Help pls what do i do dont know whats happening

[Peter tortoise]

I don't know what to do he's leaved in my old room with no lighting other than the sun with no heat and he's eyes have been whit and puffy for about a month with no respotory issues just his eyes seem like the problom. I just added a uvb light and better substrate don't know what to do can't afford a vet right know

 

[wellington]

First thing go do is get him a proper enclosure that includes proper heat.
If you are using a coil uvb bulb, it has bends in it, that could be the eye problem.
He needs a tube florescent for uvb
Incandescent flood bulb for basking that reaches 95-100
And ceramic heat emitter for any needed added day heat and night heat.
Day heat 75-80
Night heat 70
30-50% humidity.
This poor fella needs the correct temps ASAP!
Without proper temps and basking, they can't digest their food properly. He didn't get UV from the window cause it doesn't go thru glass and fine mess of a screen.
For right now give him a warm water soak for about 30-60 minutes.

 

[TechnoCheese]

This tortoise needs heat asap. Purchase a flood bulb heat lamp, not a spot bulb, though any kind of heat is better than none at all right now. Even a low wattage halogen bulb from the hardware store would work right now if it’s all you can find, though too harsh for long term. You need a hot spot of 95-100 degrees.

What kind of UVB bulb did you purchase? If it’s a coil or compact, they can cause eye burns, don’t produce adequate levels of UVB, and you need to turn it off. Though I’m not sure if having a compact bulb is better or worse than having no UVB at all at this point. The type of UVB you need is a long tube fluorescent.

Eye puffiness like this can be caused by a vitamin A deficiency. Start soaking this tortoise in a 50/50 mixture of carrot baby food and warm water. If you can’t get the baby food right now, just use warm water. Do this for 30 minutes or longer every day, and keep the water warm.

How long have you been keeping this tortoise without heat or light? When was the last time it ate? What are you feeding?

I have a feeling this tortoise may have more problems than just its eyes.

 

[Peter tortoise]

This tortoise needs heat asap. Purchase a flood bulb heat lamp, not a spot bulb, though any kind of heat is better than none at all right now. Even a low wattage halogen bulb from the hardware store would work right now if it’s all you can find, though too harsh for long term. You need a hot spot of 95-100 degrees.

What kind of UVB bulb did you purchase? If it’s a coil or compact, they can cause eye burns, don’t produce adequate levels of UVB, and you need to turn it off. Though I’m not sure if having a compact bulb is better or worse than having no UVB at all at this point. The type of UVB you need is a long tube fluorescent.

Eye puffiness like this can be caused by a vitamin A deficiency. Start soaking this tortoise in a 50/50 mixture of carrot baby food and warm water. If you can’t get the baby food right now, just use warm water. Do this for 30 minutes or longer every day, and keep the water warm.

How long have you been keeping this tortoise without heat or light? When was the last time it ate? What are you feeding?

I have a feeling this tortoise may have more problems than just its eyes.

He's been without a uvb for about 10 years I bieleve because I got at 4 years ild never bought the proper things since he's been eating lettace for those 10 years I've switched his diet but he doesn't eat all I have done was give him carrot baths and heat

 

[zovick]

He's been without a uvb for about 10 years I bieleve because I got at 4 years ild never bought the proper things since he's been eating lettace for those 10 years I've switched his diet but he doesn't eat all I have done was give him carrot baths and heat

It's amazing how long some tortoises can live (as this one has) with virtually no correct care. You will be extremely lucky if you are able to keep it alive at this point. You should follow the advice given on this forum and nowhere else for the best results.

Good luck.

 

[Tom]

He's been without a uvb for about 10 years I bieleve because I got at 4 years ild never bought the proper things since he's been eating lettace for those 10 years I've switched his diet but he doesn't eat all I have done was give him carrot baths and heat

Take a few minutes and read these two threads. They will tell you what you need to do:

The Best Way To Raise Any Temperate Species Of Tortoise

I chose the title of this care sheet very carefully. Are there other ways to raise babies and care for adults? Yes. Yes there are, but those ways are not as good. What follows is the BEST way, according to 30 years of research and experimentation with hundreds of babies of many species. What is...

tortoiseforum.org

Info For New People. Please Read This First.

Hello and welcome to tortoiseforum.org! We are all glad you are here! There is no other forum like this anywhere. We have tens of thousands of members from all over the world ranging from kids with their first tortoise to people who have been breeding and keeping high end tortoises since the...

tortoiseforum.org

 

[Peter tortoise]

He's been without a uvb for about 10 years I bieleve because I got at 4 years ild never bought the proper things since he's been eating lettace for those 10 years I've switched his diet but he doesn't eat all I have done was give him carrot baths and heat

Well he became active after a but in the basking light but then went back into sleeping mode were ever I put him and stays there's but he keeps trying to open his mouth and can't I don't know what to do

 

[zovick]

Well he became active after a but in the basking light but then went back into sleeping mode were ever I put him and stays there's but he keeps trying to open his mouth and can't I don't know what to do

Keep the tortoise warm --- 85 degrees to 90 degrees 24 hours a day. Soak it once or twice daily for about 20 minutes at a time in lukewarm water and/or carrot baths. Immediately after the soaks, put the tortoise in front of a pile of food and hope that it begins to eat.

If it keeps opening its mouth, it is probably having trouble trying to breathe and may have pneumonia. If the above treatment doesn't help, you will most likely need to take the tortoise to a vet to get some injectable ceftazidime to fight the respiratory trouble. Note: do not let any vet give the tortoise injectable Baytril or any type of vitamin injections. Insist on the ceftazidime or don't get any injections at all and go elsewhere.

 

[Maggie3fan]

If you can't afford to take him to the Vet...go to a feed store and look for an antibiotic used for cattle. It's a yellow powder there's no dosage...put the tort in his soaking water with about a tablespoon of it to the soak. It does look like he has pnuemonia, if you can do this it will help

 

[Yvonne G]

If you can't afford to take him to the Vet...go to a feed store and look for an antibiotic used for cattle. It's a yellow powder there's no dosage...put the tort in his soaking water with about a tablespoon of it to the soak. It does look like he has pnuemonia, if you can do this it will help

Sorry, Maggie, but you need a prescription to buy the Terramycin now. It's really too bad, because what Maggie suggested really works!

 

[TammyJ]

Right now, the most important two things to do are: No. 1, keep him in the correct warm temperatures with the right UVB lights. No. 2, Soak him twice a day in warm water that has carrot baby food mixed in. The water should be warm like you would bathe a human baby in, and be at the level where his top and bottom shells meet. Soak him like this for at least half an hour each time. When you take him out of the warm bath, don't let him be in the cold outside air. Wrap him in a warm towel and get him back quickly into his warm enclosure. Good luck and thanks for your efforts to help him!

 

[Maggie3fan]

Sorry, Maggie, but you need a prescription to buy the Terramycin now. It's really too bad, because what Maggie suggested really works!

Well, that shows how long it's been since I've had a sick tortoise. I can't imagine doing what we did back then without access to that antibiotic...what a f'ing shame

 

[Megatron's Mom]

If you have a Tractor supply center near you. You can buy LA 200 for cattle. You will need to do the math but you can still get it without a vet. At least here in Arkansas . I have it for my chickens. It is the same as Terramycin but they inject it for cattle, but can be given orally. Don't inject the tortoise with it. I was told it stings bad.
Make sure 100% on the dosage though.