Help! leopard tortoise has one eye closed & not eating!

[icegal]

Hi, I’m new here and a recent owner of a 1.5 yr old leopard tortoise for about a month or so. Earlier this week, I noticed that she wasn’t eating her food (veg + pellets) like she used to. I feed her fresh food and soak her daily. she usually poops when/after I soak her but this week her poop has been the size of my fingernail as she has not been eating. yesterday, I noticed that she seems to keep her left eye shut and it’s a little swollen although she can still open it. I’m not sure what’s wrong with her eye. 😢 Any help would be appreciated! thank you!

left eye (seems swollen)


vs right eye:

 

[wellington]

We need a lot more info in order to help
Temps, day, night, basking
Types of lighting and heating you are using?
Diet?
Daily soaks?
Substrate?
If you are using any coil bulbs stop using it.
If you are using a mercury vapor bulb how high above tort is it and stop using it.
Same with any fluoresce tube light, how high above tort is is?
Give this tort a warm water soaks for at least an hour keep water warm the whole time.
Post pics of enclosure

 

[Tom]

Hi, I’m new here and a recent owner of a 1.5 yr old leopard tortoise for about a month or so. Earlier this week, I noticed that she wasn’t eating her food (veg + pellets) like she used to. I feed her fresh food and soak her daily. she usually poops when/after I soak her but this week her poop has been the size of my fingernail as she has not been eating. yesterday, I noticed that she seems to keep her left eye shut and it’s a little swollen although she can still open it. I’m not sure what’s wrong with her eye. 😢 Any help would be appreciated! thank you!

left eye (seems swollen)
View attachment 355078

vs right eye:
View attachment 355077

Hello and welcome.

We need the info that Wellington mentioned. The most common causes for this are:
1. Wrong lighting.
2. Wrong temperatures, usually too cool at night, or lack of night heat.
3. Wrong substrate. People are told to use sand, soil, or something that is dry and dusty.
4. Disease contracted by mixing of species. Species should NEVER be mixed.

 

[icegal]

We need a lot more info in order to help
Temps, day, night, basking
Types of lighting and heating you are using?
Diet?
Daily soaks?
Substrate?
If you are using any coil bulbs stop using it.
If you are using a mercury vapor bulb how high above tort is it and stop using it.
Same with any fluoresce tube light, how high above tort is is?
Give this tort a warm water soaks for at least an hour keep water warm the whole time.
Post pics of enclosure

she is currently being fed a mix of vegetables and soaked zoo med grassland pellets. I live in SE asia and the grasses/weeds in the care sheet are not available here but i’ve just bought cat grass and am hoping to get seeds to plant some food for her.

It’s hot and humid where I live. I’m still prepping her enclosure and don’t have equipment yet to measure the temperatures. I’m currently using this UVA + UVB lamp (75W) for the time being.


I soak her daily in warm water which I replace once it cools but she doesn’t really stay still in the water - she goes off once she poops (didn’t time the duration so not sure how long she soaks for).

the substrate I’m using is a mixture of coco peat and pine bark (8 to 15mm).

 

[Levi the Leopard]

I'm sorry you are having this issue.

I worry it's the lighting causing the eye damage. The swelling especially concerns me.

Equipment to measure the temps and humidity are very valuable tools no reptile keeper should be without. Get a thermometer and hydrometer asap. I'd also stop using the current lights and find an alternate way to heat the space. But again, without the proper tools to measure, I don't know how you will accomplish that.

 

[wellington]

I second Team Gombergs post. You need those items now! Stop using the light.
How hot and humid is it where you are? Temps can not be below 80, humidity 80% and a basking area of 95-100. Use a tube florescent for uvb unless you can get her outside 4 or 5 times a week for a half hour to an hour for now in 80 temps. Use a incandescent flood bulb for basking.
When you soak her, you need to do it in a container she can't get out of and do it for an hour for now until she improves and then a 1/2 hour is fine.
Food, what kind of vegetables? They should have mostly weeds and greens, flowers, leaves, cactus, not vegetables like no cabbage, tomatoes, peppers, etc. Some veggies is okay once in a while but not daily.