Runny Eye

ethelandedna · 10-03-2011, 08:50 AM

Yesterday Pebble's right eye seemed a bit runny. He wasn't around very much and didn't eat a lot. Did wee but not pooed. This morning when 'kiddie' woke and bathed him she said his eye was a bit gooey and he couldn't open it very easily to start with.

He sleeps buried into the top few inches of Tortoise Life under the pile of hay he came with. Could the hay have scratched/irritated it?

We are going to the vets for a check-up tomorrow so I'll mention it all then, but just wondered if the hay should be taken out.

Evie · 10-03-2011, 08:57 AM

Hi - yes it is possible the hay could have irrittated the eye.

I would bathe the eye and if you can get some cod liver oil then gently with a cotton wool bud wipe the eye - away from the nares ( inside to out).

Maybe the substrate you are using needs reviewing.

ethelandedna · 10-03-2011, 09:09 AM

Thanks. We've got a mixture of substrates at the moment. One end is straw pellets (like he had in the shop), the middle area is just top soil from Wickes and the cool end is Tortoise Life sand/topsoil mix (again like he was used to at the pet shop).

Should we get rid of the straw and use something else for his bed? He doesn't have a box or other hide at that end.

(btw Slightly freaky getting a reply from Evie - that's my daughter's name. It threw me slightly when I saw who had replied

)

Evie · 10-03-2011, 09:13 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ethelandedna

Thanks. We've got a mixture of substrates at the moment. One end is straw pellets (like he had in the shop), the middle area is just top soil from Wickes and the cool end is Tortoise Life sand/topsoil mix (again like he was used to at the pet shop).

Should we get rid of the straw and use something else for his bed? He doesn't have a box or other hide at that end.

(btw Slightly freaky getting a reply from Evie - that's my daughter's name. It threw me slightly when I saw who had replied

)

I love the name - Evie was my Mums name - I named my first tortoise after her !!! shame she turned out to be a male !!!

You will need to wait for the others to reply on substrate as I only keep leopards.

**Alan1** · 10-03-2011, 09:14 AM

torts in the wild dig down in the soil to thermoregulate so my torts' 'bedding' is soil but a lot of people use hay and stuff. If it gets damp (the hay) and goes mouldy though the mould spores can be breathed in by the torts and can kill them

TortBabe · 10-03-2011, 10:59 AM

I would just use plain topsoil, that tortoise life really irritated my horsfields eye and have never had any problems with plain topsoil

burnt toast · 10-03-2011, 11:11 AM

I would suggest removing the pellets, hay & tortoiselife substrate. Just plain topsoil seems to be the best thing to use especially if they are prone to eye problems.

(if you did want bedding you could use "readigrass" but change it regularly especially if wet)

WriterNick · 10-03-2011, 11:43 AM

Is Pebble a horsfield? They seem prone to eye problems and infections. My Ovid went through a period where he would keep closing one eye, I think he had an irritation in it - maybe from the sand I had mixed with the topsoil.

I got some hypromellose eye drops from Boots (they are very cheap) and gave him a drop a couple of times a day in his eye. He would shake his head a little when I did this but it is a tort-safe treatment and I think it definitely did the trick in clearing his eye up.

I hope that helps!

10-03-2011, 08:50 AM	#1
ethelandedna Member Incubating Join Date: Sep 2010 Location: Lichfield, UK Posts: 201	Runny Eye Yesterday Pebble's right eye seemed a bit runny. He wasn't around very much and didn't eat a lot. Did wee but not pooed. This morning when 'kiddie' woke and bathed him she said his eye was a bit gooey and he couldn't open it very easily to start with. He sleeps buried into the top few inches of Tortoise Life under the pile of hay he came with. Could the hay have scratched/irritated it? We are going to the vets for a check-up tomorrow so I'll mention it all then, but just wondered if the hay should be taken out.

10-03-2011, 10:59 AM	#6
TortBabe Senior Member Adult Join Date: Jan 2010 Location: Northern Ireland Posts: 6,919	I would just use plain topsoil, that tortoise life really irritated my horsfields eye and have never had any problems with plain topsoil __________________ Busy Mum to ~ 2 Kids, 2 Yorkies, 1 Horsfield, 6 Hermanns, 2 Iberas, 6 Tunisians, 2 Indian Stars and 2 Pancakes

10-03-2011, 08:57 AM	#2
Evie Senior Member Sub Adult Join Date: Mar 2008 Location: Southampton Posts: 1,752	Hi - yes it is possible the hay could have irrittated the eye. I would bathe the eye and if you can get some cod liver oil then gently with a cotton wool bud wipe the eye - away from the nares ( inside to out). Maybe the substrate you are using needs reviewing.

10-03-2011, 09:09 AM	#3
ethelandedna Member Incubating Join Date: Sep 2010 Location: Lichfield, UK Posts: 201	Thanks. We've got a mixture of substrates at the moment. One end is straw pellets (like he had in the shop), the middle area is just top soil from Wickes and the cool end is Tortoise Life sand/topsoil mix (again like he was used to at the pet shop). Should we get rid of the straw and use something else for his bed? He doesn't have a box or other hide at that end. (btw Slightly freaky getting a reply from Evie - that's my daughter's name. It threw me slightly when I saw who had replied )

10-03-2011, 09:14 AM	#5
Alan1 Super Moderator Adult Join Date: Dec 2008 Location: Sunny Scotland Posts: 21,512	torts in the wild dig down in the soil to thermoregulate so my torts' 'bedding' is soil but a lot of people use hay and stuff. If it gets damp (the hay) and goes mouldy though the mould spores can be breathed in by the torts and can kill them

10-03-2011, 11:11 AM	#7
burnt toast Senior Member Adult Join Date: Jun 2009 Posts: 5,246	I would suggest removing the pellets, hay & tortoiselife substrate. Just plain topsoil seems to be the best thing to use especially if they are prone to eye problems. (if you did want bedding you could use "readigrass" but change it regularly especially if wet)

10-03-2011, 11:43 AM	#8
WriterNick Member Juvenile Join Date: May 2010 Location: South Yorkshire Posts: 956	Is Pebble a horsfield? They seem prone to eye problems and infections. My Ovid went through a period where he would keep closing one eye, I think he had an irritation in it - maybe from the sand I had mixed with the topsoil. I got some hypromellose eye drops from Boots (they are very cheap) and gave him a drop a couple of times a day in his eye. He would shake his head a little when I did this but it is a tort-safe treatment and I think it definitely did the trick in clearing his eye up. I hope that helps!

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