My baby tortoise has a chunk missing from its eyes!
- Thread starter AudgePaudge
- Start date
Hi and welcome! You must be talking about his eyelid, because I can see his eye and there's a full eye there. How old is he, and when did you first notice this problem? What UV bulb are you using for him? Is it the coil type?
I'm not sure how old but I got him on September 23 this year from a reptile store.
I see what you mean now. At first it looked like a reflection of light, but you're saying it a chip off the eyeball. Can you tell if he can see out that eye? Is it in both eye, or just the one? This kind of damage is new to me. I've seen swelling, redness, bubbles, but not a piece missing from the eyeball. They have a second eyelid that can also get infected, but if the image is correct, I can't tell what it could be or if he was born that way especially if it's in both eyes. That fact that you only noticed it today suggests that it's a tiny section of the eyeball. I'll let Yvonne know to look at this image. Maybe she'll be able to identify what it could be and how to treat it.
What type of bulbs are you using for heat and UV?
What substrate is he on?
Does he live alone?
How often do you soak him?
Have you read these:
http://www.tortoiseforum.org/threads/how-to-raise-a-healthy-sulcata-or-leopard-version-2-0.79895/
http://www.tortoiseforum.org/threads/beginner-mistakes.45180/
http://www.tortoiseforum.org/threads/for-those-who-have-a-young-sulcata.76744/
What substrate is he on?
Does he live alone?
How often do you soak him?
Have you read these:
http://www.tortoiseforum.org/threads/how-to-raise-a-healthy-sulcata-or-leopard-version-2-0.79895/
http://www.tortoiseforum.org/threads/beginner-mistakes.45180/
http://www.tortoiseforum.org/threads/for-those-who-have-a-young-sulcata.76744/
Tom, she's using what looks like a mercury vapor bulb for both heat and UV. She also said she bought him at a pet store in September. There's probably no way of finding out how he was started, and the baby is about 2 months old now. Don't know if she's doing daily soaks, though. We'll wait for her to get back to us with answers to your questions.
I soak him for 15 minutes each weeks and he is constantly in his water. He probably spends 1-2 hours a day in his water. He is my only tortoise and he lives alone. My dads tortoise died at 13 so I learned from his mistakes. 
In this picture, he is asleep in his water.
In this picture, he is asleep in his water.
I included a picture of the substrate that the reptile store person gave me.
The chip is only in the right eye. I'm not sure if he can see out of it. When I first got him, that eye was constantly having problems with opening on its own. Also he constantly rubs that eyelid with his front right leg.
There's not much you can do except offer soothing relief in the form of topicals. You can take the tortoise to a qualified tortoise vet for advice. I use these (one or the other, you don't need both)
New babies like yours need warm soaks daily, and even two times daily.
Would I put the cream in the eye?
He'll close his eye when you bring the medication up to the eye, so you just dab it on the eyelid. It still soothes.
Thank you. I'll order it on amazon.
I think all of the advice you have received is good, but I'm still a little puzzled by the actual symptom. Eyes can't lose chunks - otherwise all that important fluid would leak out and there would be no functioning eye. Corneal lacerations are possible, and maybe that is what has happened here, or perhaps the third eyelid has been torn. I'd imagine the home treatment would be the same for any of these. I'm curious what one of the forum vets would make of this.
I'm not sure if there are layers of the eye but if there is it could be the top layer maybe?
Great news everyone!! The eye gel is coming tomorrow!!
