General Care Discussion :: eye problem?

[PetriTheTurtle]

Hello everyone,

I am a little concerned that my turtle might have some type of eye problem?

It is NOT red or cloudy or puffy or anthing like that, but she seems to be keeping it closed most of the time.

The rest of her behavior seems normal, she's eating well and very active. However, she seems to be shedding an awful lot of skin. Its all hanging off and floating in the water, kind like when you get a sunburn and it starts to peel.

Any thoughts?


Other Information:
How big is your turtle? about 7 inches
How long have you had it? 5 years

What is the water temperature? 65ish
Are you using a water heater? yes
How much water is in there? 40 gallons
Are you using a water conditioner? Cycle, AquaSafe, and TurtleClean
Are you using any filtration? yes, Fuval 304

What is the basking temperature? Not sure, but quite warm, probably around 90
Is there a basking light? yes, but it doesn't give off light, just heat (it's cermic)
Is there a basking platform that is easy to climb on? yes
What kind is it or what is it made out of? I made it. An easy to climb plastic ramp with a smooth stone tile to bask on.
Is there a UVB light? Yes, ReptiSun 5.0

What have you been trying to feed it? pellets, veggies, crickets
When was the last time your turtle ate? This morning

How big is the tank/pond/enclosure? 40 gallon glass tank
Is the tank near a window? no
Is the tank in a room with a lot of activity? a fair amount

Have you read the Basic Care section? yes
Have you searched the forums for similar situations? yes

Is there any other unusual activity/symptoms? she is acting totally normal

[marisa]

Could your turtle have poked or scratched her eye? (Only one eye is affected, right?)

How new is the Reptisun, and how far away is it from your turtle? When your turtle basks, does that eye get more exposure to the light?

Just a side note---a water heater is keeping the water temp at 65F? That's a little cool, about 5 degrees higher would be better. Is the heater working?

[PetriTheTurtle]

Yes, its only one eye... so maybe she did scratch it, I didn't even think of that!

The reptisun is pretty new (just a few weeks) but it's directly above the basking area so both eyes get the same exposure, it's about a foot about the basking areaa.

The water hovers between 65 and 70, I've tried turning the heater up one click to the next heat setting, but it makes it soar up to 75-80. What would be better a little too cool or a little too warm?

[steve]

If your turtle is 7", then a little cooler is fine (I wouldn't go below 70F), though you should probably want to invest in a better water heater.

I had a similar problem... using a ceramic heat emitter with a Reptisun. My problems showed up quickly and many people do believe that a fluorescent lamp should be balanced with a warmer colored lamp. Even if it is only effecting one eye, its possible that the lamp is the problem, especially is your turtle basks in a specific position that exposes one eye more than the other.

An injury is also a real possibility, especially if there has been no other changes to your setup. I'd first stop using the reptisun and see how it goes for a couple of days.

[PetriTheTurtle]

Thanks for your advice. I am a little more concerned today then I was yesterday... her eye is now looking red and a little puffy. She seems to be sleeping quite a bit, and still keeping that one eye closed even when she's awake. However, she is still eating well, I fed her some pellets this morning.

I increased the water temperature, hopefully that will help. I moved more the cermic heat emitter and the Reptisun up higher, so they are not quite as close to the basking area. If I do not see any improvement in the next day or two I will remove the Reptisun altogether and see if that helps.

Thanks again

[steve]

Red coloring has not been a symptom of those who had problems with the Reptisun. It's always been swollen eyelids and difficulty opening them. You can try moving the reptisun further away, but I would definitely look into veterinary options as well.

[PetriTheTurtle]

This morning when I turned on the lights and she woke up and opened that eye I thought it looked a little bit red in the corners (not bright red or anything like that).

Now that its been several hours it still looks a little puffy, but I think most of the redness is gone. I shut off the Reptisun altogether. I'm going to give it a day or two and see if there is any improvement, if there's no improvement I'm going to look into vets in the area.

[PetriTheTurtle]

UPDATE:

I made a trip to the pet store and bought a new heater and digital thermometer. I increased the water temp to 80-85 (I figured warmer is better if she's sick) and I removed the Repitsun altogether for now.

This morning it still looks a little red and a little puffy, but she seems to be keeping it open more (that's a good sign right?) She's still active and eating well.

I'm still debating on a trip to the vet, it seems like it's improving, but it wouldn't hurt to go have her checked out.

[steve]

Are you able to take her outside for some sunshine?

[marisa]

I'd lower the water temp a bit, more like 78-80F.

If there isn't steady improvement, a vet visit would be good.

[PetriTheTurtle]

Latest Update:

I lowered the water temp. to 80F (I love this digital thermometer it is so helpful!). However, I'm having trouble finding a way to position the lights over the basking area in a way that gives me the proper temp. It seems to be hovering between 90 (when the AC in the room is on) and 95 (when AC is off). I think this might be a bit on the high side, so I am going to keep playing with the lights.

Her eye is still a little read, but it does not look puffy. She seems to be keeping it open more today then yesterday. She's still active and eating well (she nearly just broke the filter intake trying to rescue a sliver of carrot that had been sucked up!).

I've been feeding her a mix of pellets (which she loves), lettuces (which she won't touch unless she's starving), carrots (which she loves almost as much as pellets), and the occasional treat of gutload crickets or small pieces of fruit. I know her tank is a little small for her size, but I just don't have the space or money for anything larger right now.

The best news is that I found a vet (not exactly nearby, but not too too far away either) that would be willing to see her. I talked to them on the phone and they said to watch her and if it gets worse or there is no change in a day or two to call and they would squeeze me in for an appointment. I called a bunch of places before I found one that had someone who deals with reptiles on staff. Hopefully it won't be too pricey...

[marisa]

It's good you found a herp vet.

As for the lights, if after fiddling with the lights it's still too warm, I'd replace the heat light with a lower wattage bulb (you can just use a regular light bulb).

[PetriTheTurtle]

Thanks, I am waiting for a new UVB light to arrive in the mail (I'm afraid to start using the ReptiSun again since I am thinking that might have been what caused the problem in the first place). It should arrive today or tomorrow and then I work on rearranging the lights some more. I might just have to start shutting the heat light off when I'm not home (I shut the AC off when I leave and the basking area temp seems to climb up from 90ish to 95-96ish).

In other news, her eye looks much much better today. She's keeping it open, it's not puffy, and it is no longer red (a tiny bit pink in the corner, but much better than it was). I just wish I knew what caused it? If it was the ReptiSun light then I don't want to start using it again, but if it wasn't I feel bad throwing it out (it was $40!). I still think it's possible that she just poked it or something irritated it when I took her outside last, but I'd hate to start using the light again and have it get red all over again!

[marisa]

I know people have had problems with these lights (it's thought to be at least partly related to the phosphor that's used to make them, which is different than what is used in more classic UVB lights like the tube flourescents) but I've used them and can't say that I've ever had a problem with them. I will say, however, that I've never used them alone but with a regular light bulb for heat. I usually buy cheap tracking lights that give off a quite yellow light which tones down the flourescent light a lot. And I position the lights over the basking area, not clamp them to the side so that the turtle can't face them.

What new UVB light did you buy?

[PetriTheTurtle]

I marisa,

I bought this light http://www.reptilesupply.com/product.php?products_id=422

I use a cermic heater with it and a regular tube flourescent light to evenly light up the tank.

One think I noticed about the compact flourescent is that it is much brighter than the coiled UVB because it sticks out from the light shade quite a bit more than the coiled one does.