Is my tortoise poorly sighted?

[Shellback2021]

Hi
We believe our Herman to be around 60/65. We have recently moved house. She lives outside April to October and has found her way around our garden and back to her House with ease. However when she tries to eat the food put in front of her she appears to be taking bites out of the air instead. I have also seen her try to bite her own leg instead of her favourite dandelions.
Is this just old age or is there a problem?
Any advice before considering a trip to the vet, would be appreciated.
Thank you
PS if you hold the food for her she can eat a mound of little gem lettuce, kale and dandelions the size of her!

 

[Lyn W]

Hi and welcome,
How long have you owned your tortoise? She's a good age.
I don't really know how they would check a tort's sight but there may be others who can help like @ZenHerper @zovick or @Tom.
Can you give a bit more information e.g. how long she seems to have had this problem, any redness or swelling? If you can post a photo of her eyes that may help.
Do you soak her regularly, are any plants in your new garden that could have scratched or affected the eyes, heat sources etc.? It may be relevant.
One of my torts eyes looked sore the other day and I gently dripped some saline solution (sold for contact lens wearers) into it and it flushed out whatever was causing it so it may be worth trying that.

This is the most up to date caresheet for Med Torts, which you may find useful because tort welfare has improved greatly so there's always something new to learn.

The Best Way To Raise Any Temperate Species Of Tortoise

I chose the title of this care sheet very carefully. Are there other ways to raise babies and care for adults? Yes. Yes there are, but those ways are not as good. What follows is the BEST way, according to 30 years of research and experimentation with hundreds of babies of many species. What is...

tortoiseforum.org

www.thetortoisetable.org.uk is also a good guide to foods.

Hopefully someone I've tagged will be along soon to offer their advice.

 

[wellington]

Wow, that usually happens with hatchlings, the biting in the air. With hatchlings we treat it more like an immature thing and suggest piling thr food up and keeping it piled as they eat. They usually grow out of it.
Seeing yours is old, I would suggest eye problem. A vet visit should be able to determine if there is a seeing problem.
If this has only started since the move, maybe give it a month or two and see if it's just a stress due to move thing. If she did it before the move also, I would schedule a vet visit.

 

[Shellback2021]

Hi and welcome,
How long have you owned your tortoise? She's a good age.
I don't really know how they would check a tort's sight but there may be others who can help like @ZenHerper @zovick or @Tom.
Can you give a bit more information e.g. how long she seems to have had this problem, any redness or swelling? If you can post a photo of her eyes that may help.
Do you soak her regularly, are any plants in your new garden that could have scratched or affected the eyes, heat sources etc.? It may be relevant.
One of my torts eyes looked sore the other day and I gently dripped some saline solution (sold for contact lens wearers) into it and it flushed out whatever was causing it so it may be worth trying that.

This is the most up to date caresheet for Med Torts, which you may find useful because tort welfare has improved greatly so there's always something new to learn.

The Best Way To Raise Any Temperate Species Of Tortoise

I chose the title of this care sheet very carefully. Are there other ways to raise babies and care for adults? Yes. Yes there are, but those ways are not as good. What follows is the BEST way, according to 30 years of research and experimentation with hundreds of babies of many species. What is...

tortoiseforum.org

www.thetortoisetable.org.uk is also a good guide to foods.

Hopefully someone I've tagged will be along soon to offer their advice.

Hi
Thank you for your reply. We have had our tortoise for 44 years. She was found at my dads work. In fact she had escaped from her owner and as winter set in she buried herself in the work garden and was basically dug up in the Spring! A lost tortoise sign was put up but no one claimed her so dad brought her home. She wasn’t small then that’s why we estimate her being around 60 plus years old.
She has lived at my mums in her garden ever since. However mum is now elderly and feels she can’t look after her so we have had her since the beginning of April. She has “eaten the air” quite a bit over the last few years but it seems more noticeable now she’s with us. She is eating well once she gets going.