Horse field won't open eyes

Lpye

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My 1 year old horse field won't open his eyes he won't eat and hasn't pooed for days now. Took him the vets and was told he might have substrate in his eyes was prescribed eye drops loxicom for pain relief and he had a antibiotic injection bat the vets it's been 3 days since seeing the vet and all he's doing is sleeping. I've been bathing his eye with cooled boiled water and giving him bath soaks once a day he still won't eye and he still can't open his eyes any ideas?
 

Yvonne G

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your tortoise isn't sick and antibiotics won't help him. His problem is environmental. There's something wrong with his enclosure, or his lights, or his heating and cooling, or his substrate, or his food, or his water. . . in other words, his environment. And he's not going to eat until he can see.

I can show you how to get his eyes open, but you have to read our care sheet and make corrections to his environment or they'll just swell shut again.

To get his eyes open soak him daily for about an hour in 50/50 warm water/pureed carrot human baby food. If you do this faithfully his eyes will be open at the end of three days. BUT unless you change his environment they won't stay open.

This is serious. You MUST fix it or he will die!
 

Lpye

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Thank you for your reply I've just put him in the water and carrot baby food Where can I find the care sheet?
 

Yvonne G

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I'm on my Kindle and I don't know how to copy/paste on it, so you'll have to try to find it on your own. Go to the home page, scroll down until you find either Mediterranean tortoises, or then russian tortoises, and it's the first thread and Tom is the author - "the best way to raise any temperate species of tortoises"
 

Lpye

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Aw thank you so much he's more lively after the soak eyes still closed but he managed to eat some food and has weed and pooed ?
 

Sarah2020

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Thank you for your reply I've just put him in the water and carrot baby food Where can I find the care sheet?
 

Lpye

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So update on Dobby he's opened on eye but won't keep it open still won't eat even though I have done the carrot bath soak also renewed his bulb, so we have him booked in to a exotic vets tomorrow fingers crossed are little one pulls through, thanks for all your help really appreciate it and will update tomorrow after the vets thank you ?❤️
 

Lyn W

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Can you post pictures of his enclosure and the lamps you are using?
That way we can see what could be affecting him rather than guess and he will recover more quickly.
 

Lyn W

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If you are using any of the coiled or cfl types bulbs then take them out straight away and replace with something safer. They have been found to burn and damage tort eyes.
Antibiotics can reduce their appetite.
Vitamin shots can often do more harm than good so if the vet suggests that don't have them, unless he knows for sure there is a deficiency, but if your tort has a good diet he should get all he needs from that. What do you normally feed him?
Torts can go a long time without food and if he isn't eating they won't poop, but it's important to keep them hydrated.
 

jsheffield

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As others have said, more important (and useful) than a visit to the vet is making certain that you have the environmental conditions in your tortoise's enclosure correct.

What are the temps in the enclosure, the humidity, what lighting are you using and how is it being delivered?

When dealing with a sickly and dehydrated tortoise, I think the number one thing to do is make certain that heat/light/humidity are in the right ballpark, then give them long soaks in a warm mixture of water and carrot babyfood (I've also used carrot, mango, banana, sweet potato babyfood) or pedialyte or even gatorade. I keep the soaking solution warm by placing the tub inside the tortoise enclosure and allowing them to soak literally for hours.

Good luck and keep us posted!

Jamie
 

Lpye

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Can you post pictures of his enclosure and the lamps you are using?
That way we can see what could be affecting him rather than guess and he will recover more quickly.
It's a mercury vapour 100w we have him in a tort table with substrate I can't send you a picture am in hospital with my daughter at the minute.
 

Lpye

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As others have said, more important (and useful) than a visit to the vet is making certain that you have the environmental conditions in your tortoise's enclosure correct.

What are the temps in the enclosure, the humidity, what lighting are you using and how is it being delivered?

When dealing with a sickly and dehydrated tortoise, I think the number one thing to do is make certain that heat/light/humidity are in the right ballpark, then give them long soaks in a warm mixture of water and carrot babyfood (I've also used carrot, mango, banana, sweet potato babyfood) or pedialyte or even gatorade. I keep the soaking solution warm by placing the tub inside the tortoise enclosure and allowing them to soak literally for hours.

Good luck and keep us posted!

Jamie
See this is what I don't get humidity? How do you create that? I've tried to spray water in his table but it just drys up in minutes. We've had him a year and this is the first time this has happened.
 

jsheffield

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See this is what I don't get humidity? How do you create that? I've tried to spray water in his table but it just drys up in minutes. We've had him a year and this is the first time this has happened.
With older ones it doesn't matter as much, but if their young, they need humidity, which can be achieved by closing the chamber, making a damp hide, increasing water bowls and moisture in the substrate, or by soaking.

J
 

Lpye

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With older ones it doesn't matter as much, but if their young, they need humidity, which can be achieved by closing the chamber, making a damp hide, increasing water bowls and moisture in the substrate, or by soaking.

J
We do soak him daily for about 30 minutes but I will try and create a damp hide for him thanks
 

Lyn W

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Sorry you're at the hospital and hope all is OK with you or your daughter, but if you can post a picture as soon as you're able that will be a great help to members trying to solving his problem and in helping you create as safe a home as possible for him.
 

Lpye

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your tortoise isn't sick and antibiotics won't help him. His problem is environmental. There's something wrong with his enclosure, or his lights, or his heating and cooling, or his substrate, or his food, or his water. . . in other words, his environment. And he's not going to eat until he can see.

I can show you how to get his eyes open, but you have to read our care sheet and make corrections to his environment or they'll just swell shut again.

To get his eyes open soak him daily for about an hour in 50/50 warm water/pureed carrot human baby food. If you do this faithfully his eyes will be open at the end of three days. BUT unless you change his environment they won't stay open.

This is serious. You MUST fix it or he will die!
He's just been seen by an exotic vet and he's not very well possible pneumonia glad I took him the vets now.
 

Lpye

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It's confirmed Dobby has pneumonia in his left lung spent the day in hospital and is looking brighter back Monday for another antibiotic injection so hopefully he will be ok
 

Sarah2020

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Glad you have the medical reason.... but please check the enclosure heat and light as root cause still needs to be determined and ongoing welfare.
 
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