Baby Russian Hatchling Eyes Swollen

[ajmaples]

Hello,

Recently I went to a reptile expo in my area her in Southern California and I purchased a Baby Russian Tort. hatchling. It seemed fine to me when I picked it out: Clear eyes, smooth skin, active, and it was even eating some hay when I purchased it.

After getting home, I placed it in the basking area of my 4ft long by 3ft wide tort. enclosure that also houses my other 4 year old Russian Tort. female who is very healthy and active.

After placing the hatchling into my enclosure and soaking him every other day for about 1 and a half weeks I woke up one morning to noticing one of his eyes were closed, it was watery and seemed like he was teary.

The other eye was perfectly fine, it was just the other eye that was closed. I then began to apply Saline drops onto his eyes and started to spray vitamin spray onto his eyes alongside is calcium spray that I usually put on his Kale, rose petals, and fresh hay.

So about two days past and his other eye closed as well, I could seem him trying to open it, but I seemed like a struggle.

So I recently purchased Cod Liver Oil to put on his eyes due to me thinking that he might have vitamin A deficiency.

He is active still and moves around the enclosure most often in and out of the basking area. But he hasn't been eating the past 2 days and he hasn't pooped.

He has just peed a couple of times while soaking him.

Any Ideas?

Thanks,
AJ Maples

Basking Light
http://www.petco.com/product/10811/...pot-Lamp-Value-Pack.aspx?CoreCat=OnSiteSearch

 

[Yvonne G]

Hello, ajmaples:

Welcome to the Tortoise Forum!!

What would you like us to call you?

May we know appx. where you are?

In my opinion, brand new babies should be in their own, smaller habitat. This way you can be sure they're not going to be injured by a bigger tortoise. Also, its easier to provide the required warmth in a smaller habitat.

What kinds of foods are you offering to the baby? I was surprised to see that he had been nibbling on hay, as hay isn't something that Russian tortoises usually eat...especially babies.

 

[Laura]

i would seperate as well.. I agree.. they dont usually eat hay.. not a normal diet for them.
What type of lighting? Substrate?

 

[GBtortoises]

I agree with Yvonne's points above. As well as pointing out that it is a very good idea to quarantine newly acquired tortoises rather than immediately placing them in with an established group. This is for the health safety of both the new animal and the existing ones.

What type of substrate do you keep the new hatchling on, what temperatures and humidity level? How often is he being watered?

 

[ascott]

Ditto

 

[ajmaples]

I soak him once a day and mix some zoo-med vitamin spray now in with his water for the vitamin A.

His substrate consists of Coco Fiber and Top Soil.
The substrate in the basking area are very fine wood chips. I watched him closely for the 2 weeks he was fine in the enclosure. He did not once eat the wood or the substrate.

His basking light is 100watt Zoo-Med, has UVB rays.

I believe that his problem could be due to the basking light, I left it on for about 3 days straight with him under it. Due to it getting really dold in my room and not having purchased heating pad.

I just purchased a heat emitting night time light for him. So I usually switch them out.

Turn the basking light on around 8am-7pm now and the night time light from 8pm-8am.

He doesn't really leave the basking area to far. Only the outter rim of it to cool off.

 

[ajmaples]

The temp. is about 85-95 degrees under the basking area

 

[ajmaples]

And there was a typo in my post, I didn't mean vitamin spray in his eyes. I meant on his food and water.

 

[ajmaples]

The fooda I am feeding the baby are kale and rose petals at the moment with a vitamin and calcium spray on them

 

[ajmaples]

UPDATE-

When I take him outside and put him in the sun he opens his eyes a little, but then closes them.

 

[ajmaples]

UPDATE-
Got him to eat today, but he only opens his eye out in the real sun and keeps them closed in the enclosure. I wet the dirt so there is no dust...so it must be my basking light that is harming his eyes. Might be too strong

 

[lynnedit]

The Zoomed powersun 100w is a good UV/heat bulb. Make sure it is not closer than 12" to his shell. You don't have it sitting on a screen, blocking the UV? Make sure the light is positioned to one side.
Seems like your basking area is a bit cool, it should be at least 95d. Make sure you are checking the tort's shell and actual basking floor. Is your thermometer accurate? That becomes quite important as you try to figure this out.
Just soak with warm water for now. If you are using a smaller container to soak him, add 1/2 jar of baby food: sweet potato or carrots, both are high in vitamin A.
Sounds like your substrate is good and you are keeping it moist, but not sopping. It might be better to get rid of the fine bark in the basking area and use the Coir/topsoil in the whole enclosure, better moisture retention.
Feed your torts more of a variety of greens: get bagged Spring or Herbal mix as a base and add different greens each week (collard, turnip, mustard greens, escarole, endive, etc.).
Ideally they would be kept in separate enclosures, especially due to the size difference and to make sure the new one is healthy.

 

[ajmaples]

Alrighty, thanks Lynn. I'm going to seperate them until the little guy gets a bit bigger. Going to change his light source and going to start adding a little baby food to his soaking water and keep with the repti-eye drops with the vitamin A in them by zoo-med too. I'll make his enclosure all coco fiber and tops soil since it does hold moister for quite sometime.

 

[lynnedit]

Good luck and let us know how your little guy does!

 

[Maggie Cummings]

I would put Terramycin eye ointment into both eyes 3 times a day, you can get it at most feed stores or on-line. I use black light bulbs for nighttime heat

 

[ajmaples]

Alright maggie, I'll check it out. I just heard feom a reptile store that the Zoo-Med reptile eye drops have been recalled and arw said to damage their eyes in their last batch. New batch being sent out soon.

 

[ajmaples]

Just bought the powersun 100watt bulb. Going to put him under it for about 8 hours a day, then switch to 100watt basking light, then put in his blacklight heat lamp 75watt on for the night.

 

[lynnedit]

Good work, hope he gets better soon!

 

[ajmaples]

Hah! Figured out the problem!
It was the core in my substrate irritating his eyes.

I put him in his own little enclosure with paper towles only, no substrate. And a little log to hide in, soak him 2-3 times a day with 2 sprays of zilla vitamin food spray in the water, put 2 drops of saline in each eye 3 times a day.

Changed his lights to Powersun UV 100 watt and 100 watt heat basking light.

Now the little 3 week old guy is starting to open his eyes and eat his food and is more active. Hopefully he pulls through and grows big.

Thanls for the help guys, and I hope the information I provised that is helping my tort. helps someone with the same problem.