Baby leopard tortoise eyes closed

Jenna nico

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okay, so I'm new here and still figuring things out.

I got a baby tortoise on Saturday from a reptile show in PA. He's about 3 months old, but not exactly sure. I chose him because he seemed to be the most active and was eating so much! (Just like his momma, hence the instant connection)

However, since we brought him home we notice his eyes are closed a lot. At first we thought he was just sleeping, but at one point his eyes were closed and he kept kind of moving his head in and out of his shell and opening his mouth.

He's still eating, still walking around, but his eyes are just closed a lot.

We have a UV Lamp and a heat lamp for his enclosure and keep the UV on for about 12 hours a day. We soak him for about 10 minutes daily.

He's been eating a lot of kale and spring mix and we also got him supplement pellets.

Any advice would be greatly appreciative. I'm already a overprotective paranoid momma!!IMG_3441.JPGIMG_3400.JPG
 

Jenna nico

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Here's another pic from a few minutes ago!
 

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Jenna nico

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Also, he keeps walking up the den and falling down!!!
 

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Jenna nico

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Last one guys, promise. I'm at work and my bf is sending me pics.
 

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JoesMum

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First question is about the lights.

Do you have a compact CFL UVB lamp? They look like a low energy light bulb like these
ImageUploadedByTortoise Forum1493071584.692669.jpg
ImageUploadedByTortoise Forum1493071599.544569.jpg

Frequently these cause eye problems in torts and we recommend you don't use it.

Turn your UVB off, if it is the compact type, and leave it off. Your tort will be fine without UVB for a few days. Hopefully your tort will recover quite quickly.

Replace a compact UVB with a tube type like this
ImageUploadedByTortoise Forum1493071720.885756.jpg

Alternatively substitute both basking and UVB with a single Mercury Vapour Bulb (MVB) that provides both heat and UVB in one bulb.

Photos of your enclosure and lighting will help us to spot any other potential causes.

I linked the Beginner Mistakes and Leopard Tortoise Care threads in your intro thread :)
 

Jenna nico

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Ahhhh, thank you so much!! I just send those photos to my boyfriend because he's the one who bought the lights. It's definitely not the long tube one Hopefully we can switch the UV and have him feeling better ASAP
 

wellington

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Hello and Welcome. You also need to remove the hay/straw and the green carpet. He needs a high humidity of 80% with temps at 80 day and night with a basking spot of 95-100. A closed chamber enclosure is the best for him and for keeping humidity and temps correct.
Please read the care sheets and the closed chamber thread by Tom.
If you don't have the bad kind of bulb try soaking him in warm water with baby food carrot puré in it keeping him warm the whole time you soak which should be 20-30 minutes.
I would also make it so he couldn't climb up on the rock hide. Flipping over on his back can be dangerous if he doesn't right himself
 

Jenna nico

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Thanks for the advice!! I'm going to try the baby food carrot pure soak.

We only put the green in when we feed him (we got it at the pet store, it's an eco carpet for reptiles) still bad??

Where can I find the closed chamber thread? Sorry it's so hard to navigate he forum on my phone and I'm stuck at work until later :(
 

Markw84

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Thanks for the advice!! I'm going to try the baby food carrot pure soak.

We only put the green in when we feed him (we got it at the pet store, it's an eco carpet for reptiles) still bad??

Where can I find the closed chamber thread? Sorry it's so hard to navigate he forum on my phone and I'm stuck at work until later :(
Jenna

I doubt the bulb is a problem. Leopard babies are extremely sensitive and keeping the eyes closed more is very common. Normally it is a temperature, humidity, or diet related issue. Occasionally it can be an irritant such as the wood chips you have in there.

The first thing is to check your temperatures and humidity levels. Read this thread an follow as much as possible for guidelines:

http://www.tortoiseforum.org/threads/how-to-raise-a-healthy-sulcata-or-leopard-version-2-0.78361/

It will be very difficult to get temp and humidity correct and maintain it without a closed chamber. I personally would not raise a leopard without some type of closed chamber. Here is the thread on @Tom 's closed chamber concept, and another thread I made on ones I built for my tortoises.

http://www.tortoiseforum.org/thread-32333.html

http://www.tortoiseforum.org/threads/our-new-closed-chamber-for-our-new-group-of-tortoises.138430/

Baby tortoises are extremely secretive and love places they can hide, and do much better if some plants are provided where they can hide under the overhanging branches. A boston fern, or spider plant is perfect for this. With the proper lighting in an enclosure, the plants will grow well in the enclosure along with your tortoise. Be sure none of that white vermiculite is in the pot and where the tortoise can get to it. Once the plant has grown out and starts to hang down, the tortoise can nibble it for food as well. Both are good food sources. I keep plants in heavy 6-8" clay pots so the tortoise can not destroy them, but they will grow to hang down over the edges allowing cover and food. It also provides sight barriers that make the enclosure much more interesting and seem larger to the tortoise having to walk around things more.

Pay attention to daily soaks. Young Leopards in particular really benefit from them and it will help with hydrating dry nictitating membranes on the eye - which is again, common with young leopards. Keep the soaking water close to 100° and the little guy will really like the heat warming through its whole body. I like to do that just before putting in new food for the day, and their eyes get wide open, they are most active and will feed well when you put them in front of the food once they get used to the routine.

Good luck, study those threads, and keep us posted.
 

Jenna nico

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Thank you so much for the response!!! I feel like a horrible mom. Right now he is in a large tub (the container you usually keep your off season clothes in) we have coconut moss for humidity, a side ways planting pot with soil where he goes in to sleep, and some rocks and stones along with his UV and heat lamp that is hanging from an attachment over the tub. We spray the moss for extra humidity. Your closed chamber looks amazing, but I don't think we have those recourses right now I'm going to research if there is a simpler way??? We just bought a new UV light and hide. We have a temp gun and the enclosure usually reads around 85 degrees.


I'm just praying he's okay and survives!!!!!
 

teresaf

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If he isn't raised with humidity he'll end up bumpy(pyramided)like mine below. I got him already like that and it's mostly irreversible at his age.
Here's the problem. If you raise him with high humidity (where the inside of your enclosure is going to be sweaty) you MUST maintain at LEAST 80f in every corner of his enclosure so you need accurate Thermometer hygrometers measuring devices! No button types. I'll attach a picture of what I use. they're very cheap.

You can't let him get cold or he'll get a respiratory infection(RI). He's already showing symptoms. They're very susceptible as babies to our eyes at about four or five years old he shouldn't be as a susceptible.

Its going to be a race trying to get his enclosure set up fast enough that he doesn't get sick. Once you have it set up good you'll tweak it for a while. Soon he'll outgrow it and you'll have to do it again for a larger enclosure. It'll be easier that time though.

Eventually he's going to need a 4x8 enclosure if you're keeping him in the house. I had one of mine set up in my basement with plastic like the Kill rooms in 'Dexter' if you've ever watched it. LOL

I attached a picture of his food and water dishes these can be sunk into his substrate which is usually Coco choir. Notice that they are low sided therefore they are not a tipping hazard. I've also attached a photo of a food that most tortoises like period my leopard tortoise loves the stuff. It's called Mazuri. Make sure you get the original form which is rounded type like dog nuggets and not the Mazuri LS that is like rabbit food pellets. Most tortoises will not eat the Missouri LS. I would find something he can hide in that he can't crawl on top of. you don't want him tipping over. sometimes they can't right themselves. Good luck. Baby tortoises are super cute but a pain to raise. I wish I had known. Like you I bought a couple tortoises and wasn't ready. Luckily we had the finances to cover it at the time. For an enclosure right now a large tank will do wonderful just close the top off with plexiglass or foil. I say a large tank because you have to have a basking lamp in there that keeps a little spot at a hundred degrees but the rest of the area should be about 80 to 85.

At night he should be at 80 to 85 Degrees still but no basking area. To do that with no lights on we use a ceramic heat emitter. It's like a light bulb except it doesn't put off light just heat.
 

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Jenna nico

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Thank you! We have Mazuri tablets for him as well!

I heard that putting a tortoise in a clear tank is bad because they will constantly try to get out? (Aka continuously walk into the walls)

He doesn't seem to be cold, he actually chooses the lower eat side of the enclosure over the higher temp side??

Thanks for all the help guys!!
 

Ramsey

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Hey Jenna, welcome and congrats. Being a Tortoise mommy is highly rewarding. Looks like you got the main part of the proper advice from the seasoned vets above.

Most important things right now are temps, humidity, diet and comfort.

Seems like most tortoises take a while to adjust. You too need to make adjustments right away to give him the best chance.

Your ambient enclosure should be 80F and 80% RH. I'd shoot for 82F. Day and night. Then give him a basking spot of about 100F.

I was in the same boat when I first joined and I had to build an enclosure in 24hrs, on new year's day no less.

As stated before, review the care-sheets. I myself reference them weekly, especially to identify weeds.

Your baby looks beautiful btw.
 

Kasia

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Thank you so much for the response!!! I feel like a horrible mom. Right now he is in a large tub (the container you usually keep your off season clothes in) we have coconut moss for humidity, a side ways planting pot with soil where he goes in to sleep, and some rocks and stones along with his UV and heat lamp that is hanging from an attachment over the tub. We spray the moss for extra humidity. Your closed chamber looks amazing, but I don't think we have those recourses right now I'm going to research if there is a simpler way??? We just bought a new UV light and hide. We have a temp gun and the enclosure usually reads around 85 degrees.


I'm just praying he's okay and survives!!!!!
Hi you don't need anything super fancy, just use good substrate and cover your enclosure with an aluminum foil/anything else to hold moisture and heat inside. From the basic stuff you need a good thermometer and a higromether to know were your at. Good luck!
 

teresaf

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Thank you! We have Mazuri tablets for him as well!

I heard that putting a tortoise in a clear tank is bad because they will constantly try to get out? (Aka continuously walk into the walls)

He doesn't seem to be cold, he actually chooses the lower eat side of the enclosure over the higher temp side??

Thanks for all the help guys!!

My babies didn't have an issue with their tank. If yours does just tape up a piece of paper along the bottom so they can't see out. Tortoises are pretty stupid. Baby torts probably more so. He could be cold and choosing that end because it's darker or less scary than the other end. You really need the thermometer/hygrometer. Asap. Especially if he is showing symptoms of ri. I don't know that he is but eyes shut could be swollen eye lids and the head in an out thing could be a breathing issue. RI maybe. Good luck. Have fun with the new baby.
 

Jenna nico

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Thank you guys for all the advice!!!!

Another quick question - is it okay if we buy fresh greens, and freeze them, then give it to him thawed when it's warm? We have so much but he has such a tiny mouth!
 

Jenna nico

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My babies didn't have an issue with their tank. If yours does just tape up a piece of paper along the bottom so they can't see out. Tortoises are pretty stupid. Baby torts probably more so. He could be cold and choosing that end because it's darker or less scary than the other end. You really need the thermometer/hygrometer. Asap. Especially if he is showing symptoms of ri. I don't know that he is but eyes shut could be swollen eye lids and the head in an out thing could be a breathing issue. RI maybe. Good luck. Have fun with the new baby.
Thank you! I'm so in love.
 
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