ttjorgens

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Jul 5, 2018
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4
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Truckee, CA
(title should say "cornea")

I have a hatchling (Sept) tortoise who appears to have something going on with his eye. Many desert tortoise sites recommend mulch for bedding, but I'm afraid this may have caused the injury. We are changing the bedding to newspaper. The vet prescribed an antibiotic in the drinking water and also a soak in diluted chlorhexadine solution. I know tortoises heal slowly, but the eye is looking like a loss at this point. He/she is rubbing it frequently too. Not sure they make e-collars that small :D Appetite is GREAT, poops on a regular basis, active.

I searched other threads and ointments were prescribed for similar cases. What specifically was used that could be safe for such a tiny tortoise? How long did it take to start working? If the eye is dead, does it just fall out? Does it need to be surgically removed and the lids sewn together? Anyone have one-eyed tortoises and how do they get on? So much worry over this precious little life.
 

TriciaStringer

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Apr 11, 2018
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Location (City and/or State)
Louisiana
Do you have any pictures? That would help. Also, check the vet recommended list on the forum and find one close to you.
 

Yvonne G

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When they scratch that terribly rough leg across the eye, the lid is closed, so you don't need to worry about the tortoise hurting the eyeball.

A smokey white layer over the eyeball itself (are you sure it's not the third eyelid?) will heal. I've seen it a lot in tortoises that weren't buried deep enough over a freezing winter and the eyeball got frost burn. It takes a very long time, sometimes a year, to heal, but it does heal.

Here are the two eye medications I use. For frost bite I would use the small tube one:

eye ointment a.jpg eye ointment b.jpg

But, my GUESS, without having seen the animal, GUESS is that it's the third eyelid. And he's holding it closed, or it's stuck closed because of an external issue - scratch, something in the eye, irritation, allergic to something. At any rate, you can sooth the eye and help the lid to open using either of the two pictured above.
 

Yvonne G

Old Timer
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10 Year Member!
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Messages
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Oh, and by the way: Welcome to the Forum! I'd still like to see a picture of the eye. I don't think it's as bad as you think it is. He's not going to lose his eye.
 

ascott

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Joined
Apr 10, 2011
Messages
16,138
Location (City and/or State)
Apple Valley, California
(title should say "cornea")

I have a hatchling (Sept) tortoise who appears to have something going on with his eye. Many desert tortoise sites recommend mulch for bedding, but I'm afraid this may have caused the injury. We are changing the bedding to newspaper. The vet prescribed an antibiotic in the drinking water and also a soak in diluted chlorhexadine solution. I know tortoises heal slowly, but the eye is looking like a loss at this point. He/she is rubbing it frequently too. Not sure they make e-collars that small :D Appetite is GREAT, poops on a regular basis, active.

I searched other threads and ointments were prescribed for similar cases. What specifically was used that could be safe for such a tiny tortoise? How long did it take to start working? If the eye is dead, does it just fall out? Does it need to be surgically removed and the lids sewn together? Anyone have one-eyed tortoises and how do they get on? So much worry over this precious little life.


Yup...I am super with Yvonne on this...PICS PICS PICS!!!! Please :)
 
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