I have only got eyes for you...

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Turtlechasers

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Hey guys... one of my adult females has decided to shake off winter slumber, she was naturally brumated (in the ground)... She has what appears to be cataracts over the dorsal part of each cornea. She sees well enough to eat, and migrate around her enclosure... Before spending another $150 for a vet visit, does anyone has suggestions?
 

ascott

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Did she wake from brumation this way as a new issue? Or did she have the cataracts going in?

What was the coldest temps she went through for any period of more than a couple nights?
 

GBtortoises

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Direct long term exposure to below freezing temperatures will often affect a tortoises eyes, sometime blinding them. In severe cases it can actually cause them to lose and eyeball completely. It can also cause frostbite in their nostrils and in some cases cause rear leg paralysis.
 

Turtlechasers

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She didn't have this condition entering bru...
We did have frost... Ground did not freeze, I checked that... So no frost bite or damage...
No frozed eyes/nostrils... no rear leg paralysis...
 

GBtortoises

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It generally takes exposure to frost for quite a long period of time to have an adverse affect. If that was not the case it might possibly be a bacterial infection. Some do affect only the soft tissue and around the inside of the eye lids is one of the most vulnerable areas. It could have migrated to the eye lense itself. A vet visit might be in order if you think that there is a serious problem or it appears to be getting worse.

Do you have any photos of the area?
 

KQ6AR

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Hi,
I'm here in Concord, our weather sounds a little colder than yours. We often get ice during the night, & an occasional snow.
We keep about a foot of hay in the hide box for insulation, & haven't had any issues with hibernation.

Was you're tortoise just out on his own, or in some type of shelter? The reason I ask is I've noticed my Marginatas don't burrow very deep.

I have a very small 5 year old russian, with the same problem. Has had the problem for years. I think she hatched out in the yard, & hibernated her first winter on her own. Every spring we bring her in the house, & use visine eye drops on her. It helps but I don't think she will ever be 100%
 

Yvonne G

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It may not have been cold enough for the frost to sit on the ground for a long time, however, it really sounds to me as if your tortoise's eyeballs have suffered a bit of frost damage.

I took in a box turtle with frost damaged eyes a couple years ago. She got along ok. I put her in front of the food every time I fed them. It took about a year for the damage to heal and go away. I used the terramycin eye ointment on the eyes every day for the first week or so, then once a week after that until they were healed.
 

Turtlechasers

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KQ6AR said:
Hi,
I'm here in Concord, our weather sounds a little colder than yours. We often get ice during the night, & an occasional snow.
We keep about a foot of hay in the hide box for insulation, & haven't had any issues with hibernation.

Was you're tortoise just out on his own, or in some type of shelter? The reason I ask is I've noticed my Marginatas don't burrow very deep.

Hi and thanks Concord...
No ice here this winter, some in the past... Haven't had snow for about 10 years...
All of my adults are free hibernated... They have shelter and cover... 90% use the shelter and bury down no more than 3-4inches... The only that choose an anlternate sight are covered with hay/leaves/ and garden mulch...
One of her eyes have cleared, we had about a week of tortiose weather where the males began to rouse, but with a change in weather I don't expect to see them for a while...
Again temperature was not lower than 43 degrees at tortoise depth...
I have some oxytet to use...
Thanks
 
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