General Care Discussion :: - Rubbing Eyes -

[Luciano]

So this weekend I did a 50% water change and added a couple of fake plants from the pet store. On Sunday evening I noticed Juliet closing her eyes even though all the lights were on; and early this morning, I saw her rub one of her eyes for a brief moment. She has no other signs of illness - healthy appetite, active, basks, sleeps normally - and her set up has everything she needs at all the right temperatures. What could the problem be and what are the likely causes? Please help. Thank you.

[TheComputerGremlin]

Did you dechlorinate the water? Often after a water change, if nothing else has changed, there may have been something irritating in the water. As long as she's otherwise healthy and active and her eyes don't get red, give it a day or two for the water to fix itself. But I'd check your water, is anyone in your household getting irritated skin from showering?

[Luciano]

Yes, I did dechlorinate the water. And no, nobody's gotten any kind of irritation. Is there any chance it might have something to do with the lighting? I have the Zilla Combo Dome which has been wonderful thus far.

[SpotsMama]

What you've described doesn't sound serious. If she continues to act like her eyes are bothering her, try some Turtle Eye Drops. They are made by Zoo Med and you can get them at places like Petsmart. Just follow directions on the package.

It could be a little bit too much water conditioner is irritating her eyes.

On the possibility that the light is causing eye irritation, I don't know. Zilla was one of the manufacturers whose bulbs were causing problems last year but they are supposed to have fixed their formula to prevent further problems. I looked around on the internet for info on the UVB bulb and couldn't find much - I think this is a new product. The UVB bulb is advertised as a "desert" bulb, which usually means it's strong though I couldn't find comparable info on the UVB output.

If your turtle's eye irritation continues, first make sure the light fixture is the correct distance from the basking area per the manufacturer's specifications. Then remove the UVB bulb while leaving the halogen bulb in place for heat and see if your turtle likes it that way. If the eye problem clears up after the UVB bulb is removed, then the UVB bulb was probably the culprit. PLEASE let us know if you find that the UVB bulb is a problem so we can advise other people on the forum about this product. Also, let us know if you decide the UVB bulb is NOT a problem.

[Luciano]

I most definitely will keep the forum informed about the dome.

Today, at lunch, she seemed absolutely fine. I think I've grown a tad overprotective of her. Also, I've done a lot of reading and know that eye irritations seem to be quite common and can become serious if not cared for in a timely manner.

Thanks so much for you input; I will continue to keep and EYE on her.

[Luciano]

It's been a couple of days and I've not seen Juliet rub her eyes again. It might've been a little too much dechlorinator as SpotsMama had mentioned.

The Zilla Combo Dome has been very useful. I had to switch the 50 watt halogen bulb with a 25 watt bulb to get Juliet up on her dock and basking. Other than that, she seems very happy with it.