This particular symptom may be a result of an infection, vitamin A deficiency, over exposure to UVB, or an injury caused by elements within its enclosure. Swollen or puffy eyes in a tortoise can be caused by a variety of factors. In this case, a visit to the vet is almost certainly on the cards. If the discharge looks like pus, then it might mean that your tortoise has an eye infection. Sometimes, it may even be the sign of a deeper problem, such as a virus or bacteria from contaminated water. Symptoms of Tortoise Eye Problemsįluid discharge or tears are a sign of tortoise eye problems, often caused by dehydration. This is one reason your substrate should be kept damp, so that loose particles do not dry out and get kicked up into the air. Whilst it may for a component part of your soil based substrate, sand may also get in the eyes or your tortoise, causing irritation. Too many obstacles present in the enclosure may lead to the tortoise accidentally scratching their eyes against the objects around them. This is why you need to be very careful what you add to their little indoor home.Īn oppressive heat lamp that is kept too low to the tortoise, or radiates heat across too much of the enclosure, may cause their eyes to dry out. The elements you use for tortoise enrichment can also lead to eye injuries. Rocks, Decorations, Heat Lamps, and Sand.Together with other environmental factors such as poor ventilation, this can worsen their symptoms, irritating their eyes, or worsening infections. If the water in your tort’s enclosure is contaminated or dirty, it may cause their eyes to become infected. In order to obtain the right nutritional balance, including sufficient levels of vitamin A, so should provide a varied diet of vegetables, and edible weeds and flowers. Typical tortoise diets that lead to this scenario include a lot of iceberg lettuce, meat-based diets, or commercial feed products that are of a low quality.įoods such as iceberg lettuce are really only of use as a source of hydration, while meat products feature far too much protein. Giving your tortoise the wrong food may lead to a vitamin A deficiency – which can ultimately cause your tort to have eye issues. With open topped tortoise tables this is usually a given, which is why they are the recommended choice of enclosure for nearly all breeds of tortoise. To that end you should always make sure your tortoise’s enclosure features adequate ventilation. Too much humidity might lead to bacteria or allergens forming in the enclosure, leading to a variety of eye problems. If the problem is not the humidity, then it might be the exact opposite: a lack of a through draft of fresh air, with the humid air instead allowed to become stagnant. Again, often it’s not the sign of an actual eye problem – but if you do nothing about it, it might eventually become an issue. If they feel like their eyes as well as the air around them is dry, they will do whatever they can to retain what moisture they do have on their eyes. The drier air is, the more it will affect your vision, drying your eyes to the point where you feel like you constantly have sand stuck in there.
What do you do when you feel the air drying out around you and your eyes? Your natural reaction is of course to keep your eyes closed. The main reasons for these issues include: Either way, you should air on the side of caution if in any doubt. In other cases however, it may signal a problem in their enclosure. Sometimes, the fact they do not open their eyes all day long is not because of an injury or infection, and indeed it may be a completely harmless behaviour that goes away on its own. There are several reasons why a tortoise might suffer an eye injury, infection – or be unable to open their eyes. Reasons for a Tortoise Eye Injury or Infection With that in mind, if you don’t want a small problem to evolve into a more serious issue, then you should endeavor to make sure the matter does not remain untreated. In most cases, eye problems in tortoises are curable – and often, all it takes is some environmental improvement or a deep clean of their enclosure. They are also prone to ear abscesses, which can also lead to their eyes swelling. Tortoises are known to suffer from eye swelling if there is a problem with their environment. It’s quite common for pet tortoises to have eye problems, although as responsible owners we should try to prevent this as far as we possibly can.
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