Runny eyes

[laurenanddiego]

Hi there, this morning I woke to find Diego basking under his heat lamp, when i fed him he didn't move, very unusual for him. He's usually chasing after your hand when you feed him. So when I picked him up to make sure everything was ok, he had a glazed look in one of his eyes, it wasn't so much runny but it was a bit gungy. I've read the eyes are the first sign of a respiratory infection so I'm getting retty worried, his nose is fine and he's still eating, he has regular baths. Can anyone shed some light on what might be wrong and how I can fix it??
Thanks for your help.

 

[Laura]

Sometimes it can be from being too warm or dry..
can you tell us what your temps are? post pics of the enclosure?

 

[laurenanddiego]

Sometimes it can be from being too warm or dry..
can you tell us what your temps are? post pics of the enclosure?

The thermometer on his house says 37 degrees. I will upload some pics of his enclosure when I get home, but it' a wooden box with a mesh top with his basking light at one end and then a sleeping area at the other end which is darker and has a wooden lid. I use a tortoise substrate which looks like a mixture of soil and a sandy substance. He's also been a lot less active lately, he's eating but not moving so much, he's been going to bed at 2ish as oppose to 5 or 6 in the evening.

 

[bikerchicspain]

What tort is he?, because certain torts get runny eyes when there is not enough humidity.
Where are you located and what are the temps outside?
37º degrees is that in farenheit or celsius, Either way if it is ºc it is to high and if its ºf its to low. I would check the temps again with another thermometer..

 

[laurenanddiego]

What tort is he?, because certain torts get runny eyes when there is not enough humidity.
Where are you located and what are the temps outside?
37º degrees is that in farenheit or celsius, Either way if it is ºc it is to high and if its ºf its to low. I would check the temps again with another thermometer..

He's a turkish spur thigh, do you think he would benefit from more humidity? I'm not sure if it's farenheit or celsius, I can never remember, I'll double check and try with another thermometer. I did, however recently change his substrate and bedding, I used the last of both bags and as it's only one eye that seems gungey I'm wondering if it could be from some dust in his eye?

---

What tort is he?, because certain torts get runny eyes when there is not enough humidity.
Where are you located and what are the temps outside?
37º degrees is that in farenheit or celsius, Either way if it is ºc it is to high and if its ºf its to low. I would check the temps again with another thermometer..

He's a turkish spur thigh, do you think he would benefit from more humidity? I'm not sure if it's farenheit or celsius, I can never remember, I'll double check and try with another thermometer. I did, however recently change his substrate and bedding, I used the last of both bags and as it's only one eye that seems gungey I'm wondering if it could be from some dust in his eye?

Ohh and we're in England, it's still pretty frost outside, I over wintered him, it was recomended to me by the man I bought him from. He seemed ok in the coldest months but now he seems to have slowed down lately.

 

[bikerchicspain]

I would get some Terramecina eye ointment from the chemist, its not exspensive, and it works wonders.
it could be a small infection from dust or a sratch, If in a couple of days of using it there is no change then a vet visit could be in order,just in case its a virus or abcess in the eye.

A greek will stand temps dropping to 16ºc at night and during the day they will with stand 35ºc as long as they have burrows or shelters to get out of the sun and heat.


The problem with over wintering is that the temps have to be high enough for the animal to go about its normal routine, Make sure that even in the coolest part of his pen is around the 18ºc and the warmest can be at around 24ºc for this time of year.

The hours of light are also important, My lights are set on a timer, they switch on at sunrise and switch off at sundown..

 

[laurenanddiego]

I would get some Terramecina eye ointment from the chemist, its not exspensive, and it works wonders.
it could be a small infection from dust or a sratch, If in a couple of days of using it there is no change then a vet visit could be in order,just in case its a virus or abcess in the eye.

A greek will stand temps dropping to 16ºc at night and during the day they will with stand 35ºc as long as they have burrows or shelters to get out of the sun and heat.


The problem with over wintering is that the temps have to be high enough for the animal to go about its normal routine, Make sure that even in the coolest part of his pen is around the 18ºc and the warmest can be at around 24ºc for this time of year.

The hours of light are also important, My lights are set on a timer, they switch on at sunrise and switch off at sundown..

Ok thank you so much for your help I'll get some ointment and see if he perks up. He has seemed abit lethargic though, if it is only an infection could this be the reason for him not being perky or do you think it might indicate something a bit more serious. His light is also on a timer it comes on around 7am and I usually turn it off around 10pm, would you suggest turning it off onces he's gone to sleep at around 5? Arghhhh, I'm so glad I've finally found someone who knows what they're talking about, I seem to get told something different by everyone I speak to.
Thanks again!

 

[bikerchicspain]

10 pm is very late for him, switch it of as soon as it gets dark. Reptiles are guided by the amount of hours there are in a day. Summer longer light, winter less, They also us this to know more or less when to breed.

Hows your temps, If they are too low this would be a reason for him to be lethargic.

When ever a reptile goes of their feed or go lethargic always check their husbandry first, It could be to much or not enough humidity the same with heating, uvs and lack of hides, stress. Once you have checked all these things and they are perfect, Then you seek medical advice.

Choose your rep vet wisely, Alot of vets will dismiss anything being wrong and just give a vitamin jab.
Make sure he is speacalised in reps. I am pretty sure some one on here could tell you of a good vet near you.
If not the tortoise trust web site have a list for the UK.

 

[laurenanddiego]

10 pm is very late for him, switch it of as soon as it gets dark. Reptiles are guided by the amount of hours there are in a day. Summer longer light, winter less, They also us this to know more or less when to breed.

Hows your temps, If they are too low this would be a reason for him to be lethargic.

When ever a reptile goes of their feed or go lethargic always check their husbandry first, It could be to much or not enough humidity the same with heating, uvs and lack of hides, stress. Once you have checked all these things and they are perfect, Then you seek medical advice.

Choose your rep vet wisely, Alot of vets will dismiss anything being wrong and just give a vitamin jab.
Make sure he is speacalised in reps. I am pretty sure some one on here could tell you of a good vet near you.
If not the tortoise trust web site have a list for the UK.

Ok thanks for your help I never knew that about the hours of daylight, I'll ajust his timer. His temp is 36 degrees celcius, is this too hot?
He has plenty of hides, apparantley today he attacked the hoover though he put his head right back in his shell and rammed it, I didn't see it my Mum did, but I've never seen him do anything like this before. Could he be stressed?
I have found a reputable reptile vet I rang them yesterday but the vet I need to see isn't back in until Monday so if he hasnt improved by then I'll be sure to take him.
His substrate is like a combination of sand and soily stuff, it seems pretty dry. Would you suggest he needs more humidity? And if so how do I go about achieving this?
Sorry so many questions, I worry to much!
Thanks again!

 

[bikerchicspain]

Ok 36ªc is not to high at all, The substrate is fine as long as it is fertalizer free soil, You need to get some humdity into it but not to much.
I too have soil substrate and i just pour water over it every now and then, Then when its soaked up i dig the soil so that it is all mixed in and pretty even,

Normally a greek does not get runny eyes for lack of humidity,I think you will find it could just be an infection from the dry conditions.

About the hoover, Ramming is a way of aggression and is also used to show dominance,
it is also a technique used to try and mate a female.

I personally would not have him out whilst hoovering, it could stress him out,
With reptiles its the little things that stress them out, and then they get sick. The eye ointment in the UK would probably be calle TERRAMICIN, it should contain Hidrocloruro being the main ingredient.

Good luck

 

[laurenanddiego]

I'm feeling so much more at ease now. Thank you so much for all your help it's really appreciated. I've taken all your advice and he seems to have perked up alot more today. His eye is looking bright again and he's been wandering round his house. I'll keep my eye on him over the next few days but I think he's on the mend.
Thanks again!!

 

[laurenanddiego]

Ahhhhhhh Diego's still not very active, his eyes are fine, he's ating but he's not moving around like he usualy does. Any ideas what could be causing this???

 

[bikerchicspain]

I would take him to the vet and get him checked out. It could be nothing or it could be something serious.
Is he under the 36ºc all day or is there sudden changes in temps?

 

[laurenanddiego]

His light comes on at around 6:30 - 7 am and he is often sat underneath it basking, or wandering around his house, climbing over things and exploring. I get him out for about 10-15 minutes every day and he wanders around the house, just whilst I spot clean the enclosure and clean his dishes and give fresh food and water. His light used to go off around 10pm but following your advice I've changed the timer so it goes off at 6:30 pm, he's usually taken himself off to be by this time though and is burried under hay. So I wouldn't say there's any sudden drop in temperature. It's always pretty steady. I don't know if it's me being paranoid but he seems to be yawning a lot more, and yesterday my Dad said he'd noticed him opening his mouth alot, as if he were eating but he had no food in his mouth. My closest reptile vet is over an hour away and when I rang they said the vet's not back in again until Monday. Arghhhhhhh

 

[bikerchicspain]

Ah open mouthed, If he is opening his mouth alot it could be several things, Mouthrot.
This is an infection in the mouth throat and sometimes stomach, Have a look what colour his tongue is, It should be a pinkish tint, If its yellow and has alot of saliva then it is almost likely to be mouthrot and you need to get him to a vet and on antibiotics ASAP,

Open mouthed breathing can also be a respiratory problem, again vet ASAP.

open mouthed breathing can also be a sign of over heating and he is to warm, although i find that unlikely as he can get away from the heat.

I think its more likely mouthrot.
I will pm you

 

[laurenanddiego]

I took him to a reptile vet today, apart from being a little distressed from the whole experince the vet said he looked perfectly healthy she checked his mouth and said it didn't look like motuh rot. So we've been given a 3 week course of antibiotics, she assumes its a bacterial infection, so I'm keeping a close eye on him. Thanks for all your help guys!

 

[laurenanddiego]

Just to keep you updated. Diego is now back to his usual mischevious self. He didn't need a second visit to the vets, he seemed to chirp up straight away. What a relief. Thanks for all your help anyway ladies. You were all vey helpful and it's very much appreciated.!!

Lauren
Xx