Help!! new baby sulcata is sick!

Alyse

New Member
Joined
Oct 21, 2015
Messages
1
54697
I purchased a 4inch sulcata toroise on monday and in the pet store the tortoise seemed ok but was not super active and was closing both eyes a lot but was not rubbing at them. We have the tortoise in a 20 gallon tank using coconut bedding and have one side of the tank coming in at 86- 87 degrees and the cooler side is around 76-78 degrees. The toroise is eating and moving around but on tuesday morning his right eye was completely shut. I gave him a warm bath and dripped some water on it and he opened it slightly and it looked like the inner corner of his eye was inflamed and covering most of his eye ball. This morning he is opening it more but there is a white mass under his pupil now and he is continuing to rub it with his leg. I dont believe its respiratory because he is breathing fine and no bubbles coming out of the nose. The other eye seems to be fine as well! Scheduled vet appointment for tomorrow just wondering if anyone has experienced this and what helps in the meantime!!!
 

Attachments

  • 1445473439499.jpg
    1445473439499.jpg
    1,020.5 KB · Views: 35
  • 1445473957544.jpg
    1445473957544.jpg
    1.5 MB · Views: 35

Pearly

Well-Known Member
5 Year Member
Joined
Jul 14, 2015
Messages
5,287
Location (City and/or State)
Central Texas, Austin area
It's hard to tell by the picture but do you think the white stuff maybe mobile enough to be wiped off with clean soft moistened with water or saline cloth? Do you think he may have a foreign body in there and the white stuff maybe just a ball of mucous? At any rate any eye irritation like that causes Unbelievable pain which in my book should take immediate action to help the hurting animal. Tort rubbing it's eye tells me "this eye hurts" and the baby is trying to fix it. Try irrigating it with clean lukewarm water, can even stick him under faucet an hold in position for the flushing. Or, wiping (gently) the eye, or both. If your efforts don't help, I'd visit a vet. If you don't have reptile vet in your area I'd just go to your family pet vet. This maybe just a first aid type of intervention that's needed, then maybe prescription eye drops with steroid and antibiotic to heal any abrasions in cornea if present. Good luck, and welcome to the forum, and please keep us posted
 

Jodie

Well-Known Member
5 Year Member
Joined
Jul 11, 2014
Messages
4,359
Location (City and/or State)
Spokane Valley WA
Hello, if you are using a coil bulb, turn it off. They cause eye damage. Your temps should be a bit higher. 80F is minimum temp and 80% humidity. Lastly if you take him to a vet, don't let them give a vitamin A shot. They do more damage than good more often than not.
Welcome to t h e forum. Hope we can help you get this guy feeling better soon.
 

Tom

The Dog Trainer
10 Year Member!
Platinum Tortoise Club
Joined
Jan 9, 2010
Messages
63,264
Location (City and/or State)
Southern California

New Posts

Top