puffy eye/health/husbandry concern

[Yingg]

are her eyes puffy/swollen? i've looked at a lot of pictures online but can't really tell the difference. if her eyes are a concern, please tell me and i will try to upgrade my husbandry, etc etc.

i know you want details of husbandry and not just pictures of her, so here (i didn't know how to take care of tortoises for the longest time and now i feel very guilty, so i will try my best to treat her the best i can.)
-NOT coiled basking lamp
-long fluorescent tube with UVA
-35x25 inch enclosure (i am currently building a 34x44 for her, i know it's small but it's the biggest size my parents will allow. i tried begging for another inch but they won't take it, despite me paying for everything) i might make it with two floors for extra room, and plant food for her which will hang over the edge so she still gets walking room. this is indoors.
-for many years, i didn't know she had to walk outside. i thought maybe an hour every day was sufficient. the pet smart people said my enclosure was okay.
-similarly, the pet smart people gave me the thumbs up on letting her eat fruit, which is a major issue and could also cause liver problems because of sugar content (i think).... i think she either has liver issues too, or she is just fat. i'm not quite sure.
-her diet was romaine, broccoli, and the occasional carrot banana and hibiscus for a while. i've learned that endive and those types of greens are much better. i sadly can't grow anything because of my parents.

currently:
-i currently mist her religiously throughout the day.
-i feed her less just in case she's fat
-introduced succulents (not too much though, apparently they have laxative-like properties...)
-no more fruit. tried grasses and weeds. plucked some hibiscus leaves from an overhanging bush. she still likes romaine lettuce but i'm trying to wean her off that. tried mazuri LS, but she hates it. she likes the smell of cabbage so i lure her in with that and quickly replace it with some healthier veggie.
-every day i let her out from maybe 5-7, on monday-thurs. on friday+ weekend, i let her out from 2-6. (or maybe 1-6). im trying to let her out more, though i'd like to be at home to watch her. I have classes on monday-thurs.
-worried about winter ( it might be too chilly for her. (i'm in california.)

anyway here are her puffy eyes.

yes her beak is getting trimmed, and yes i soak her. i'm trying my best to keep her shell nice and smooth and hydrated, though i think it'll take a while for a change to occur.,,

 

[jaizei]

what type of fluorescent tube, brand etc, and how is it mounted/distance from substrate?

 

[Ink]

Do you soak her in shallow warm water?

 

[Littleredfootbigredheart]

I’ll admit her eyes do look strange in these photos, but I can’t tell if it’s swelling or not.

That enclosure size is indeed very small for the amount of time she spends in there, because of her current health she really could do with bigger than the upgrade size planned, your parents need to realise if they don’t allow you to build an appropriate sized enclosure indoors or outdoors, her health isn’t going to have the potential to improve as much like it should, ultimately it’ll cost more in vet bills for a poorly tortoise than it would for them to allow you to build bigger.

Hopefully you can get this across to them, I understand it must be a tricky position for you

If space is indeed an issue a two tier isn’t a bad idea, so long as both floors are heated properly and the incline of the ramp isn’t too steep, you could also consider an ‘L’ shaped enclosure, or a ‘U’

 

[Yingg]

Do you soak her in shallow warm water?

yes i do, every other day for 30 min

 

[Yingg]

I’ll admit her eyes do look strange in these photos, but I can’t tell if it’s swelling or not.

That enclosure size is indeed very small for the amount of time she spends in there, because of her current health she really could do with bigger than the upgrade size planned, your parents need to realise if they don’t allow you to build an appropriate sized enclosure indoors or outdoors, her health isn’t going to have the potential to improve as much like it should, ultimately it’ll cost more in vet bills for a poorly tortoise than it would for them to allow you to build bigger.

Hopefully you can get this across to them, I understand it must be a tricky position for you

If space is indeed an issue a two tier isn’t a bad idea, so long as both floors are heated properly and the incline of the ramp isn’t too steep, you could also consider an ‘L’ shaped enclosure, or a ‘U’

i did consider L or U, though the space my mom let me have was literally 44x34, not an inch bigger ... i made the table already, which takes up all of that room down to the millimeter. i will try letting her out to free roam the 1 acre plot, so she still gets the exercise she needs!

 

[Yingg]

what type of fluorescent tube, brand etc, and how is it mounted/distance from substrate?

sorry, i am not quite sure the brand. though i know it's 12 feet away from the substrate. it's in one of those holders that are meant for those types of lamps.

 

[Alex and the Redfoot]

sorry, i am not quite sure the brand. though i know it's 12 feet away from the substrate. it's in one of those holders that are meant for those types of lamps.

You can post a photo of the label on the lamp itself (on the glass part of the tube, closer to one of the ends, make sure the lamp is switched off when making photo). Also with 12 hours outside you can switch UVB lamp off - it's not necessary.

 

[Littleredfootbigredheart]

You can post a photo of the label on the lamp itself (on the glass part of the tube, closer to one of the ends, make sure the lamp is switched off when making photo). Also with 12 hours outside you can switch UVB lamp off - it's not necessary.

I don’t think they’re currently getting that long outside but working towards it

When it comes time to replace though and you house them indoors during winter, the t5 Arcadia 12% is a good choice

 

[Yingg]

You can post a photo of the label on the lamp itself (on the glass part of the tube, closer to one of the ends, make sure the lamp is switched off when making photo). Also with 12 hours outside you can switch UVB lamp off - it's not necessary.

this is all the words it says

 

[Alex and the Redfoot]

View attachment 373781
this is all the words it says

Ok, I see. At 12 inches this lamp is not an effective UVB source (especially if it's older than 6-9 months). But it should not cause eyes issues (I hope it's not of those lamps with potentially harmful spectre). Anyway, your tortoise gets more UV from sunlight, so it's safe to switch it off and watch if eyes will get better.

 

[Yingg]

Ok, I see. At 12 inches this lamp is not an effective UVB source (especially if it's older than 6-9 months). But it should not cause eyes issues (I hope it's not of those lamps with potentially harmful spectre). Anyway, your tortoise gets more UV from sunlight, so it's safe to switch it off and watch if eyes will get better.

oh okay! i might just buy a new one anyway, haha. good to note, i'll avoid this brand

 

[Alex and the Redfoot]

oh okay! i might just buy a new one anyway, haha. good to note, i'll avoid this brand

You can check with us before ordering. And as it's summer - there is no need to replace it now.

 

[Yingg]

You can check with us before ordering. And as it's summer - there is no need to replace it now.

i've returned with updates. i've been letting her out more, to avoid artificial lighting. here is a video of her eye, does it look alright? i tried to get every angle to show what it looks like.

 

[Alex and the Redfoot]

i've returned with updates. i've been letting her out more, to avoid artificial lighting. here is a video of her eye, does it look alright? i tried to get every angle to show what it looks like.

To me her eye looks totally normal.

 

[Yingg]

To me her eye looks totally normal.

okay goodie! thank you!