been told to use Beta Carotin that her body will use it or turn it to Vitamin A. I’m putting a drop in her Tortoise Chow, and spoon feeding her. It’s only been a week, her eyes are still closed -I’m using Sustane eye gel.

Be sure and soak her often in warm water. Is your Tortoise a baby too? If so, I have heard others here recommend for babies who stop eating to soak them in a mixture of warm water and warmed carrot baby food. Keep her warm of course, both day and night.
 

Randdawgg

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If warm outside the natural sunlight can do wonders with lots of water to soak in.Provide shade outside of course.
 

Obbie

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Gijoux and Randdawag, thank you both, she is a baby, I’m going to get cod liver oil tomorrow. I love her to bits, I keep soaking after I spoon feed her. I’ve been working with her for 7-10 days. She’s back to being silly, just gotta get those eyes open. I’ll keep you posted. Thank you again
 

Randdawgg

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Gijoux and Randdawag, thank you both, she is a baby, I’m going to get cod liver oil tomorrow. I love her to bits, I keep soaking after I spoon feed her. I’ve been working with her for 7-10 days. She’s back to being silly, just gotta get those eyes open. I’ll keep you posted. Thank you again
Can I ask what is your lighting source indoors?
 

peridot

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Jan 17, 2019
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Thank you for everyone who has commented with help and suggestions. I actually took my little guy to a different vet for a second opinion. They took him off baytril and put him on ceftazidime instead. Hopefully we’ll see some improvement soon!
 

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