Advice Needed Help (eyes closed)

TerryKH

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Feb 4, 2023
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Hiya,

A little update.

I decided to take the little man to the vets last Thursday. He was a little dehydrated and the vet fed him for me. And I'm bathing him in Reptoboost.

He started to eat like a horse last weekend, but had to hand feed him. He's slowed down again over the last 2 days

I was at the vets again today, he's rehydrated now, puffy eyes gone down looking better. Still won't open them. Vet said his body has basically gone through a shutdown and we need to restart. Can take a few months to fully recover. So it's a long slow process.

I feel terrible that I didn't read the signs. Vet did make me feel a little better saying he's seen worse poorly tortoises and Fred is generally healthy. Hasn't got any worse. Small improvements. I keep doing what I'm doing over the next two weeks might be time for blood tests and feeding tube.

Terry
 

TammyJ

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Since swollen shut eyes is also a symptom of lack of vitamin A, it wouldn't hurt to add strained baby food carrots to the daily soaking water (50%/50%). Human baby food strained carrots is high in vitamin A and is absorbed through the thin skin on the throat and around the cloaca. Use a smallish bowl with tall sides (so he can't climb out) and set the bowl back in the enclosure NEXT to where the light hits the floor (but not directly under the light). Leave him in there for an hour or so. This regimen has always worked for me and you should see open eyes at the end of three days.
Yvonne,. I am curious as to whether the actual bottled strained carrot baby food ( like Gerber) is better than a home blended carrot juice from fresh carrots? It seems some people are not using the carrot baby food, but making their own in a blender. Any difference?
 

Yvonne G

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As long as it's thin enough to be absorbed through the thin skin around the throat and cloaca. I would think "home made" wouldn't fit that criteria.
 

Cathie G

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As long as it's thin enough to be absorbed through the thin skin around the throat and cloaca. I would think "home made" wouldn't fit that criteria.
I agree simply because I used the baby food carrots in jars for my kids if they had diarrhea. I had read about it in a family circle magazine and it worked. This was back in the early eighties. This remedy was even recommended for adults. I made most other baby food myself but only the commercial carrot baby food was gentle enough to help. The other one I used for the opposite problem was baby food prunes. It too was more gentle.
 

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