Swollen eyes on a sulcata

[Colbie]

I have a 3 year old sulcuta his name is Elton. For the past few months his eyes swell up. I have tried everything! Thought it was a vitamin A deficiency, took him to the vet and she thought the same thing. Gave him a vitamin A shot and he was fine for a bit. Then a reptile bet told me that tortoises don’t have vitamin A deficiencies only turtles do. He is completely blind when this happens. It’s happening again today. The vet visit was just two weeks ago. She said he was perfectly healthy other than his eyes swelling. Changed his substrate to soil and coconut soil today from what the rep vet said to do. Made it where his temp is 95-100 on one side of his enclosure and 80 on the other side. Have been feeding him hays and grass and the vitamin tort food. I don’t know what to do next? I’m so sad that he goes through this! Pics below.

 

[Tom]

I have a 3 year old sulcuta his name is Elton. For the past few months his eyes swell up. I have tried everything! Thought it was a vitamin A deficiency, took him to the vet and she thought the same thing. Gave him a vitamin A shot and he was fine for a bit. Then a reptile bet told me that tortoises don’t have vitamin A deficiencies only turtles do. He is completely blind when this happens. It’s happening again today. The vet visit was just two weeks ago. She said he was perfectly healthy other than his eyes swelling. Changed his substrate to soil and coconut soil today from what the rep vet said to do. Made it where his temp is 95-100 on one side of his enclosure and 80 on the other side. Have been feeding him hays and grass and the vitamin tort food. I don’t know what to do next? I’m so sad that he goes through this! Pics below.

Sounds like you found a vet who knows tortoise with the second vet. That is rare. Most of them know nothing, like your first vet.

What substrate did you have him on previously?

I would not use soil as a substrate. Fine grade orchid bark works best. AKA: Repti-bark. Keep it damp.

What type of UV bulb are you using? How close is it to the tortoise? What type of basking bulb?

Your temps sound good now. What were they previously?

Is it a closed chamber enclosure? What size? What is the ambient humidity?

 

[Colbie]

So this has been going on for a while (few months) When it first started I was using repti bark. Though that maybe they changed their recipe with the substrate so changed it to Aspen cause a tortoise guy said he’d been using it for years. Today I changed it to soil and the coconut soil. On the basking side I added back the repti bark. The reptile vet said to use soil cause it will keep moisture. I’m using a repti vet UV light and it’s about 6 inches from him when he is basking. The temp before was 85-90. Could the humidity cause this? I just spray his substrate in the morning. His home is not enclosed. I am thinking I need to enclose it to control his humidity and heat better. The basking bulbs are also repti bulbs. I just built him a new home in October so it’s been a bit different to keep it warm and humid. It’s 5’ x 3’. Summer he cruises the backyard and comes in at night but with winter he just chills in his enclosure. He does wonder the house once in a while but it’s pretty cold so he just sleeps, wakes, eats wonders a bit and goes back to sleep. He’s not as adventurous in the winter.

 

[Tom]

So this has been going on for a while (few months) When it first started I was using repti bark. Though that maybe they changed their recipe with the substrate so changed it to Aspen cause a tortoise guy said he’d been using it for years. Today I changed it to soil and the coconut soil. On the basking side I added back the repti bark. The reptile vet said to use soil cause it will keep moisture. I’m using a repti vet UV light and it’s about 6 inches from him when he is basking. The temp before was 85-90. Could the humidity cause this? I just spray his substrate in the morning. His home is not enclosed. I am thinking I need to enclose it to control his humidity and heat better. The basking bulbs are also repti bulbs. I just built him a new home in October so it’s been a bit different to keep it warm and humid. It’s 5’ x 3’. Summer he cruises the backyard and comes in at night but with winter he just chills in his enclosure. He does wonder the house once in a while but it’s pretty cold so he just sleeps, wakes, eats wonders a bit and goes back to sleep. He’s not as adventurous in the winter.

What is a repti vet light? What type of bulb? CFL? Tube type? T8 or T5?

Same on the basking bulbs. What type of bulb is it? Flood, spot, halogen?

6 inches is way too close for any UV bulb. That is likely the cause of your problem.

Go back to the reptile bark. Its the best substrate there is. It hold moisture just as well as soil does.

This problem is not caused by humidity. Usually the opposite.

Yes, you need a closed chamber to keep the heat and humidity in.

Tortoises should never be roaming loose on the floor. This frequently ends in disaster in one of many ways.