Bubbles in Tortoise Eyes

[susancarol]

Here is pictures of my 10 year old redfoot with bubbles in her eye. She is not eating well and is restless. In when a bath her she tried to get out and sticks up her head. I am afraid this is do to respiratory problems.

Here is the history:

We have had three 3 tortoises for 10 years. One sulcata, one Russian, and a redfoot. Then we got another 2 year old healthy sulcata. A few weeks ago our Russian died. I believed at the time it was due to some type of respiratory infection I brought it and the redfoot to the vet along with the diseased Russian. The vet said that the redfoot was healthy and the Russian died of old age. Other vets had said in the past that the Russian was very old. The vet is a specialist for tortoises.

Today I noticed bubbles around the eyes in the Redfoot. I have seen this in chickens when they get upper respiratory infections. No antibiotics helped the chickens.

Has anyone every seen this. I am afraid it a mycoplasm or pneumonia.

 

[Maggie Cummings]

My 12 yr old Sulcata, Bob, gets them all the time. It drives me nuts, but he is eating and active and shows no signs of sickness. I am sorry your animals have died, you are going thru a very hard time right now and you have my sympathy...

Could your Redfoot be needing to nest?

 

[susancarol]

My 12 yr old Sulcata, Bob, gets them all the time. It drives me nuts, but he is eating and active and shows no signs of sickness. I am sorry your animals have died, you are going thru a very hard time right now and you have my sympathy...

Could your Redfoot be needing to nest?

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I am worried that it is mycoplasm. My sister says it is normal as well. But if anyone can review the pics, I would appreciate it. In chickens bubbles in the eyes are mycoplams and upper respiratory.

 

[Yvonne G]

It probably means that you're not keeping the redfoot in a moist-enough habitat. You don't keep them all together do you?

Oh...and, Welcome to the forum!!

 

[Scooter]

Welcome to the forum. I have been told that one cause for the bubbles could be low humidity. What is your setup for her like, specifically temps and humidity?

 

[susancarol]

Welcome to the forum. I have been told that one cause for the bubbles could be low humidity. What is your setup for her like, specifically temps and humidity?

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It is raining out so I am not worried about humity. Also, I just gave her a bath. She has been in the same location for over 10 years. Along with the Russian. It worked out very well.
The vet tech says it is upper respiratory. My best friend who has had a Sulcata for 25 years told me the first time I took her to the vet to demand an xray.

 

[Kristina]

The scales of your Redfoot look like she has experienced long term dry conditions. This can really wreak havoc on them.

I do think you need to up your humidity. Now while it is raining may not be an issue, but the only time I have seen bubbles in the eyes of my tortoises is when they are too dry. A good warm soak and a wet down of the habitat clears it right up.

 

[susancarol]

The scales look dry because of the lense and the flash. It is a macro lense. I just bathed her.

 

[Kristina]

Well, I am very sorry that you are having this issue. I have Redfoots as well, and the scales on my Redfoots, who are well hydrated, do not look like that. I am afraid I can't help you further if you won't take my advice.

Good luck and I hope you sort everything else.

 

[Yvonne G]

Hi Susancarol:

Please listen to what we're telling you and stop making explanations and excuses. It sounds like you want us to tell you that yes, it is mycoplasma. But we're telling you that you're keeping the tortoise too dry. Please understand that raining has nothing to do with that. They need to be in a humid environment, which translates to a habitat that's too wet for your Russian. They should be separated. However, if the redfoot IS sick, my vote would be something that it caught from the Russian tortoise. Russians are notoriously "dirty" (meaning full of parasites and pathogens). But I'd be willing to bet that if you put lots of plants in the redfoots habitat and keep it watered...a LOT, you'll see that the bubbles disappear from the eyes.

 

[TKCARDANDCOIN]

I also think she looks way too dry.I am of the opinion that she needs her own enclosure and high, hot and humid conditions.Good luck.

 

[susancarol]

I can see how the scales look dry by the macro lense and the flash. The scales don't look dry in person. The humidity is ideal. I don't believe it is a humidity problem and either does the vet when he examined her. I just took a closer look and you can barely see a very tiny amount of fluid coming out the nose area when she breathes out. I think it is mycroplasm, and I am asking if anyone has seen this before or dealt with upper respiratory infections or bubbles in the eye. It is the first we have experienced this at all. I have seen bubbles in noses rarely on tortoises. The meds are always changing. i am hearing all sorts of ways of treating this.

 

[Yvonne G]

The only way to know for sure if your tortoise has been infected with a mycoplasma is to have a test done. I get a lot of desert tortoise in through my rescue and quite a few of them have the Gopherus mycoplasma. I can truthfully say that I've never seen bubbly eyes with the respiratory symptoms in my desert tortoises.

 

[susancarol]

Thanks for the input. Can you advise of the treatment. I just reviewed an article. Bubbles in eyes indicated that the nares are plugged and things are backing up. Bathing her does not help.

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Just so everyone knows, i have had this tortoise for 10 year with no problem.

 

[Yvonne G]

If you think the nares are plugged, you can take a squeeze bottle with saline solution in it and give some squirts up the nostrils. Don't worry about the liquid getting into the lungs, because the nares end up in the roof of the mouth, not down the throat. You can also use a toothpick and gently clean out the nares.

I wouldn't use Baytril unless you knew for sure the tortoise has an infection. Its pretty strong, it burns, and it sometimes causes the tissue at the injection site to die.

 

[susancarol]

I think you are right, but i tried to uplug them a few hours ago with no avail. I did the same thing with the chickens when they had bubbles in their eyes and their nares were indeed blocked. I thought baytril is bad for their digestive system. I am very worried about her. I wish it was something simple. I don't believe she is able to breathe through both of her nostrils. i know that mycroplasm is very hard to treat and with the chickens they were never cured. It becomes a chronic condition and there is now a vaccine. She is also trying to crawl out of her pen. When i bathe her, she is no sitting in the water. I am worried that this got into her lungs.

 

[Yvonne G]

You would surely notice it if she couldn't breathe through her nose. Tortoises don't do open mouth breathing. If their nares are plugged, they just hold their breath as long as they can, then they eventually will open their mouth and gasp. You would see that if it were happening.

 

[Kristina]

Long term dehydration (i.e. 10 years) will cause eye and kidney issues.

At the risk of stating the obvious, tortoises are not chickens, and I am afraid you cannot base either diagnosis or treatment on an illness that took place in a chicken.

The only time I have personally seen bubbles in the eyes is in cases of dehydration or overheating. What are your temperatures?

 

[zzzdanz]

That tortoise is dehydrated beyond what a bath will fix.Get the Russian a seperate enclosure and crank up the RF's humidity...If he was mine he'ld get pedialyte as well.

 

[susancarol]

I have been bathing everyday. The doctor does not believe this animal is dehydrated at all. I believe one nare is blocked. We are at a high humidity right now because it is raining. The Russian died 3 weeks ago. The doctor believed it was old age and yes he was very very old. The person is doing the diagnosis is the expert DVM. I am just stating that i saw the same things in chickens and it concerns me. Incidentally, the chicken's were not breathing though their mouth either when their nare was blocked. I really wish this was just humidity. The tortoise does not have an eye disease. She is eating, but very little. I believe this is upper respiratory. If anyone is an expert, i would appreciate you help.