Urgent Care :: RES keeps scratching one side of his eye!

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Post Posted: Thu Feb 18, 2021 1:25 am   RES keeps scratching one side of his eye!

hi everyone!

i’ve recently seen my 3 year old male RES Shelby rub his right eye using his right front feet every single time i bring him out to walk/exercise outside. in the end of 2017, i decided to get a pair of hatchling RES turtles (Squirt and Shelby). they’re now 3 and a half and live separately. Squirt is the female and she lives in a 125 gallon tank, whilst Shelby on the other hand is the male, he lives in a 75 gallon. i separated the turtles when they were around 1, as Squirt would constantly bite Shelby’s feet, so i’m sure the issue isn’t something having to do with Squirt.

the issue with Shelby only occurs when he’s outside of his tank, i’ve read multiple articles targeting RES eye infections but apart from the scratching, i can’t detect any other symptoms (puffy eyes, red colorings in the corner of the eye, not eating properly...). He honestly seems fine but the scratching has gotten so repetitive that i’m really worrying about him and i’m thinking of bringing him to the vet for a checkup. i take Shelby out three times a week, each time for a 30 minute to 1 hour walk (he likes to sit under the sun and bask, he has an above tank basking area in his enclosure but he enjoys the natural sunlight better) and i put him back and feed him after. he eats every 2 days as he is already 5 inches long (this is only the length of the carapace) and is three and a half. his diet consists of the average, dark leafy greens such as collard, romaine lettuce, red leaf lettuce... cover 75% of his diet, he gets carrots or fruits as a treat once a week (i’d say 5%) and the rest of the 20% of his diet is protein. i like to give him boiled egg whites (sparingly), cooked pork (without any salt or anything) and ZooMed pellets. i give the exact same type of food to Squirt (Squirt’s doing amazing so i doubt the issue is the food. the only difference for feedings between the two is Squirt eats EVERYTHING in a separate bin so it doesn’t mess up her tank, but Shelby only is willing to eat pork/other cooked meat, or his treats in his bin, otherwise everything else is eaten in his tank (i’ve tried everything i possibly could to get him to eat his greens and pellets in his tank, i’ve ever switched up pellet brands multiple times.) and because nothing works, the only choice i have is feeding him in is tank (he does eat, it’s not like he doesn’t eat pellets or greens, he just prefers them in his tank).

i do a 60% water change every week for his tank, he does have 75 gallons so i think 60% is enough and well. it’s working pretty well for Shelby and i clean out the filter and his rocks, logs and drift wood every time i do the water change. he doesn’t have substrate or plants of any kind (even artificial plants) because he’ll end up just eating it.

i’m not shes what the issue is and i’m really hoping to get to the bottom of the problem ASAP! i’d appreciate any help given.

thanks much!
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Post Posted: Thu Feb 18, 2021 2:21 pm   Re: RES keeps scratching one side of his eye!

Is he constantly doing it when out of the tank?
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steve
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Post Posted: Thu Feb 18, 2021 11:20 pm   Re: RES keeps scratching one side of his eye!

thanks for the reply! yes, he’s constantly doing it outside his tank, though it seems as if when i put him back in his tank everything goes back to normal. i’m not sure why that is and i’m trying my best to keep his tank clean and providing him a well balanced diet.
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Post Posted: Thu Feb 18, 2021 11:35 pm   Re: RES keeps scratching one side of his eye!

i also forgot to add this!

How big is your turtle? approx. 5 inches.
How long have you had it? 3 years and 2 months

What is the water temperature? 24 C
Did you use a thermometer? yes
Are you using a water heater? yes
How much water is in there? the water is filled all the way (all 75 gallons)
Are you using a water conditioner? yes
Are you using any filtration? yes

What is the basking temperature? approx. 31 - 33 C
Is there a basking light? yes, i have both the UVB and the heat lamp
Is there a basking platform that is easy to climb on? yes, i have an above tank basking area
What kind is it or what is it made out of? it’s made out of egg crate and zip ties
Is there a UVB light? yes

What have you been trying to feed it? i fed him pellets, boiled shredded chicken breast and boiled egg whites just now, this varies everyday
When was the last time your turtle ate? 4 hours ago, he ate at 7 in the morning

How big is the tank/pond/enclosure? standard 75 gallons (long)
Is the tank near a window? no
Is the tank in a room with a lot of activity? yes, both the turtles tanks are in the living room. it doesn’t seem to bother them though.

Have you read the Basic Care section? yes
Have you searched the forums for similar situations? yes, but none are similar to my situation, where it only happens out of the water.

Is there any other unusual activity/symptoms? other than the eye scratching out of his tank, no.
redearedsliderkeeper
 
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Post Posted: Fri Feb 19, 2021 11:57 pm   Re: RES keeps scratching one side of his eye!

Does he also do this when basking in tank? The eyelids can be particularly sensitive but this could be hard to figure out if there are no visible signs. As a precaution, I would try some reptile eye-drops.
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steve
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Post Posted: Tue Feb 23, 2021 8:02 am   Re: RES keeps scratching one side of his eye!

sorry for the late reply! i did go ahead and bought him some reptile eye drops, and dry docked him for approx 2-3 hours after. i’ve been doing this for 3 days already and everything seems fine now. thank you so much for your help steve!
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Post Posted: Tue Feb 23, 2021 2:39 pm   Re: RES keeps scratching one side of his eye!

Glad he's better and thanks for the update!
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