Swollen eyes

[Chandler_the_tort_toy]

My 4 year old Herman’s tortise his eyes look kinda puffy when closed but recovers a few minuets after opening seems like there may be a little tears on his face I don’t and can’t go to a vet any way I could help treat at home or a product I should buy for him

 

[The_Four_Toed_Edward]

Can you post a photo so we can see how this looks like?

Two common reasons for eye irritation are substrate and lighting. Can you tell us about what you are using?

 

[Littleredfootbigredheart]

Can you post a photo so we can see how this looks like?

Two common reasons for eye irritation are substrate and lighting. Can you tell us about what you are using?

If you can answer these questions that’ll be so helpful for us to give advice

 

[Chandler_the_tort_toy]

If you can answer these questions that’ll be so helpful for us to give advice

I’m currently not home but he has a Amazon light that is blue light and gives Sun radiation and he’s in a very large cage with rocks and coco mulch

 

[Littleredfootbigredheart]

I’m currently not home but he has a Amazon light that is blue light and gives Sun radiation and he’s in a very large cage with rocks and coco mulch

It sounds like it’s possibly an all in one heat and uvb, they aren’t the best choice for a variety of reasons, but not necessarily causing the eye issue, if we can get a photo of the product though that would be great, perhaps a screenshot of the listing?

 

[Chandler_the_tort_toy]

Here

 

[jaizei]

Here

Are you still using the same light you were as before? If so, it's probably not enough for heat, and is probably not providing UVB.

 

[Littleredfootbigredheart]

Here

I’m apprehensive to comment on the lighting because I can’t see the product, but I’ll pass on some links you can use to double check your entire set up. Off the bat advice, mesh tops are impossible to maintain the higher humidity babies need.

This covers correct equipment(uvb, heating bulbs, lighting etc, double check bulb types as folks are often unfortunately sold the wrong kinds), correct levels, importance of a closed chamber for younger tortoises(only way to maintain the humidity you need), appropriately maintaining the humidity, safe substrates, there’s lots of visual examples for everything, a diet list and a really handy diet link to check out! If ever going with a greenhouse, the lower the ceiling height, whilst still allowing for recommended bulb height, the better! But ill add some more ideas below

Housing young Russian/Herman

Hello there! In this thread, I’m going to include some information on an effective way to tackle a starter set up/a way you can build a bigger size once your baby is an adult. I know it looks a lot to go over, I like to make sure all bases are covered, I’m happy to break down any information...

tortoiseforum.org

This covers a bunch of different closed chamber options

Visual inspiration

Hi guys! I’ve had some lovely messages complimenting me on my care sheets I made for all the visuals they include! That makes me so happy because as a visual learner myself, that was my goal🥰 I’ve recently had some requests for some more visual inspiration for set ups that can house babies/...

tortoiseforum.org

This one here is really good to go over and keep on hand, it’ll help you avoid the wrong bulbs, substrates, housing etc, I always encourage double checking purchases on the forum too before buying

Common keeping errors

Hello everyone! I’d been a long time lurker on this site long before joining just under a year ago now, over that time I’ve seen these husbandry issues come up time and time again, sometimes with dire consequences☹️ I thought this thread might serve as a good visual guide for these common...

tortoiseforum.org

Hope they can help in some way!

 

[COmtnLady]

One problem I see immediately is that the "pet shop" water dish is far too small and actually blocks your tortoise from drinking enough.

They don't drink like a dog or cat. They like to walk into the water and sit there a while as they drink. The "pet shop" bowl has sides that are too vertical and block access, plus it is just too small. A much better choice would be a terracotta plant saucer. It should be large enough for your tortoise to easily turn around in, and since your tortoise will grow a lot, you might as well get a nice big one now. Bigger is better! Only use a new one (one that has been used under a plant can have absorbed chemicals from the fertilizer and such that can leech into your tort's food and water). Sink it down into the substrate for ease of entrance and exit, but have it be very slightly higher than the surface of the substrate so that all of that doesn't get "walked into the water" and make a mess.

I haven't read this whole thread yet. How often and for how long are you soaking your tortoise each day? They need the water to be lukewarm, and only as deep as where the top and bottom shells come together. Since that is quite shallow, keep a close eye on the temperature and anytime it begins to cool down, bring it back up to warm immediately. They need to soak at least twenty minutes each time, and longer is better. It keeps them hydrated and warm but you must keep the water the right temps the entire time they are in it. Aim for 95F/35C (if you have a temp gun), or where it feels comfortably warm when it is running over the inside of your wrist. Because your dish is limiting your tort's access to water, soaking is even more important than usual.

While there are many causes of closed or puffy eyes (dust, harsh lighting, illnesses, more) being dehydrated is one that is easy to correct with a lot of soaking and a fresh water available, in a suitable dish, in the enclosure at all times.


That is a nice picture of your enclosure, but the above requests for pictures were wanting a clear and close-up of your tortoise's face and the eye problem so we can see exactly what you are talking about, and the same with the light question. A picture of blueness doesn't tell us/show us anything helpful. Do you still have the packaging the light came in that you can show us, or at least share a clear and close-up pic of the info that they print on all lightbulbs.
A picture is worth a thousand words - it would make this a LOT easier to help you with.



I would also remove the water dish from the slate piece and feed on it instead, or feed from a terracotta saucer.

Feeding on the substrate encourages swallowing pieces of it. The advantages of using the terracotta dishes is that it keeps most of the substrate out, it wears down their nails and beak (you may still need to trim occasionally, but it will help), they are cheap to buy ( at Walmart, regular gardening places, even some grocery stores have them sometimes), and you can wash them fairly easily then let them dry in the sun so they stay algae and such free.


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