Theo 2yo sulcata has eye infection, treatment?

[Coachgio]

Hi, I have 2yo sulcata, Theo, with eye infection. Right eye is swollen, pink lower lid, oozing clear drainage that suddenly appeared this morning. Any advice?


He lives outside during day now and we bring him in at night and he lives in plastic tub with heat lamp at night. It's winter here in Arizona, 70s day, 40s night. Theo shares tub with Spot another 2yo sulcata. During the day they just wander around the yard and garden. They have watering holes and grass and tortoise pellets to eat.

 

[Ben02]

Poor tort, Im afraid I don't know what to say but I shall call some people in.

@Yvonne G
@Tom
@Cheryl Hills

 

[Cheryl Hills]

Hi, if you have had him with another tort, it is possible he got scratched or bitten by the other tort. It is not a good idea to house two tortoises together. I would attempt to rinse his eye with saline or sterile water. He may have something in his eye, say, from the substrates or from outside. If it were infected, I would think you would get a perulent drainage. Try rinsing and see if that helps. In the meantime, seperate your tortoises. Unless you have a massive indoor enclosure, they may fight,or hurt one another.

 

[Yvonne G]

I started to say it was the nictitating membrane, but that comes from the corner of the eye that's closest to the nose.

Get some soothing eye ointment. Vetericyn is one brand.

 

[Coachgio]

Thanks to everyone. I did rinse his eye. Its not draining. Its covered with a clear jelly like layer? I can see his eye underneath the jelly. He seems happy otherwise. I will look for eye wound cleaner like Vetericyn too and keep him separated from Spot the other sulcata tonight.

 

[wccmog10]

Any chance he has a respiratory infection? I was learning about this from our veterinarian the other day, with respiratory infections sometimes you start to see eye problems. I think that is with long term respiratory infections. I think there is a good respiratory infection thread on the forum that you can read.