White eyes.

Need help guys. Never had this before.

One of my baby redfoots can’t open its eyes. I’ve just given him a warm bath in carrot juice and now looks as if it’s eyelids are swelling.

@Yvonne G

Oh dear poor fella, did he wake up like this?

@Yvonne G @Tom

Ben02 said:

Oh dear poor fella, did he wake up like this?

@Yvonne G @Tom

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Think so.

But I’m pretty sure this one has been acting abnormal lately. He’s just been sleeping on the slate out in the open last few days, not hiding away with the others.

What’s concerning me is I had one die a few wks back. Out of the blue, it just died. Which is a shock at 5 months old.

I’m keeping them super humid and well hydrated. Temps are at 82/85f throughout the enclosure so I wouldn’t have thought RI was playing a part. Maybe I’m wrong.

White bits have gone now.
Not sure what’s happening here. But the eyes don’t look as swelled as they did an hour ago.

Is there anyway you can separate this tortoise in a hospital enclosure? I say this as there might be a contagious illness going around.

Ben02 said:

Is there anyway you can separate this tortoise in a hospital enclosure? I say this as there might be a contagious illness going around.

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I could separate if need be.

That's good, how is he doing now. Hopefully som more experienced keepers will come along shortly

That's hardened pus, called 'eye caps'. You'll need to apply some antibiotic ointment to the eyes after his daily soak.

When it is sticking out like that, as opposed to flat against the eye, you can remove it, just pick it off.

The question I have is WHY?

@cdmay
@Redstrike
@Markw84
@Will

Yvonne G said:

That's hardened pus, called 'eye caps'. You'll need to apply some antibiotic ointment to the eyes after his daily soak.

When it is sticking out like that, as opposed to flat against the eye, you can remove it, just pick it off.

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Is Neosporin OK?

Tom said:

The question I have is WHY?

@cdmay
@Redstrike
@Markw84
@Will

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I was wondering if he got coir in the eye, but would that cause both eyes to irritate?

Anyfoot said:

I was wondering if he got coir in the eye, but would that cause both eyes to irritate?

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No, it's not an irritation, it's an infection. I don't know if Neosporin can be put into the eye. I use this:

Never seen that before. Have no idea about the cause but a good (and gentle) flushing with warm water is where I would start.

Anyfoot said:

Is Neosporin OK?

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No. Definitely not. You need something specifically safe for eyes. The stuff that Yvonne linked is the industry standard over here.

Anyfoot said:

Is Neosporin OK?

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Lots of debribment with sensative eyes contact lens solution. I dont recall if there are over the counter eye antibiotics.

Clean the eyes as decomposing bacteria stuff (puss) can cause further issues.

This tortoise died. Which is a worry. That’s 2 in a month. Other 22 seem active and alert.

Tom said:

The question I have is WHY?

@cdmay
@Redstrike
@Markw84
@Will

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Eyes are intermingled with sinuses. Maybe something stuck in the roof of the mouth etc. Without first hand inspection i could only offer wild guesses.

My experience with pus eye caps is with box turtles. Evry so often either someone gives me a turtle with eye caps or I find one in my box turtle yard. One indication is that they were too cold.

I flush the eyes with sterile saline, then gently pick at a corner of the puss and remove it. Then I dab on the Pfizer antibiotic eye ointment (several times a day). I sometimes have to repeat this process two or three days. In the meantime, I soak in warm Terramycin water daily for at least an hour.

I don't remember losing any, and this treatment has worked for me.

Yvonne G said:

My experience with pus eye caps is with box turtles. Evry so often either someone gives me a turtle with eye caps or I find one in my box turtle yard. One indication is that they were too cold.

I flush the eyes with sterile saline, then gently pick at a corner of the puss and remove it. Then I dab on the Pfizer antibiotic eye ointment (several times a day). I sometimes have to repeat this process two or three days. In the meantime, I soak in warm Terramycin water daily for at least an hour.

I don't remember losing any, and this treatment has worked for me.

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I never got the chance to treat him because I’ve had to order the ointment. Couldn’t get any from our local vet/pet shop.
I did bathe him in warm water a few times to try and help the eyes.
Peed off but must move on and not dwell.

I’ve altered a few things in the enclosure. I think it was letting them get to damp and cold too.
Went through my enclosure thoroughly today checking temps and humidity levels. Air temps and moss temps where as I thought, 83/85f. Humidity around 90%. Coir is very wet and only 75f. So I think when they were digging in they were getting too cold. This could explain why most of them started sitting on top of the moss, to keep away from the colder coir. As time goes by the coir gets wetter and wetter due to the high humidity in a closed system.

I’ve taken out all the moss, added a thick layer of orchid bark and but the moss back in. I’ve also upped the temp by 2f.

Both torts that died sat on the feeding slate for a few days, this also suggests they were trying to get off the cold coir.

Well that’s my best guess. Time will tell.

Anyfoot said:

I never got the chance to treat him because I’ve had to order the ointment. Couldn’t get any from our local vet/pet shop.
I did bathe him in warm water a few times to try and help the eyes.
Peed off but must move on and not dwell.

I’ve altered a few things in the enclosure. I think it was letting them get to damp and cold too.
Went through my enclosure thoroughly today checking temps and humidity levels. Air temps and moss temps where as I thought, 83/85f. Humidity around 90%. Coir is very wet and only 75f. So I think when they were digging in they were getting too cold. This could explain why most of them started sitting on top of the moss, to keep away from the colder coir. As time goes by the coir gets wetter and wetter due to the high humidity in a closed system.

I’ve taken out all the moss, added a thick layer of orchid bark and but the moss back in. I’ve also upped the temp by 2f.

Both torts that died sat on the feeding slate for a few days, this also suggests they were trying to get off the cold coir.

Well that’s my best guess. Time will tell.

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Sorry to hear that