my horsfield is blind :(

[LianeG]

Miss Tilly is approx. 6 years old, after coming out of hibernation in February 2018, she was initially well then became lethargic and ill, she was diagnosed by a reptile specialist vet as having a virus. She was treated initially but there wasn't any improvement and she was refusing to eat. I couldn't bring myself to put her down as she was still hanging on in there so bathed her in warm water with reptile vitamins etc in it and while she didn't improve for a while, over the last 2 months she has opened her eyes, become more active and is moving round as right as rain! She hasn't however eaten for approx. 16 months She is now displaying signs of being blind, holding her head at a strange angle, moving around in circles and raising up on her front legs. I don't know what to do. she took some food off me for the first time this week however she hasn't let me hand feed her since. Please help

sorry for the long post!

 

[Yvonne G]

Aw geez. It's never easy when something like this happens to one of our animals. It's so hard to know what to do for them.

One thing I've discovered that helps a tortoise take in nutrients when he's not eating is baby food soaks. I use Gerber strained carrots because they contain the highest concentration of vitamin A (and lack of vitamin A is what causes a tortoise's eyes to stick shut).

You use a bowl with a small footprint, but tall sides that he can't climb out of. Mix Gerber strained carrots with warm water and have the solution be deep enough to come up to the middle of the tortoise's sides. Leave him soaking in the mixture for about 45 minutes or an hour, with frequent checks by you to make sure he hasn't tipped over in the water.

(I'm assuming by "my tortoise is blind" you meant his eyes were stuck shut. If you soak like this every day, you should notice his eyes are better by the third day.)

 

[LianeG]

sorry if I didn't make the situation clear, Miss Tilly's eyes were shut tight for about a year and now that she has opened them, she appears to be blind. I soak her in warm water with the reptiles salts etc but am worried that she is not eating.

 

[Yvonne G]

sorry if I didn't make the situation clear, Miss Tilly's eyes were shut tight for about a year and now that she has opened them, she appears to be blind. I soak her in warm water with the reptiles salts etc but am worried that she is not eating.

Please try the carrot babyfood soaks.