Eyes staying shut after hibernation

[pammy]

My old girl clowie was hibernated for the first time since being with me but her eyes have stayed shut not bothered in food I've been bathing her couple times a day she was in a shed over the winter any help please

[Gordon]

Hi pam
I have just had this with one of my horsfields normally I use optrex antibiotic eye drops but my two local chemist won't let me have them anymore without a prescription so I have tried zoo med Repti Turtle Eye Drops. I got the yesterday morning and to my amazement she has her eyes open this morning it is very sore looking but I have hope.
It seem to be from a lack of vitamin A.

http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/aw/d/B000...rtle+eye+drops

[pammy]

Hi Gordan thanks for reply I've just been down shed to bathe her in critical care thought might help and it seems like she can't open her mouth I've put cucumber dandelion lettuce all her fav foods just just gone bk under her lamp I tried to force her mouth open worried now

[CherryBrandy]

Pammy, what temps you bathing her at? Splinter advised 40 degrees and bath in Hip organic Carrot food. If its Vit A (eyes are tell tale as G says) then this sometimes gets the vit A into them a little quicker. Fine grind critical care if need to force feed but that would be last resort and perhaps Vet visit is on the cards - if you think she cant open her mouth (mouth rot can do this but should be signs) but I would say that maybe hard to tell sometimes after hibernation. Those eye drops Gordon has recommended look really useful too - they remove any bacteria and will go down into the mouth so again good advice. Hope it goes ok, CB

[burnt toast]

I wouldn't bath her in 40 degree water if she's just come out of hibernation. You don't want to shock her, do things gradually. What makes you say her mouth can't open please?

Gordon I've heard good things about those turtle eye drops. You can get optrex from Amazon

[Gordon]

Originally Posted by burnt toast

I wouldn't bath her in 40 degree water if she's just come out of hibernation. You don't want to shock her, do things gradually. What makes you say her mouth can't open please?

Gordon I've heard good things about those turtle eye drops. You can get optrex from Amazon

I did see but thought I would try it and I recon another day and she will be as good as new I will start a thread with pics.

[burnt toast]

Originally Posted by Gordon

I did see but thought I would try it and I recon another day and she will be as good as new I will start a thread with pics.

Yes please will be interested to see

[pammy]

Burnt toast you asked about my girls mouth haven't seen her open it yet tried force it even I have ordered the eye drops Gordon suggested hope they will help if not giv her couple more days I will have take her to vets we have reptile vet in our area but reluctant to go to him he can be very sharp and appinaionated

[Splinter]

Originally Posted by CherryBrandy

Splinter advised 40 degrees and bath in Hip organic Carrot food.

Different conditions here than with John Wayne, I don't know enough to suggest anything about this case (the others here know far more than me ), but sounds like she may have got too cold during hibernation?

There is some good info on post-hibernation problems here:

http://www.tortoisetrust.org/articles/hib.html

I'd be inclinded to go to a vet who actually knows a lot about torts if possible, based on the advise in that article and what you have said.

[sandy]

Originally Posted by pammy

My old girl clowie was hibernated for the first time since being with me but her eyes have stayed shut not bothered in food I've been bathing her couple times a day she was in a shed over the winter any help please

Getting tortoises going after a hibernation can be difficult. What I do is when they wake, I put them into a warm room for a couple of hours to slowly let their bodies warm up ( warming up too fast is not natural and can cause problems) I then put them near a heat sorce (not under) so they can choose when to go under the heat, once they are warmed through(with adults this can take up to 36hours. Then I bathe them, and put food available but not a lot as it can take a week or too for them to eat. This a depends on the individual tortoise, some can wake up and start eating quite quickly.
But leaving things too long can also cause problems, anerexia (sp) and mouth rot being two of them.
Med and horsfield tortoises rarely get vitamin A deficiency, more likely in leopards.