Please help my turtle's eye.

[AndreaRosie]

I rescued my turtle and he only had one eye. He is a three toed. I've had him for many years. Lately his eye will close then reopen several minutes later. A lot of liquid comes out of it. Also this morning some creamy white stuff came out of his mouth. Very little but it scared me. I've been giving him carrot soaks and extra vitamin A on his banana. What do I do?

 

[dmmj]

White suff in the mouth, is most likely mouth rot, any chance you could look into it's mouth, and see if you can see, a spongy type substance?

 

[jhongsen]

the eye is quite swollen... it could be infected by virus or radiation from sunlight i've read somewhere before that sunlight could do that to our tort if they are expose too long from sunlight

 

[AndreaRosie]

White suff in the mouth, is most likely mouth rot, any chance you could look into it's mouth, and see if you can see, a spongy type substance?

Nothing spongy in the mouth.

 

[Yvonne G]

Do you keep the tortoise in a well-planted, shady and humid habitat? Box turtles need shade and moisture.

You can buy an eye product such as

 

[AndreaRosie]

the eye is quite swollen... it could be infected by virus or radiation from sunlight i've read somewhere before that sunlight could do that to our tort if they are expose too long from sunlight

He has May hides and loves the shade. Should I bring him in my house for awhile?

 

[AndreaRosie]

Do you keep the tortoise in a well-planted, shady and humid habitat? Box turtles need shade and moisture.

You can buy an eye product such as

Yes. Most of his enclosure is in the shade. I'd say about 90%. It's a huge area too. I live in Louisiana so the moisture is always high but I soak a different fourth of the area every day.

 

[Yvonne G]

Is the eye we can't see, gone? I think he will benefit from a bit of soothing ointment. It sounds like the care is good and what you're doing should be helpful. He might have a scratch or a bit of debris in the eye.

 

[AndreaRosie]

Is the eye we can't see, gone? I think he will benefit from a bit of soothing ointment. It sounds like the care is good and what you're doing should be helpful. He might have a scratch or a bit of debris in the eye.

Yes the other eye is completely gone. I can't tell wether it was a birth defect of he lost it. I'm leaning towards lost it. When I rescued him he had been ran over several times.

 

[ascott]

I would also offer clean tepid temp water eye flushes a few times a day....is he eating normal, I mean--he has not stopped eating right?

 

[AndreaRosie]

I would also offer clean tepid temp water eye flushes a few times a day....is he eating normal, I mean--he has not stopped eating right?

He is still eating. I've been giving him eye flushes. I got the eye gel previously mentioned he has had two doses.

 

[ascott]

What type of food are you offering to cover protein and also vit a, e and k (good for their eyes)....how old would you guess this guy to be? He looks as though he is a bit older. Also, you mentioned he was ran over ? How was he treated for deep infection then?

 

[AndreaRosie]

What type of food are you offering to cover protein and also vit a, e and k (good for their eyes)....how old would you guess this guy to be? He looks as though he is a bit older. Also, you mentioned he was ran over ? How was he treated for deep infection then?

Okay basically their diet is bugs and things that get into their enclosure, worms, strawberries, carrots, bananas, and romain lettuce on occasion. We put other types but they don't like them as much sick as pears, apples, watermelon. All organic. We put calcium on their bananas every other week. And they get vitamin A on their strawberries every other week too. Their enclosure is huge. They have access to tons of hides, and water. When he got ran over I was new to the whole turtle thing. I treated it with hydrogen peroxide. He healed so fast it was insane. God was looking out for him. He is very old. Small though. I think losing the eye probably made it hard for him to get food. When I feed him live food I have to watch him eat it because sometimes he misses and they try to get away. I'm just worried because most turtles I release once they are healed. He will have a forever home here so I have a deeper connection to him. He is usually always running. I have them whistle trained so they hear it and they come for food. He has not. He is eating but doesn't have that pep he used to.

 

[ascott]

Are you able to feed him juicy bugs and such gut loaded with calcium...and are you able to do so with a safe pair of tongs? You can gut load some crickets with calcium as well as vitamins....perhaps this will help....?

 

[AndreaRosie]

Are you able to feed him juicy bugs and such gut loaded with calcium...and are you able to do so with a safe pair of tongs? You can gut load some crickets with calcium as well as vitamins....perhaps this will help....?

His eye is getting better. However he isn't eating. What do I do?

 

[Saleama]

His eye is getting better. However he isn't eating. What do I do?

Tackle one issue at a time. When his eye gets better he should eat again. Do you have any idea how old he is?

 

[AndreaRosie]

Tackle one issue at a time. When his eye gets better he should eat again. Do you have any idea how old he is?

No idea. He is old. His shell is extremely smooth.

 

[ascott]

I think you have an older turtle on your hands. When you say he was ran over.....was his shell cracked in such a way that it made opening to the outside air....you said you treated with peroxide, so I am guessing there was open injury?

Have you tried to offer him bugs right up to his nose/mouth area---so he can smell it?

 

[AndreaRosie]

I think you have an older turtle on your hands. When you say he was ran over.....was his shell cracked in such a way that it made opening to the outside air....you said you treated with peroxide, so I am guessing there was open injury?

Have you tried to offer him bugs right up to his nose/mouth area---so he can smell it?

Yes his shell was cracked. Open to the air. I have put everything up to his nose. His eye is getting slowly better still puffy. I've noticed now when he opens it he scratches and then it slowly opens. There seems to be a little bit of tissue ripped away when he opens.

 

[ascott]

What did you do to assure that no infection set up deep in the tortoise? Did you leave the open shell open or did you seal the cracks closed? About how long ago was it that the injury "appeared" healed?