Eye problems

[Angi]

Yesterday I dug Trudy up and soaked her and fed her and her eyes looked more swolled than normal. One looked a little red and filmy too. I took her out of her garden and put her in a plastic tub with wood chips and leaves. First I put antibiodic ointment on her eyes. Does this sound like the right thing to do? Does she need to stay away from dirt? She likes to compleatly bury herself.

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I just put her in the bath tub and her eyes look worse. The ointment I am using is called Terramycin, I got it from the feed store.

 

[Angi]

I gave her a corrot bath. I didn't have any baby food so I put four carrots and water in the Vita- Mix. Thoughts? I an worried

 

[dmmj]

can she open her eyes?

 

[Angi]

Yes her eyes are open. She can open and close them.

 

[Angi]

Should I make here a new enclosure with cypress mulch instead of dirt. Does anyone think it is the dirt causing her eye problems?

 

[dmmj]

I don't believe it would do any harm, but swollen eyes are not usually a substrate problem, it is usually another problem.

 

[terryo]

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00027DA94/?tag=exoticpetnetw-20

I always keep this in the house. You might be able to get it cheaper someplace else though. There are a lot of reasons why this could happen, but most likely soil isn't one of them. All mine are outside and always bury themselves in the soil. Even if her eyes can open and close, I would still use this to nip it in the bud, so to speak....just in case.

 

[Angi]

Like what D? What do you think could be causing it? She had it when I got her about a year or more ago. I got the cream and they got better, but always looked a little buldged. She saw a vet at the SDTTS meeting about three months ago. She didn't think there was a problem, but yesterday they jusy looked worse. BTW as some of you know Trudy was found in a friend of a friends's yard. She had a lot of healed injuries. Missing toes, drags one foot, crack on carpace and chips in shell. So she could have had her eyes injured too. I think she had lived on her own for a while. She is also a very skittish turtle. I am going to make her a bigger container with cypress mulch to keep her clean while I try to get her eyes better. I would appriciate any advice. THANKS!

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Thanks Terry. That is what I have. I am rbbing it on her eyes. I wonder if my tube is still good? I got it about a year ago. BTW~I think I paid more at the feed store.

 

[dmmj]

There are always 2 things that come to mind when I hear box turtle and puffy eyes, either a vitamin A deficiency or a RI.

 

[Angi]

What is an RI and what do I do about a vitamina A dificency? I don't think she would eat carrots. She is very picky, but I could soak her in baby food or just purreed carrots. When I soaked her today, there was 3 little raisen size poops in the water, they didn't liik like her normal poops. I wonder if she had some blockage. Should I force her to drink carrot juice?

 

[Maggie Cummings]

What is an RI and what do I do about a vitamina A dificency? I don't think she would eat carrots. She is very picky, but I could soak her in baby food or just purreed carrots. When I soaked her today, there was 3 little raisen size poops in the water, they didn't liik like her normal poops. I wonder if she had some blockage. Should I force her to drink carrot juice?

RI- Respiratory Infection. Get some baby food (carrots) and soak her daily in the mixture. Put the terramycin in her eyes 3 times a day. She will be fine in a while but don't put her back in the yard just yet. You need to work with her and get her over this thing first. We need to figure out what it is and get rid of it before she can go back outside...

 

[Angi]

Will do Maggie. Thanks, that is pretty much what I had planned to do but glad to have you reasure me.

 

[Maggie Cummings]

Will do Maggie. Thanks, that is pretty much what I had planned to do but glad to have you reasure me.

Does she ever have normal long turd like poops in her soaks? Today she is pooping out what she was fed 2 weeks ago mostly so now that makes me wonder what kind of food she was fed?

 

[Angi]

Yes she normaly does have healthy looking poops. She hasn't been eating much in front of me, but she has always been a bit shy. Everyday I provide a plate of berries, worms and what ever fruit I am eating that day. I also try to mix in a little bit of veggies. On tort muzuri day they also get a little bit too. They don't eat a lot of what I offer, but they are in a garden that has snails and bugs, so could be hunting.

 

[Angi]

She will not eat at all. After her carrot soak I put a little clean water in the bath tub, so she had water on one side and about a third of it was dry. I gave her a plate with 3 meal worms and cut up kiwi. She would not eat any of it. She usually loves worms. I am thinking that she can't smell and maybe can't see. She walked right through the food. I even held it up to her mouth and she wouldn't take a bite. So my question now is....how many carrot baths should I give her a day?
BTW~ She is the only thing that uses this bath tub. It does not have a shower and is open right by my vanity.

 

[dmmj]

It sounds like an RI to me, lack of appetite, eye problems. Does she have any discharge from the nose? trouble breathing? open mouth breathing?

 

[terryo]

Hold the turtle with two hands facing you, thumb's on the bottom...gently squeeze and see if any bubbles come out of the nose. Usually if there's crust on the eyes it is most likely caused by some kind of dirt in the eye...if it's puffy and closed it could be a RI. Up the temp. if you have her inside, keep her warm and on a clean paper towel, give the carrot soak twice a day and I would try to offer some kind of low fat canned dog food, especially white fish or venison. This is just what I would do...most likely you should take her to a vet before it gets worse, if it is a RI. Also keep putting the ointment on her eyes.

 

[Angi]

Do I sqeeze the whole turtle or her head? I have her on cyperess mulch. You think paper towels are better? About what sould the temps be?
No I have not seen any discharge and she seems to be breathing fine.
I am going to the grocery in about half an hour. I will pick up the dog foog and baby carrots. I didn't have any so was making my own in the Vita Mix , but will buy the real stuff.

 

[dmmj]

Well the only reason I suspect an RI is because before she stopped eating her diet sounded good to me.

 

[Angi]

When ever I have a sinus problem I sqiurt water up my nose to flush it out. What do you think of a short dunk in water over her head? Has anyone tried this?