General Care Discussion :: Eye scratched, what to do?

[Pizza]

Seeing as summer is in full swing and the temperatures have been really high these past two months, all of my RES have been basking on my platform. Often times, they pile over each other and push each other to get the best spot.

Well I just checked them out half an hour ago and one of my RES' eye had been scratched. Well not the eye, but immediately underneath, near the lower eyelid. It's not bleeding, but there is a small bright red patch (a tiny open wound), exposing a dot of flesh. So far, this turtle has stayed up on the basking platform, often blinking that one eye or just having it shut for an extended period of time.

I'm confident that a claw of one of my other turtles accidently got it while they were piling on each other again.

Well what should I do? It's a small, but noticeable cut just under the eye (or the bottom of the eye). My turtles always get little cuts and scratches from basking interaction, so normally I wouldn't worry as they heal without a problem, but my first turtle of which I owned a decade ago died from an eye infection, so I'm kind of freaking out.

Right now there is no swelling, pinking, or signs of infection, but yeah...

EDIT: Okay, so I had another look and the eye does look swollen and a little pink.

[grey goose]

I would try Turtle Eye Drops (get it at the pet store) and a little dry docking after applying. But if it get worse or appears to be infected, a trip to the vet is in order.

[Pizza]

Thanks for the advice. I've read before that most turtle eye drops bought at retail stores are a sham (like the sulfa blocks), but if you say they're worth trying, then I will buy a bottle tomorrow,

[Daniel3507]

alot of people on here have use the zoo med turtle eye drops with alot of success. sulfa blocks, not so much. haha

[grey goose]

I'm not sure about the medicinal properties, it's probably more for soothing irritated eyes......it's got Vit A and B12 in an oil base. But give it a shot. It worked for me, and many others.

[Pizza]

Just came home with a bottle, there wasn't an expiry date on the box or the bottle, so I can use it indefinitely? The box was kind of dusty, as were all the boxes of eye drops - aquatic turtles aren't common pets here, given that they can't be sold at all.

Also, inspecting inside the bottle, there was a small black piece of debris floating in the pink solution, also normal?

[steve]

Is there an Exp date on the bottle? I think mine had some gunk in it as well, it should be safe to use. You can always return it if it makes you uncomfortable.

[Pizza]

Nope, nothing on the box, and nothing on the bottle either. Well the black thing is only about 5 mm big, like a flake of some sort, so I ignored it.

Anyhow, I already dropped two drops onto my RES' eye, nothing bad so far.

[marisa]

When I bought the drops, there was some kind of gunk in the bottle and I returned it for one that didn't have it (took the bottle out of the box and checked it before buying it).

Eventually, it probably will go bad and have to be replaced with a new bottle (it does contain a form of Vit A, and Vit A does spoil). You can keep it longer, however, if you keep it in a cool, dry place in its original box.