Tortoise with itchy eyes and recently trying to escape

[Mouse123]

Hi,
I have a seven year old Horsefield tortoise. Never had any problems until the last three weeks. I had to change his uvb bulb and I am sure that this is when he started constantly trying to get out his house. However today I noticed him rubbing his eyes at least five times. I am now wondering if it has something do with his new bulb. The bulb is exo terra UVB 200 bulb 30w and 32 inches. Can anyone tell me if it could be his bulb

 

[Lyn W]

Hi and welcome,
Sorry your tort is having problems.
Is the bulb a curly or coiled type?
These have been known to cause eye problems for torts, or it could be down to the substrate you are using.
Can you post a picture of his enclosure and the lamps you are using so that we can see if there's anything that may be affecting him?

 

[ZenHerper]

The quickest way to know if the bulb is the problem is to turn the bulb off. Your tort will be fine even for several weeks without the uvb radiation.

If your pet's eyes recover in a matter of a few days and his behavior settles back to a Normal level, then you have to figure out why the bulb is malfunctioning (ones with curves have been known to put out a high level of radiation if the paint has chipped away from the bended portions of the glass...or it may have been hung incorrectly [see manufacturer's instructions]...or it may have been placed too close to the surface of the substrate).

 

[jaizei]

How do you have the bulb/fixture mounted? How high above the substrate is it?

 

[Mouse123]

Hi and welcome,
Sorry your tort is having problems.
Is the bulb a curly or coiled type?
These have been known to cause eye problems for torts, or it could be down to the substrate you are using.
Can you post a picture of his enclosure and the lamps you are using so that we can see if there's anything that may be affecting him?

His house is 4.5 feet long, 2 feet wide and 1.5 feet high.

Hi and welcome,
Sorry your tort is having problems.
Is the bulb a curly or coiled type?
These have been known to cause eye problems for torts, or it could be down to the substrate you are using.
Can you post a picture of his enclosure and the lamps you are using so that we can see if there's anything that may be affecting him?

Hi, his house is 4.5 feet long, 2 feet wide and 1.5 feet high.

 

[Lyn W]

The enclosure is way too small for him. The minimum size for a juvenile/adult is 4 x 8 feet but the bigger the better. That could be why he's trying to escape. Torts are roaming creatures and need space to move about for digestion and bone health so the sooner you can give him a bigger home the better. There are good examples in the enclosure threads of people using upvc raised garden beds, or even just large book cases on their backs with the shelves removed and lined with cheap shower curtains; the shelves can be used to cap the sides, or if you are handy you could build him something.

It also looks very dry in there - do you monitor humidity? Russians like moist (not wet) substrate that is deep enough for them dig in . Your substrate looks shallow and quite sandy in the picture which is an impaction risk and could be what is irritating his eyes -what are you using?

The basking lamp also looks quite low - have you tested the temp under it with a reliable thermometer? The dial type you have isn't usually accurate, a digital thermometer/hygrometer at tort level would give you more reliable reading. The clamp you are using has been known to fail and cause fires so the lamp would be better hung - that way the temps can be adjusted by raising or lowering it.

Is the uvb tube attached to the side, or hanging? I can't really tell but they should be central. Lamps can cause eye problems if not positioned correctly and at the right height - there may be a guide that came with the tube.

This is the caresheet you need that will help you make the changes your tort needs and tell you more about substrate, lamps. diet etc

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

Read that and ask as many questions as you like.

 

[Mouse123]

The enclosure is way too small for him. The minimum size for a juvenile/adult is 4 x 8 feet but the bigger the better. That could be why he's trying to escape. Torts are roaming creatures and need space to move about for digestion and bone health so the sooner you can give him a bigger home the better. There are good examples in the enclosure threads of people using upvc raised garden beds, or even just large book cases on their backs with the shelves removed and lined with cheap shower curtains; the shelves can be used to cap the sides, or if you are handy you could build him something.

It also looks very dry in there - do you monitor humidity? Russians like moist (not wet) substrate that is deep enough for them dig in . Your substrate looks shallow and quite sandy in the picture which is an impaction risk and could be what is irritating his eyes -what are you using?

The basking lamp also looks quite low - have you tested the temp under it with a reliable thermometer? The dial type you have isn't usually accurate, a digital thermometer/hygrometer at tort level would give you more reliable reading. The clamp you are using has been known to fail and cause fires so the lamp would be better hung - that way the temps can be adjusted by raising or lowering it.

Is the uvb tube attached to the side, or hanging? I can't really tell but they should be central. Lamps can cause eye problems if not positioned correctly and at the right height - there may be a guide that came with the tube.

This is the caresheet you need that will help you make the changes your tort needs and tell you more about substrate, lamps. diet etc

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

Read that and ask as many questions as you like.

Thank you so much for all the information. There is clearly a lot to do. I had no idea his house was too small. His strip light is hanging on the wall at the rear. He does have a bowl with water in it so hopefully his humidity is good. I will get a digital thermometer as well. This is the set we were told to get when we got him. Thank you for all your advice.

 

[Lyn W]

Thank you so much for all the information. There is clearly a lot to do. I had no idea his house was too small. His strip light is hanging on the wall at the rear. He does have a bowl with water in it so hopefully his humidity is good. I will get a digital thermometer as well. This is the set we were told to get when we got him. Thank you for all your advice.

Unfortunately many breeders, some non specialist vets and pets shops know very little about tort care, the latter are only interested in profit and will happily sell unsuitable and unsafe equipment. You're not the first and won't be the last to trust what they say, we've all had to make changes.
As well as the water dish the substrate needs to be a type that can be moistened to help humidity but bear in mind his temps need to be right too because too cold + humidity = sick tort. Follow the caresheet as closely as possible to get the best conditions for your tort.

Meanwhile if his eyes are still troubling him you could try gently dripping clean water over them when he is in his luke warm, shallow soak to flush them and/or some saline solution (the sort sold for contact lens wearers).

 

[Yvonne G]

The strip light should have a reflector that it's mounted in that deflects the light down instead of all over the tank. For such a small tank the spot bulb is pretty large. See if you can find a regular 60 watt incandescent bulb for heat and light to experiment with and turn off the spot and the strip to see if his eyes improve.

 

[Mouse123]

Thank you will try that now,

 

[Mouse123]

Thank you so much for all the information. There is clearly a lot to do. I had no idea his house was too small. His strip light is hanging on the wall at the rear. He does have a bowl with water in it so hopefully his humidity is good. I will get a digital thermometer as well. This is the set we were told to get when we got him. Thank you for all your advice.

When we bought our Horsefield tortoise we were told to keep his house dry because he’s a desert tortoise.