Hermann turtle swollen eyes

[Orla]

Hi,
I am newish to keeping turtles. I have 2 box turtles.
1 a Hermann’s species, in the past week I have noticed her eyes have closed & some swelling?
What can I do to help fix this? I have been soaking her in warm water. I have rang vets, but have failed to find an exotic pet vet.
Any tips welcome.
I have ordered eye drops online but they’ll take 2 weeks to arrive.
Thanks in advance,
Very worried owner
Órla

 

[The_Four_Toed_Edward]

Substrate, lighting and low humidity are the top causes of eye irritation.

So, what substrate do you use? What kind of lighting and heat you use? And what is the humidity of your tortoises enclousure?

Also, how many toes/nails does your tortoise have? He looks like a Russian tortoise, which have really similar care to hermanns tortoises.

 

[Orla]

Substrate, lighting and low humidity are the top causes of eye irritation.

So, what substrate do you use? What kind of lighting and heat you use? And what is the humidity of your tortoises enclousure?

Also, how many toes/nails does your tortoise have? He looks like a Russian tortoise, which have really similar care to hermanns tortoises.

I have a uv lamp over the enclosure & also a heated mat under the substrate. My tortoise has 4 toes. Here’s a picture of the substrate. Taken earlier this year.

I’m just surprised that his eyes have closed so fast only within the past week & I’m worried that because he can’t see, he’s not eating

Grateful for any help/advice given

 

[Alex and the Redfoot]

I have a uv lamp over the enclosure & also a heated mat under the substrate. My tortoise has 4 toes. Here’s a picture of the substrate. Taken earlier this year.

I’m just surprised that his eyes have closed so fast only within the past week & I’m worried that because he can’t see, he’s not eating

Grateful for any help/advice given

Hello!
Those tortoises on the photo - are not box turtles. Their primary diet is leafy greens. Fruit and insects/worms should not be fed on regular basis if ever.

Closed eyes can be due vitamin A deficiency if they don't eat enough greens.

 

[Orla]

Hello!
Those tortoises on the photo - are not box turtles. Their primary diet is leafy greens. Fruit and insects/worms should not be fed on regular basis if ever.

Closed eyes can be due vitamin A deficiency if they don't eat enough greens.

Thank you for information,
They only get the worms once a month. I only give them greens with a calcium dusting.

Any tips on how to help the swollen eyes?

 

[Alex and the Redfoot]

Thank you for information,
They only get the worms once a month. I only give them greens with a calcium dusting.

Any tips on how to help the swollen eyes?

1. Please, no worms anymore. They will do fine without animal protein. And mealworms aren't good food source for those animals who eat them.
2. What UVB lamp do you use? A photo of the box or label on the lamp are the most informative. What is the distance between lamp and substrate?
3. Tortoise needs some long warm bathings (water temperature 33-34C, 30 minutes). You can also add baby carrot puree (like Garber's) to the soaking container - 1:1 with water. This may give required vitamin boost in case of vitamin A deficiency. Offer food right after bathing.
4. What substrate do you use? I can't tell from photo. I doubt the eyes shut from substrate irritation but you can use sterile saline solution from pharmacy to gently flush them.

Does tortoise move at all, goes to bathroom?

 

[zolasmum]

My Hermann's tortoise occasionally gets dry eyes, and I put a blob of Viscotears on them. I am in England, and I can get it from any pharmacy - it is more of a gel, which takes longer to run off than saline solution.Also I gently wipe each eye with a cottonwool pad dampened in boiled cooled water- I do this every morning ,even when his eyes are ok (which they are, most of the time)
Angie

 

[The_Four_Toed_Edward]

I have a uv lamp over the enclosure & also a heated mat under the substrate. My tortoise has 4 toes. Here’s a picture of the substrate. Taken earlier this year.

I’m just surprised that his eyes have closed so fast only within the past week & I’m worried that because he can’t see, he’s not eating

Grateful for any help/advice given

The tortoise on the left in this picture is actually a Russian tortoise, also called the Afgan tortoise, Steppe tortoise or the four toed tortoise (Testudo horsfieldii). They have four toes both in their front and back legs.

The one on the right however is a hermanns tortoise just like you thought. Like Alex said they are herbivores, so they only eat plants. No more meal worms for them.

 

[Ink]

They need to be separated.

 

[Littleredfootbigredheart]

Hello there! They need separating asap!
tortoise of any species should NEVER be housed in pairs under any circumstances, they’re incredibly territorial, behaviours that look cute to us really aren’t, following one another and sleeping huddled up is all bullying the the tortoise world, you’ll eventually see more extreme signs of aggression. Anyone who tells you pairs are fine, have no idea what they’re talking about.

Small groups are ok when there’s lots of land and the correct male to female ratio

Is that coir you’re using a substrate? It does look a little dry, what kind of bulbs are you using specifically?

Perhaps you’ll find this link below useful to go through to double check you have the right equipment and levels. They both appear adults on the photos so I’ll paste this thread🙂

Housing adult Russian and Hermans indoors

Hello there! In this thread I’m going to include some information an example of an appropriate indoor set up for an older Herman/russian. As much as it’s encouraged to have tortoises in a safe outdoor enclosure, I understand being from the uk myself, that some climates make it difficult to...

tortoiseforum.org

If they are below the age of 3 though check this one out

Housing young Russian/Herman

Hello there! In this thread, I’m going to include some information on an effective way to tackle a starter set up/a way you can build a bigger size once your baby is an adult. I know it looks a lot to go over, I like to make sure all bases are covered, I’m happy to break down any information...

tortoiseforum.org

Lastly you might find this thread useful to go through too

Common keeping errors

Hello everyone! I’d been a long time lurker on this site long before joining just under a year ago now, over that time I’ve seen these husbandry issues come up time and time again, sometimes with dire consequences☹️ I thought this thread might serve as a good visual guide for these common...

tortoiseforum.org

 

[TammyJ]

Hi and welcome! It may seem to you as if you are being criticized when you only came here with one question! But hang on, ok? We are very caring and want to help you, and the experts just need to know everything so they can give you the very best possible help with what's going on for your pets! So please give us a chance and you'll be glad you did!