I'm new and need advice

[Evie]

Hi- I'm new to this forum and thought I would be able to get some good info! I am slightly worried about one of my tortoises so thought you might be able to help?
I have 2 baby horsfield tortoise: Molly and Trevor.
Molly is eating lots and looks very healthy, however Trevor's eyes look quite puffy and he is always itching them and he doesn't seem to eat much!
(They were bought from different places) anyone have any advice?
My parents kept Hermans for 20 years and don't know what's wrong with him!

 

[dmmj]

Puffy eyes are usually a vitamin a deficiency, respiratory infection, or an irritation to the eyes.

 

[Evie]

Ok, what would you suggest for vitamin a?
Thanks

 

[pam]

One thing you could do is put baby food strained carrots in the water when you soak him thats one way to get vitamins

 

[LuvmyGreenSon]

I am a newb so I am sure someone will have better advice...but my Tort had similar symptoms (puffy eyes not wanting to eat very much) and I took him to the vet and they agreed it was a lack of vitamins and provided him with shots for the next 6 days, and some special vitamin herb food to sprinkle on his food. There are lots of really helpful people on here so WELCOME!

 

[Yvonne G]

Hi Evie:

Welcome to the Tortoise Forum!!

Please, if you take your tortoise to the vet, don't allow any vitamin injections. The previous poster lucked out and didn't have bad results, but quite a few of the vets don't really know the correct dosage and end up overdosing the turtle on vitamin A. It is very easy to get the vitamins into the tortoise through soaking or eating, and an injection isn't necessary and could be dangerous.

Let's find out a few answers from you first before we give you some suggestions.

What kind of light do you have over the tortoise?

What kind of substrate do you use and is it dry?

What do you feed the tortoise?

(Also, may we know appx. where you are?)

 

[LuvmyGreenSon]

Hi Evie:

Welcome to the Tortoise Forum!!

Please, if you take your tortoise to the vet, don't allow any vitamin injections. The previous poster lucked out and didn't have bad results, but quite a few of the vets don't really know the correct dosage and end up overdosing the turtle on vitamin A. It is very easy to get the vitamins into the tortoise through soaking or eating, and an injection isn't necessary and could be dangerous.

Let's find out a few answers from you first before we give you some suggestions.

What kind of light do you have over the tortoise?

What kind of substrate do you use and is it dry?

What do you feed the tortoise?

(Also, may we know appx. where you are?)

Oh no now I am kind of worried should I go against the vets advice and not give my Tort the shots? I have not finished his shots he is suppose to have 5 more days... he also said to not soak him everyday like I have but to do it every third day (I think that is because Guido has soft shell too though). ... This was the only reptile vet I found and I used this site so now I don't really know what to do...

 

[Utah Lynn]

Also, RT's are solitary animals and usually don't get along very well together. There might be some competition for the food.

 

[Yvonne G]

Oh no now I am kind of worried should I go against the vets advice and not give my Tort the shots? I have not finished his shots he is suppose to have 5 more days... he also said to not soak him everyday like I have but to do it every third day (I think that is because Guido has soft shell too though). ... This was the only reptile vet I found and I used this site so now I don't really know what to do...

Unless you know for a fact that your vet has given you bad advice, one should always continue to do what the vet says. Maybe your vet is one who understands the correct dosage. What you want to look for is raw skin. At the first sign of any raw spots on the tortoise's skin, take it back to the vet immediately and tell him about a vitamin A overdose.

 

[Evie]

Hi Evie:

Welcome to the Tortoise Forum!!

Please, if you take your tortoise to the vet, don't allow any vitamin injections. The previous poster lucked out and didn't have bad results, but quite a few of the vets don't really know the correct dosage and end up overdosing the turtle on vitamin A. It is very easy to get the vitamins into the tortoise through soaking or eating, and an injection isn't necessary and could be dangerous.

Let's find out a few answers from you first before we give you some suggestions.

What kind of light do you have over the tortoise?

What kind of substrate do you use and is it dry?

What do you feed the tortoise?

(Also, may we know appx. where you are?)

Hi thanks for your reply, my dad lowered the lamp as there wasn't enough heat before and it's made such a difference! Trevor had eaten lots today and has been very active I just think he was cold?
I live in the north of England


Also Molly and Trevor get on really well, so it deffenetly wasn't her.

 

[Turtlechasers]

Follow the vets advise...
I supplement their diets with avitrol (alot of different vitamins and micronutrients in a sugary base) given in their water or sprinkled over their food. It isn't very often that I have to do this if I can provide at least 15 different "weeds" in their diet every week.

 

[dmarcus]

Hello and welcome to the forum...

 

[Jacqui]

Welcome! Glad it was just a little tweaking that needed to be done with the lights/heat. Have the eyes shown improvement too? Hermanns have such beautiful shells, I hope in the future perhaps you will post us pictures of them.

 

[Evie]

His eyes still are a little puffy and take him a while to open them, would eyedrops help?
Thanks

 

[Arizona Sulcata]

Welcome!

 

[Laura]

i would soak him in the babyfood/warm water and or bird vitamins..
saline eye drops would not hurt, if its an irratant..
How long have you had them? Did the eye thing start after you got him or did he come with it?

 

[Evie]

Well I've had him a couple of weeks, only noticed how puffy his eyes look compared to Molly's and we got her a couple of days ago!
Also, howmuch food should they be eating daily?

 

[ALDABRAMAN]

Welcome!

 

[TORTOISEMAN1]

Welcome!!

 

[Taminator]

Hi,
I only literally joined today and saw your post,
my lil guy pudge had a similar thing happen to his eyes, so i brought him to the vet and turned out it was an eye infection.
So he gave pudge a shot of a 7 day long antibiotic and some eye drops, I also washed his eyes everyday with a tiny pinch of salt in hot water and he was better in 3 days Hope this helps