Eye swollen.. right before Brumation

[marbalboy]

*** i see other posts about swollen eye that I am reading through currently. If there’s one in particular I should see please direct me to it ****
I was literally prepping petunia for brumation to start tonight when I noticed that her right eye is very very swollen! I had kind of pulled a hair out of her face. As we’ve been prepping for room, I’ve not been diligent about keeping her substrates super moist (I know, I know), and so I’m hoping that it’s just the bad substrate that I might be using. Too many strings and dust in it or something. I noticed that it might’ve been a little bit off yesterday, but then I got really nervous when my husband told me that he noticed her rubbing her eye on her shoulder a bunch over a week ago.

What should I do? Feed her and postpone brumation for now? Get her to a vet asap? Continue as planned with better substrate? I’ve given her two baths to maybe flush it out. I’m attaching photos but honestly the swelling went way down in a matter of minutes from me noticing it, so it went be as apparent in photos unfortunately.

When I first noticed, it was quite severe she couldn’t open her eye. Now she appears to be kind of able to see out of it and it almost looks normal but not quite? I feel like it’s missing like the spark or something that the other eye has? She is a yearling, born maybe like 13 months ago and she has never brumated before. Also attaching a picture of the substrate. Please tell me it’s the substrate that I messed up with and not something more severe.

 

[wellington]

Can you just postpone it? That's what I would do. If it doesn't clear up in a week, then I'd consider not brumating her
@Yvonne G

 

[marbalboy]

Can you just postpone it? That's what I would do. If it doesn't clear up in a week, then I'd consider not brumating her
@Yvonne G

I am gonna postpone. She had really been fighting being awake though. I fed her a little so she could get some nutrients anyways… poor thing wasn’t completely spoiled for 2 weeks for no reason! I think I’ll switch the substrate too and eliminate at least one variable.
Is there an ointment I should get?
What are common eye ailments for NA torts?
Thank you @wellington

 

[wellington]

I am gonna postpone. She had really been fighting being awake though. I fed her a little so she could get some nutrients anyways… poor thing wasn’t completely spoiled for 2 weeks for no reason! I think I’ll switch the substrate too and eliminate at least one variable.
Is there an ointment I should get?
What are common eye ailments for NA torts?
Thank you @wellington

Usually what I remember seeing is substrate or lighting.
Try flushing the eyes with saline solution or just running warm water over them.

 

[marbalboy]

I still need advice! So last time I told yall her went down right away.
Her eye got real swollen again and she was rubbing it, the other one was a bit irritated too. And she was making the wet rubber noise. Once AGAIN the irritation then just disappeared.
Do they have some mechanism that causes their eye to swell then immediately not?
It’d really freaky when it happens. And I’m worried with the noise what if it was affecting her throat?

 

[The_Four_Toed_Edward]

I still need advice! So last time I told yall her went down right away.
Her eye got real swollen again and she was rubbing it, the other one was a bit irritated too. And she was making the wet rubber noise. Once AGAIN the irritation then just disappeared.
Do they have some mechanism that causes their eye to swell then immediately not?
It’d really freaky when it happens. And I’m worried with the noise what if it was affecting her throat?

Have you made sure that it can't be your lamps or substrate?

One thing I am thinking, that with heating your room humidity drops in the fall/beginning of winter. Is she in a open topped enclosure?

 

[Maggie3fan]

I still need advice! So last time I told yall her went down right away.
Her eye got real swollen again and she was rubbing it, the other one was a bit irritated too. And she was making the wet rubber noise. Once AGAIN the irritation then just disappeared.
Do they have some mechanism that causes their eye to swell then immediately not?
It’d really freaky when it happens. And I’m worried with the noise what if it was affecting her throat?

Just a thought...I have an adult tortoise that I thought had swollen eyes one day when I checked on him...he was asleep with closed eyes that 'looked' swollen, but open looked fine...

 

[marbalboy]

Just a thought...I have an adult tortoise that I thought had swollen eyes one day when I checked on him...he was asleep with closed eyes that 'looked' swollen, but open looked fine...

I appreciate that, thank you. Indeed it also came with lots of rubbing and clear indication that she couldn’t see ou of it. I’m starting to think it was truly the terrible substrate I chose to try. Well at least my indoor house plants like it. Because I have a lot of it.

 

[COmtnLady]

Have you said what the temps are in her enclosure? (I probably missed it.)

She looks young to me, and youngsters need to be warm with humidity. (The substrate looks very dry in the pics, which means the humidity isn't anywhere near where a young one needs it to be.)
Do you have a top (with no vents or holes) that encloses your habitat, to keep the heat and humidity in? It may seem counter intuitive, but it would keep the substrate fibers slightly moistened, which should keep them from floating around and bothering her eyes (though a wrong type of light could mess with her eyes, too/instead.).

The warmth would make her less sleepy seeming, besides being better for her.

How often does she get to soak?