PLEASE HELP- SULCATA

Yeetster

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I haven’t used this in a while actually, because I thought I had this tortoise thing down and both of mine were doing great. I have two sulcatas, one male and the other I have not figured out yet. He is around 5 pounds and my other is around 3. But the big one just this morning started to baby one eye, and keep it closed. He was eating fine all day, and grazing and even getting mad at me for picking him up but I just went to soak him for the night and he is still keeping it closed??? Although he usually poops in the water and didn’t today. I tried to clean it out with some warm water and can go get eye drops tomorrow. I live in WV and the weather has been pretty cold around 40 degrees at night but I have been putting them both inside their night box which is staying at 90-110 degrees which is plenty warm for them so I know this couldn’t be respiratory. I’m heating it by, 2, 100 watt CHE and I have a UVB light that stays on inside their box all day also. I have even been soaking them both almost an hour a day just to make up for some of the lack of humidity recently because it has only been around 40% and a bit of a cold front. I also just built the night box so he could have maybe scratched it on something or maybe even climbed on top of the log and hit his eye on the heat lamp which could have irritated it maybe??? Also there is some foam insulation inside the night box which I thought maybe somehow began to irritate his eye but when I washed it out, he still doesn’t want to open it. When he does open it, it looks fine? Any help would be greatly appreciated especially ASAP since I will mostly not be able to see a vet with COVID-19. This is also their first time living outside but have been both doing great and going into their warm box everynight for 2 weeks now. I attached some pictures. He will open the eye but it doesn’t look right. Respond with help quick, I want to make sure he’s okay! Thanks36ECF1CD-C922-4B96-89E4-4F5AEED7EF96.jpeg

32B1C929-E136-414A-A5AD-0365E42D2226.jpeg15CA3B3A-3F30-451F-A488-1AAAF4817705.jpegF022BE6D-4EC2-4C75-BDFB-BBBB013D66C0.jpeg4B545FDC-AEE0-44FF-A7C3-7D0221E7C91D.jpeg784C5DD2-D4B1-4E4A-9EA1-2501406CBC78.jpeg7787BAB5-08E1-4A89-A838-E3B279B3632A.jpegEED4E8BB-C68D-4F25-ACBA-B3CD3763A3C9.jpeg36ECF1CD-C922-4B96-89E4-4F5AEED7EF96.jpeg
 

EllieMay

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Are they living together? Is there heat outside their night Box? What’s the rest of the enclosure like?
 

Yeetster

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Are they living together? Is there heat outside their night Box? What’s the rest of the enclosure like?
They are living together inside the box only at night and coming out all day. They get along great. I’ll post some pictures of the night box. It’s a little wet because they aren’t in it right now while I’m trying to raise some humidity.

87493A0F-D5E5-49E1-B8EE-4B7B0DA19756.jpeg8D16ACF5-E9C3-4AE8-8EE2-8D5CC465E325.jpegB79BD5F1-E1D5-4E64-9A88-F067D5387A2F.jpeg
 

Yeetster

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They are living together inside the box only at night and coming out all day. They get along great. I’ll post some pictures of the night box. It’s a little wet because they aren’t in it right now while I’m trying to raise some humidity.
Also if you think he may have climbed on the log and hit it on the hit lamp I will take the log out. It hadn’t caused any problems and they liked to go under it but that looks like a cause to me.
 

jeneliza

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Maybe, there climbing in each other, when it comes to the heat box, they may be fighting over the heat box, and it got bumped by this, just a guess,
 

EllieMay

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They look a bit small for the irregular weather yet. How are you monitoring the temps? Two together is a really bad idea even if it looks like they are getting along. There are so many things that could be wrong and hopefully it’s nothing serious . It could be something he ate, an accident involving they eye, a tortoise fight? Someone with more experience can help you better but in the mean time, post as many details as you can and keep that tortoise extra warm and separate until you figure out what’s going on.
 

jeneliza

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Any idea on how to help is eye heal?
If there is no redness, pus, or sign of damage, keep it clean, and watch it close, make sure he can open it, freely, if he wants, I probably wouldn't try to do much to it, unless it's not getting better in a day or two, in my case because I don't have much experience, I call the vet, however I am sure others have better advice on how to fully care for it,
 

Yeetster

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They look a bit small for the irregular weather yet. How are you monitoring the temps? Two together is a really bad idea even if it looks like they are getting along. There are so many things that could be wrong and hopefully it’s nothing serious . It could be something he ate, an accident involving they eye, a tortoise fight? Someone with more experience can help you better but in the mean time, post as many details as you can and keep that tortoise extra warm and separate until you figure out what’s going on.
I have a temp thing in their enclosure and it has been staying warm, always above 80 degrees. But it wasn’t done by the other tortoise I’m almost positive. I think it has to do with the heat or insulation????
 

jeneliza

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If you believe this to be the case, bring them in at night and see if it improves, it could be a sign of stress, if this is new to them, it might be to much of a change, all at once, tortoises usually show signs days later then the first time there exposed to a stresser, and see if it clears
 

jeneliza

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If you believe this to be the case, bring them in at night and see if it improves, it could be a sign of stress, if this is new to them, it might be to much of a change, all at once, tortoises usually show signs days later then the first time there exposed to a stresser, and see if it clears
If it's warmer in the day you can put them out for the day, and indoors at night, for a month or two so they can adjust to the new living encloser, it might be to much for this one
 

TechnoCheese

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110 in a night box is very hot. Personally, I wouldn’t have it hotter than 95 or so, if that’s the temperature of the entire box.

There is no such thing as “getting along” when it comes to sulcatas (or any species) in pairs. Pairs never work out, because there is always a dominant and a subordinate, and neither can escape from eachother. In pairs you also usually see one tortoise being larger than the other because of bullying, which seems to be happening with your tortoises. The fact that you believe one is male only adds to the necessity of separation.

What kind of lighting do you have in the night box? Is one of them a compact bulb? How close are the lights to the ground?

In general, heat lamps should not be used in short boxes like that, especially at night. Having a light on at night is like having the sun up for all 24 hours of the day. For larger tortoises that require night boxes, heat lamps can “slow burn” a tortoise’s Shell because they only heat a small portion of the tortoise. Radiant heat panels, Kane heat mats, and oil heaters (all on thermostats) are more safe ways to heat.

@Yvonne might have some better ideas about the eye.
 

Yeetster

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If it's warmer in the day you can put them out for the day, and indoors at night, for a month or two so they can adjust to the new living encloser, it might be to much for this one
I have them inside their heated enclosure outdoor for now. Which is sitting at 100% humid and 94 degrees which won’t last too long but is perfect for him for now. He went straight to eating and has acted completely normal when I put him which is definitely good. I’m gonna check again in about 4 hours.
 

Yeetster

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Location (City and/or State)
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110 in a night box is very hot. Personally, I wouldn’t have it hotter than 95 or so, if that’s the temperature of the entire box.

There is no such thing as “getting along” when it comes to sulcatas (or any species) in pairs. Pairs never work out, because there is always a dominant and a subordinate, and neither can escape from eachother. In pairs you also usually see one tortoise being larger than the other because of bullying, which seems to be happening with your tortoises. The fact that you believe one is male only adds to the necessity of separation.

What kind of lighting do you have in the night box? Is one of them a compact bulb? How close are the lights to the ground?

In general, heat lamps should not be used in short boxes like that, especially at night. Having a light on at night is like having the sun up for all 24 hours of the day. For larger tortoises that require night boxes, heat lamps can “slow burn” a tortoise’s Shell because they only heat a small portion of the tortoise. Radiant heat panels, Kane heat mats, and oil heaters (all on thermostats) are more safe ways to heat.

@Yvonne might have some better ideas about the eye.
I have the 2 100 watt CHE In the box on a thermometer which kept it around 90-110 but I turned it down just now as you said and the the other light is only on during the day which is a reptisun good UVB bulb that I have attached to the ceiling with nails, also with the lamps in case they decide to go in during the day to warm up (which it’s been in the high 60s anyways) the box staying 90-100. Like I said I know they have been bad on humidity a little but that was it and I have been soaking an hour a day and they have been growing and pooping good. The growth lines are coming in great and flat. Just his eye really concerned me today, it was watering also as soon as I saw it this morning.
 

Yeetster

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I have the 2 100 watt CHE In the box on a thermometer which kept it around 90-110 but I turned it down just now as you said and the the other light is only on during the day which is a reptisun good UVB bulb that I have attached to the ceiling with nails, also with the lamps in case they decide to go in during the day to warm up (which it’s been in the high 60s anyways) the box staying 90-100. Like I said I know they have been bad on humidity a little but that was it and I have been soaking an hour a day and they have been growing and pooping good. The growth lines are coming in great and flat. Just his eye really concerned me today, it was watering also as soon as I saw it this morning.
I’m gonna go get some eye drops tomorrow and put them in.
 

TechnoCheese

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I have the 2 100 watt CHE In the box on a thermometer which kept it around 90-110 but I turned it down just now as you said and the the other light is only on during the day which is a reptisun good UVB bulb that I have attached to the ceiling with nails, also with the lamps in case they decide to go in during the day to warm up (which it’s been in the high 60s anyways) the box staying 90-100. Like I said I know they have been bad on humidity a little but that was it and I have been soaking an hour a day and they have been growing and pooping good. The growth lines are coming in great and flat. Just his eye really concerned me today, it was watering also as soon as I saw it this morning.
Is the UVB a compact bulb or a horizontal tube? The compacts, regardless of brand, can cause eye damage. However, the eye damage is usually in both eyes.
 

Yeetster

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I’m gonna go get some eye drops tomorrow and put them in.
I also have a Kane mat that I will be installing tomorrow and removing the CHE which I think caused this problem. The pad came in way late because of the virus so I didn’t get to add it to the box so instead used the CHE but if it’s a better and safer way to heat I will take the top off and install the pad instead tomorrow.
 

TechnoCheese

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Is the UVB a compact bulb or a horizontal tube? The compacts, regardless of brand, can cause eye damage. However, the eye damage is usually in both eyes.
I also have a Kane mat that I will be installing tomorrow and removing the CHE which I think caused this problem. The pad came in way late because of the virus so I didn’t get to add it to the box so instead used the CHE but if it’s a better and safer way to heat I will take the top off and install the pad instead tomorrow.
The heat pad needs to go on the ground. It wouldn’t do much on the ceiling, like a radiant heat panel would.
 
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