Watery eyes

[geekinpink]

Hi, guys here I am again with questions, I swear keeping a tortoise is a never ending learning experience. After a year of keeping one, this new tort is giving me a hard time

My star's eyes are watery, everything is fine except she sleeps longer but I left a cctv camera pointed at the pen at night and she's active. Eats very well, in short nothing out of the ordinary except for the watery eyes.

I've read a lot of threads about it but mostly it's about sulcatas. And most reason people gave is the humidity is too low and substrate too dry. I am currently using timothy hay that I removed now because it might be the cause. Here's the confusion - right now our weather is 73deg and humidity at 93%. is it still too dry? We've been having monsoon rains for close to 3 weeks now, they have not been out in the sun for 2 weeks but I have a back up UV bulb I use in weather like this.

Their pen is an old dog cage, I covered the grills with paper so they cannot see outside but only up to their level. I put rubber mats on top of the plastic matting and then hays. And upside down tiles. I was told our humidity is too high so I don't really need a humid substrate. They have a water dish, and a basking spot. Sunlight everyday too (if weather permits).

I also notice that when I go near her she closes her eyes and it begins to water, could it be stress?

Right now, i just heard her, hmm i have no idea how to describe it, sort of like a cough but sounded like a sneeze, she opened her mouth, like something stuck on her throat, and again her face is wet... is it RNS/respiratory problem again? I took her out of the common pen and isolated her, I'm so scared my other tort would also get sick if she is sick

 

[Yvonne G]

Sounds like a respiratory problem to me. At first I thought allergy to the hay, but the open-mouth gasp is tell-tale of respiratory infection.

 

[Neal]

I would agree with Yvonne that it seems like a respiratory problem. To me 73 degrees with that high of humidity seems like it might play a factor if it is a respiratory problem. Try bumping up the temps to the mid 90's, do you have a veterinarian you could take the tortoise to?

 

[geekinpink]

I forgot to mention the 73deg is at night time, if that makes a difference. Do they do the open gasp often if its respiratory problem?

I do have a vet but this tort already had so many injections,this is the same tort i ask help with in another thread i made before, i started a new one bec i thought maybe its a diff problem

 

[geekinpink]

I did not hear the open mouth gasp anymore. But her eyes still water, i tried observing her without her noticing me, and it seems like her eyes does not water. You know when you pick up a star tort and they get stressed they try to pee or poo, you see them seeming like their straining? That's when i see her eyes water. Could it be stress? Ive removed the hay and im using laid down newspapers.

I called the vet the whole day but nobodys picking up. I will try again tomorrow.

 

[Fernando]

I believe 73 is still too cold at night. Even though you stopped spraying or misting the enclosure, the humidity lingers. I'd kick it up a bit at night. How are the soaks going? Does she poop regularly? I'd still take her to the vet.

 

[Neal]

My experience with stars has been that they will get runny noses and watery eyes frequently. Things will be fine if environmental conditions are stable, but even the smallest variation of temperature or large variances of humidity will cause it to come up again. If you see the tortoise eating and drinking, and it maintains it's wait, I'm going to say that there may not be a problem. Though the "coughing" you mentioned earlier would have me concerned.

 

[geekinpink]

I leave a 50watt bulb on at night on one side of her pen. During monsoons, i also turn the light on during the day.

She eats, poops regularly. What time is better time to soak them? I usually soak them around 4pm, is that too late? My other tort is a self soaker, but this one is not.

Im still taling her to the vet ots just that i want to find another vet but its very hard to cone by

 

[River14]

Geekinpink if she eating and defecating regularly

 

[geekinpink]

I finally found another vet! i hope this one will be able to help. My tort had an injection again and i'm also nebulizing her. Hope this works we cannot find the cause bec ive been doing everything right, the vet said she probably had respiratory problem before i got her

 

[geekinpink]

Are recovery from respiratory infection slim? I'm so worried about my tort. She's been having injections but last night I heard her open mouth gasp again I nebulized her and i didn't hear it again but she still has watery eyes and slight runny nose. She still has not completed her injections but I thought by this time she's better.

No change in her though, she still eats a lot, and still active. Hope she recovers.

 

[Neal]

Are your night time temperatures still in the 70's?

 

[geekinpink]

No, the night time temp of 70 is just the weather i still turn on a heat bulb at night for them. 20 watt bulb.

Last night she seems to be trying to breathe so i nebulized her which made her feel better. I have no idea how to tell if she is getting better or not. But thos morning, i can actually jear a slight gurgling noise when she breathes.

Shes had 4 injections already, should i see some signs of improvement now?

When humans has infections like cough or cold, when we are getting better mucous start to get thick making it harder to breathe, im wondering if its the same with torts?

She does not have runny nose or watery eyes anymore. Still eats a lot and active.