Tortoise eye looks weird - please help!

zolasmum

Well-Known Member
5 Year Member
Joined
May 19, 2015
Messages
2,003
Hi everyone. Can I just say a HUGE thank you again for all your help!

I took him to the vets yesterday and they gave him a beak trim (he looks very handsome) and prescribed some eye drops to be administered twice daily.

Vet also gave me some great advice about enclosures and bulbs. I get paid next Friday so until then I’m giving him a lot of outdoor time in natural sunlight (it’s very sunny in the U.K. right now) and just using his enclosure for sleeping until I can afford a table. Bulb has been switched off permanently until I swap it out.

Again, thank you all so so much for your help and advice. I’m a very new tort mum, and was surprised with him only two months ago with no prep. (I was only meant to be babysitting for a couple weeks but ended up adopting him from a home that couldn’t give him the attention he needed.) So I’m really trying to learn as I go, and I greatly appreciate the time you guys have taken to help me.

Lots of love,
Nat x
I'm really glad you have got your little chap sorted out, and I hope his eye soon improves. However, you have forgotten 2 important things - you haven't told us his name - and also it would be lovely to see his photo with his beak trimmed, for us to admire
Angie x
 

nataloki

New Member
Joined
Jul 20, 2021
Messages
16
Location (City and/or State)
England
I'm really glad you have got your little chap sorted out, and I hope his eye soon improves. However, you have forgotten 2 important things - you haven't told us his name - and also it would be lovely to see his photo with his beak trimmed, for us to admire
Angie x
Haha of course! ❤️ his name is Tommy - here’s a pic of his new handsome trim x
 

Attachments

  • 0FF5D6C3-4667-4B98-970C-DE6DD1199AD5.jpeg
    0FF5D6C3-4667-4B98-970C-DE6DD1199AD5.jpeg
    1.2 MB · Views: 27

nataloki

New Member
Joined
Jul 20, 2021
Messages
16
Location (City and/or State)
England
This is great to see. Thank you for taking Tommy in and giving him the care he needs and deserves. ? You’re doing a great job getting things sorted out!
Thanks so much! That honestly means the world to me - I’m constantly worried about whether im doing an okay job because I really want him to be a happy boye at last ?❤️❤️ I spent last night putting together a lil enclosure behind our house so he can get the natural sunlight whilst I’m in the house working - checking on him every 20 minutes or so and he seems very zen (pic attached) ☀️☀️
 

Attachments

  • 252808A5-C976-45F3-8C6F-2E7BD08E1F39.jpeg
    252808A5-C976-45F3-8C6F-2E7BD08E1F39.jpeg
    3.6 MB · Views: 15

nataloki

New Member
Joined
Jul 20, 2021
Messages
16
Location (City and/or State)
England
He’s really only using his viv to sleep in (or on the odd day I’m in the office) until I can afford a proper tortoise table - I hope this is okay ❤️
 

Maggie3fan

Well-Known Member
5 Year Member
Joined
Jun 30, 2018
Messages
8,046
Location (City and/or State)
PacificNorthWest
Oh my god I had no idea these bulbs were so bad! It was sold as a “reptile bulb” :(
I also feel so guilty about the bulb placement - ive switched it off and will sort it out immediately! Thank you so so SO much for your help and info!
Hi everyone. Can I just say a HUGE thank you again for all your help!

I took him to the vets yesterday and they gave him a beak trim (he looks very handsome) and prescribed some eye drops to be administered twice daily.

Vet also gave me some great advice about enclosures and bulbs. I get paid next Friday so until then I’m giving him a lot of outdoor time in natural sunlight (it’s very sunny in the U.K. right now) and just using his enclosure for sleeping until I can afford a table. Bulb has been switched off permanently until I swap it out.

Again, thank you all so so much for your help and advice. I’m a very new tort mum, and was surprised with him only two months ago with no prep. (I was only meant to be babysitting for a couple weeks but ended up adopting him from a home that couldn’t give him the attention he needed.) So I’m really trying to learn as I go, and I greatly appreciate the time you guys have taken to help me.

Lots of love,
Nat x
Hang around and continue to ask questions...remember this...
As an example...the coil bulbs...
they are sold in most pet type stores. Called a 'coil' type bulb they are close to the cheapest uvb bulb so more people will buy them..,an 18 yr old store clerk is likely to recommend them...there is a core group of "experts" here on TFO...they, over the years, have experienced many conditions of tort keeping and from education or experience they share their findings... I had a small Sulcata who was blinded by a coil bulb, and another young Sulcata that was left blind in one eye, I am not an expert... I am glad your little tortoise is getting better...
100_8169.JPG.
 

Krista S

Well-Known Member
Platinum Tortoise Club
Joined
Aug 4, 2019
Messages
1,364
Location (City and/or State)
Saskatchewan
Thanks so much! That honestly means the world to me - I’m constantly worried about whether im doing an okay job because I really want him to be a happy boye at last ?❤️❤️ I spent last night putting together a lil enclosure behind our house so he can get the natural sunlight whilst I’m in the house working - checking on him every 20 minutes or so and he seems very zen (pic attached) ☀️☀️
Just remember that these little guys are climbers and explorers. Generally, no matter how much space you give they still want to see what’s on the other side of the wall. As long as everything is secure, it should be ok. I see you have some zip ties holding the mesh on top to the long wall. That’s a good thing, but I’d maybe add some zip ties to the ends as well. I am almost certain the tortoise will be able to crawl out of those corners if he really wanted to. Also, make sure that he isn’t able to squeeze through those half circles on top of the walls you’ve set up there. It’s likely once he’s in there for a bit and comfortable, those will start to look like good escape routes lol.
 

nataloki

New Member
Joined
Jul 20, 2021
Messages
16
Location (City and/or State)
England
Just remember that these little guys are climbers and explorers. Generally, no matter how much space you give they still want to see what’s on the other side of the wall. As long as everything is secure, it should be ok. I see you have some zip ties holding the mesh on top to the long wall. That’s a good thing, but I’d maybe add some zip ties to the ends as well. I am almost certain the tortoise will be able to crawl out of those corners if he really wanted to. Also, make sure that he isn’t able to squeeze through those half circles on top of the walls you’ve set up there. It’s likely once he’s in there for a bit and comfortable, those will start to look like good escape routes lol.
thank you for your advice! I'll definitely beef the security up lol <3 Looking forward to having some savings in the bank so I can treat him x
 
Top