Why are the eyelids puffy?

[MyTortoise]

It sounds like a strange question but why are my tortoise's eyes puffy when they're closed? She closes her eyes but it looks like they're inflated! Why is this?

 

[JoDee8147]

Picture?

 

[Yvonne G]

Has the tortoise been eating regularly? And are you offering a varied diet? Puffy eyes could mean the start of a respiratory infection, or it could mean the tortoise isn't getting enough vitamin enriched food.

 

[Tom]

What kind of UV bulb are you using?

 

[MyTortoise]

She eats lots of her food but her diet isn't very varied. I've tried but its hard to find different things to feed her... In the past she had eye problems, her eye was bubbling but I made her enclosure more humid and it stopped.

 

[Yvonne G]

Tom was wondering if you use the coil shaped compact fluorescent bulb for UVB?

 

[katrvt]

The uvb may be the cause if you're using a coil type bulb. It could also be a vitamin a deficiency. Okra, dandelion, yellow squash, and sweet potato are all foods rich in that necessary vitamin. I would feed more of these than usual.. even up to 1/4 of the total diet(better if you can use dandelion greens for a fair portion rather than the other foods which is high quantity may have too much moisture ), just for 14 days or so, then make sure they are included some in the diet as part of the variety. if it's vitamin a, this will help.

 

[MyTortoise]

I don't think the UV bulb is coiled. I'm not sure what type it though...

 

[Yourlocalpoet]

It sounds like a strange question but why are my tortoise's eyes puffy when they're closed? She closes her eyes but it looks like they're inflated! Why is this?

Do you mean 'puffy' or do you just mean the eye lids look a little 'raised'?

Like this?

 

[MyTortoise]

Yes its a bit like that.

 

[Tom]

I don't think the UV bulb is coiled. I'm not sure what type it though...

Can you turn the bulb off for a moment and take a picture of it for us? It would be good to eliminate this as a possibility. Or confirm it.

 

[MyTortoise]

Here's the bulb;

 

[bouaboua]

If the tube type bulb is your UVB source for your torts it is OK. But it is way too low, too close to the floor. Or you just took it down for the photo??

 

[Tom]

If the tube type bulb is your UVB source for your torts it is OK. But it is way too low, too close to the floor. Or you just took it down for the photo??

Its not too low. Those bulbs need to be no more than 10-12" away to get any UV benefit. A UV light meter will confirm this.

 

[Tom]

Here's the bulb;

Okay. That is likely not the source of your eye problem. Must be nutritional or something else.

 

[bouaboua]

Its not too low. Those bulbs need to be no more than 10-12" away to get any UV benefit. A UV light meter will confirm this.

Noted and Thanks.

 

[mikeh]

The long tube UVB should be placed above the animals only. Any UVB light should be placed above the animal only. At no point should it cross side of the animal. When the tortoise climbs the ramp the eyes get heavy dose of UVB radiation from the side. I mean the tortoise is right next to the tube at that point. Its very different UVB hitting eyes from above then directly from side. Its like you looking directly into the sun which will burn retina in no time.

As stupid kids we were playing who can look longer directly into the sun with one eye without blinking. It took a minute of looking into the sun leaving a permanent burn spot in my left eye. My vision is fine, but there is a permanent tiny pin size void (burn) in the center of my vision in the left eye.