Tiny’s eyes closed

[Georgetiny20]

Hi everyone New here

I have a 10 month old (George)horsefield & he is brilliant and loving life

Thursday I was given another one and told he was 18 months old (tiny) but he is very small compared to my 10 month old. (I believe he may only be 6 months maximum)

His eyes are also closed constantly, I don’t feel he has been looked after very well.

Have been bathing him in warm water, he opened both eyes slightly but soon as he was put back in table, his eyes closed again an haven’t opened since.

Any advice is appreciated

Tiny&George ??

They are in separate tables ?

 

[JustLivingLife714]

Send pictures of your enclosure. It would help.

 

[Maro2Bear]

What are your temperatures, and what kind of lights? Two key issues.

Make sure u read; https://www.tortoiseforum.org/threads/russian-tortoise-care-sheet.80698/

 

[Georgetiny20]

His warm side is around 32 degree cool side around 24
He is eating, drinking, has done bowel movement.

100w basking lamp and a ubv tube light

there is usually food an water bowl (currently washing them)

 

[KarenSoCal]

Hi!

Your cool side is a bit chilly. It should be kept at 27°C, and at night it should not drop lower than 27°C.

The substrate you are using is terrible stuff. It has those white bits in it. When the tortoise eats them, they also swallow the "dirt" they are in. It's a serious impaction risk. Please get rid of it ASAP. I'm going to link a newer, more up-to-date care sheet. In it is what you need to use instead.

Frequently closed eye issues are caused by the wrong type of UVB bulb. You have the correct type, but could you tell us the strength of it? Like "Arcadia T5 HO 12%" type info. It's possible the light is emitting too much UVB and irritating his eyes. It's also possible the substrate is hurting his eyes, especially if he's trying to burrow in it.

Here in the US we like to use a closed chamber type enclosure for the babies. It makes it so much easier to maintain the proper temp and humidity that they need. I'll link a post I wrote a while ago on ways to make an enclosed habitat.

The Best Way To Raise Any Temperate Species Of Tortoise

I chose the title of this care sheet very carefully. Are there other ways to raise babies and care for adults? Yes. Yes there are, but those ways are not as good. What follows is the BEST way, according to 30 years of research and experimentation with hundreds of babies of many species. What is...

www.tortoiseforum.org

Hi! New here

Hey! I am looking for the "frequently asked questions" and do not see it. Can someone guide me? Thanks

www.tortoiseforum.org

 

[Georgetiny20]

I have ordered some new substrate for him (my other tort loves this substrate, if I put anything else in his table he doesn’t move from outside his little room- there a funny little animals)

the bulb you mentioned is the bulb type I have

he is booked into a reptile vet at 10 am tomorrow

 

[KarenSoCal]

Please come back and tell us what the vet said, and what if anything was prescribed.

 

[Georgetiny20]

Vet appointment didn’t go great
He has a runny nose and very pale mouth vet said could be one of 2 things either a virus (whic I couldn’t catch the name of) or mycoplasma agassizii
Has given him an injection today an given me eye drops once daily on both eyes an into his nasal

 

[Georgetiny20]

Got to go back on Thursday to be taught how to inject him ??? I’m not ? sure what will as didn’t explain much

 

[Maggie3fan]

Vet appointment didn’t go great
He has a runny nose and very pale mouth vet said could be one of 2 things either a virus (whic I couldn’t catch the name of) or mycoplasma agassizii
Has given him an injection today an given me eye drops once daily on both eyes an into his nasal

We hesitate to allow injections, especially Vitamin A. I had a tortoise who was mycoplasma positive. I had him for almost 20 years and he acted at times like he had a URTI, but mostly he was not sick at all. I believe your problem is the heating and lightening. Did he take blood to analyze?

 

[KarenSoCal]

Make sure he stays warm...I would raise the hot side to 33°C, and the cold side to 29°C. Leave it like that until he has shown no symptoms for two weeks.

When you take him to the vet, make sure he stays warm.

As Maggie said, do you know what the vet injected? Was it an antibiotic, maybe Baytril? Or vitamin shot?

Unless it has already been given, don't let the vet give any vitamin A. It can be hard on a tortoise's skin, and they don't need it.

The antibiotic will probably cause him to stop eating...just so you know and don't panic.

 

[Georgetiny20]

Vet did not mention anything about vit A

Stated It was antibiotic injection, which she wants me to continue which is why she wants me back on Thursday
Said he is very pale and has a lot of nasal discharge
Eating will reduce? He has just ate the largest amount since I got him on Thursday

my problem at the moment is how do I put eye drops in eyes that don’t open (help)

Just Worried about him as I wasn’t given any information about him

temperatures have been altered thank you

 

[Maggie3fan]

Someone else has to hold the tortoise's head out, then you use your fingers to open his eyelids and the other hand uses the dropper... easy enuf

 

[Maggie3fan]

Make sure he stays warm...I would raise the hot side to 33°C, and the cold side to 29°C. Leave it like that until he has shown no symptoms for two weeks.

When you take him to the vet, make sure he stays warm.

As Maggie said, do you know what the vet injected? Was it an antibiotic, maybe Baytril? Or vitamin shot?

Unless it has already been given, don't let the vet give any vitamin A. It can be hard on a tortoise's skin, and they don't need it.

The antibiotic will probably cause him to stop eating...just so you know and don't panic.

Not at the Vet yet

 

[TortoiseWarrior]

Welcome to the forum