Greek tortoise swollen eyelids

[magdalenazbinden]

Hello everyone
I would like to ask for some input.
My greek tortois is about 20 years old. For most of his life he lived in a terrarium, not properly set up. He came to me last year and while he was waiting for his outdoor enclosure, he still lived in the terrarium but was eating well and was very active. About a month ago he stopped eating and his eyelids became swollen. He only wanted to sleep and no food would encourage him to out of his 'cave'. The vet gave him antibiotic for a possible infection,checked his feces (results came clean) and gave him electrolites. It didnt help. I thought that moving to his new outdoor enclosure would help. And for two days he was super happy there, ate and walked around. Thats also when I noticed that he doesnt like to be in the sun and is rubbing his eyes with front legs when exposed to it. After that he went to his tunnel and sleeps there the whole day and doesnt eat. The vet who is looking after reptiles gave us the vitamin a injections for him and a gel with antibiotic for his eyelids. The dose is half of maximum allowed dosage. We started today. But im really scared because I read so much about different (positive and negative) effects the vitamine a can cause. Im really worried and wanted to ask those of you who have been through sth similiar if it looks like a case when vitamin a needs to be injected. Thank you in advance!

 

[theodorejr]

could you perhaps post some pictures? so members can give you the right advice and know whats up thank you!

 

[magdalenazbinden]

Hello this is from the beginning of the spring this year. The swelling was already visible. Now its bigger. I will take new pictures tomorrow because he is now sleeping. Btw. His name is Franklin

 

[Chubbs the tegu]

Could be many causes. Very dry conditions, eye infection, wrong substrate, wrong lighting, vitamin A deficiency ( rare in torts). Some more info about how he was being kept before he went outdoors will help to maybe figure it out.

 

[magdalenazbinden]

Could be many causes. Very dry conditions, eye infection, wrong substrate, wrong lighting, vitamin A deficiency ( rare in torts). Some more info about how he was being kept before he went outdoors will help to maybe figure it out.

Of course:
Terrarium: 60x50x40cm with sand and top soil and coconut fiber/soil. No uvb lamp just one to keep him warm (temperature under the lamp was about 30 degrees)
Food: he was given all what he liked. So banana, lettuce, spinat, eggs. He never liked carrots or pumpkin so never had them.
For all these years he was (suprisingly in these conditions) active and ate well.

 

[Chubbs the tegu]

Of course:
Terrarium: 60x50x40cm with sand and top soil and coconut fiber/soil. No uvb lamp just one to keep him warm (temperature under the lamp was about 30 degrees)
Food: he was given all what he liked. So banana, lettuce, spinat, eggs. He never liked carrots or pumpkin so never had them.
For all these years he was (suprisingly in these conditions) active and ate well.

the substrate could be the cause of the eye irritation. Is he living outdoors full time now? Have u changed his diet? I would give him 30 min - an hr soaks daily in warm water as well as flush his eyes with water daily. Ill give u a link to a great care guide to help u out. Come back with any questions. Good luck!
Thread 'The Best Way To Raise Any Temperate Species Of Tortoise'
https://www.tortoiseforum.org/threa...ise-any-temperate-species-of-tortoise.183131/

 

[magdalenazbinden]

the substrate could be the cause of the eye irritation. Is he living outdoors full time now? Have u changed his diet? I would give him 30 min - an hr soaks daily in warm water as well as flush his eyes with water daily. Ill give u a link to a great care guide to help u out. Come back with any questions. Good luck!
Thread 'The Best Way To Raise Any Temperate Species Of Tortoise'
https://www.tortoiseforum.org/threa...ise-any-temperate-species-of-tortoise.183131/

Thank you.
His last substrate in terrarium was special soil for tortoises. Lets say for the last half a year. I stopped giving him banana and lettuce the moment he came to me. He had banana twice since then and only to check if he is ok. He loved it so much i used it twice as a test if he is still eating. Thats actually how i noticed that sth is off. I tried giving him everything that he is supposed to eat, no success. He was outside for a week but never came out of his house. He was always sleeping hiding and sleeping apart from those first two times when he was there and he walked a bit and ate some leaves. Today i moved him back to terrarium because i put the gel on his eyelids and didnt want him to get some dirt on it while being outside (his new enclosure is waaaay bigger than terrarium). I will do anything to help him but im not sure that the injections we started giving him are the right way to go.
Thank you for the link

 

[Tom]

Thank you.
His last substrate in terrarium was special soil for tortoises. Lets say for the last half a year. I stopped giving him banana and lettuce the moment he came to me. He had banana twice since then and only to check if he is ok. He loved it so much i used it twice as a test if he is still eating. Thats actually how i noticed that sth is off. I tried giving him everything that he is supposed to eat, no success. He was outside for a week but never came out of his house. He was always sleeping hiding and sleeping apart from those first two times when he was there and he walked a bit and ate some leaves. Today i moved him back to terrarium because i put the gel on his eyelids and didnt want him to get some dirt on it while being outside (his new enclosure is waaaay bigger than terrarium). I will do anything to help him but im not sure that the injections we started giving him are the right way to go.
Thank you for the link

The special soil for tortoises is probably the usual wrong stuff that pet stores sell. Sand and soil? Little limestone bits in it?

In your northern climate they must have UV lamps in doors. Has he never had that? Even in mid summer, your mid day UV levels are comparatively low compared to where they come from.

In addition to the link from Chubbs, check this one out too:

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