- Joined
- May 29, 2013
- Messages
- 26
Hello fellow tortoise lovers, I've been concerned these last few couple of days because my leopard Rockabilly has been having trouble with his eyes.
I've noticed it takes him longer than normal to open them for example when I first noticed a problem he wouldn't open his eyes even when handled and had no interest in food, granted he's never eaten a lot just a couple bites but this was nothing for two days. I did continue to offer and try hand feeding but to no avail. I still soaked him in warm water for half hour before trying to feed, I do that everyday.
I had the UVB low (160w) and decided to raise it about 18-20" thinking that that was probably causing some irritation and discomfort- and no it's not a coil bulb- I have both UVB and a basking bulb to maintain the temp. Temps range from low 100 to high 90's in basking area and sometimes humid hide during the day with 80 to 75 at the cool end. Honestly I've been having a hard time maintaining the temps at night with the humid hide getting too hot for him during the night so he comes out and sleeps in a cooler area that's 80 degrees. I've moved around the lighting to accommodate this problem. This weekend I will build a top to create a closed chamber and that should solve this temperature problem.
I use both digital probe thermometers and a temp gun to measure these numbers.
I started soaking him in carrot baby food Wednesday and noticed an improvement that day and yesterday night but not yesterday morning. It's been up and down today he did manage to eat some before losing interest and closing his eyes again.
This is him, do his eyes look okay? Swollen?
I've noticed it takes him longer than normal to open them for example when I first noticed a problem he wouldn't open his eyes even when handled and had no interest in food, granted he's never eaten a lot just a couple bites but this was nothing for two days. I did continue to offer and try hand feeding but to no avail. I still soaked him in warm water for half hour before trying to feed, I do that everyday.
I had the UVB low (160w) and decided to raise it about 18-20" thinking that that was probably causing some irritation and discomfort- and no it's not a coil bulb- I have both UVB and a basking bulb to maintain the temp. Temps range from low 100 to high 90's in basking area and sometimes humid hide during the day with 80 to 75 at the cool end. Honestly I've been having a hard time maintaining the temps at night with the humid hide getting too hot for him during the night so he comes out and sleeps in a cooler area that's 80 degrees. I've moved around the lighting to accommodate this problem. This weekend I will build a top to create a closed chamber and that should solve this temperature problem.
I use both digital probe thermometers and a temp gun to measure these numbers.
I started soaking him in carrot baby food Wednesday and noticed an improvement that day and yesterday night but not yesterday morning. It's been up and down today he did manage to eat some before losing interest and closing his eyes again.
This is him, do his eyes look okay? Swollen?
I would use a terra cotta saucer dish for a water dish instead of the one you have however, those can be very dangerous, your baby could possibly flip on its back and die! Push the dish into the substrate when you get it that way it's easy for him to enter in and out 
