Trachemys is a good choice for people who decide to have a pet, not a puppy or kitten, but a reptile. Unpretentious, rarely sick, happy to eat various food, they are perfect for a novice breeder. But sometimes she can get sick. Moreover, swollen eyes are most often observed in red-eared turtles - this organ is the weakest protected from various infections.
So, if you notice disturbing symptoms in your pet, you need to act quickly and decisively.
Causes of the disease
In fact, if the turtle has swollen eyes , this can be a consequence of both various diseases and improper contents. Most often, a whole range of errors leads to this: an improperly prepared diet (the food contains too little vitamin A), irregular cleaning in the terrarium, muddy water, in which harmful microorganisms actively multiply.
Also, if the red-eared turtle has swollen eyes, it can be assumed that this happened due to the low temperature in the terrarium. Still, all reptiles are much more than warm-blooded, depend on external environmental conditions.
Finally, eye swelling can occur if the turtle does not receive enough ultraviolet radiation.
Eye diseases
To begin with, we will analyze infectious diseases that can lead to the fact that the turtle has swollen eyes and does not open. First of all, it is regional blepharitis. It develops with a lack of vitamin A. With it, the eyelids turn red, the turtle cannot open his eyes, loses his appetite, suffers from exfoliation of the skin, exfoliation of the horny scutes. If treatment is not started on time, the disease will develop into kidney failure, and this is a true death sentence.
The case is quite complicated, so the doctor should deal with the treatment. He will prescribe eye wash (usually Ringer-Locke solution), instillation of drops (Ciprofloxacin or Sofradex), as well as intramuscular administration of vitamins.
Conjunctivitis may be another reason that the eyes of the turtle are swollen. In this case, the eyes are watery, the eyelids turn red. Pus may also accumulate in the conjunctival sac. Usually, microorganisms that have proliferated in water and in the entire terrarium as a whole lead to this condition.
In this case, self-medication should not be practiced either. The veterinarian will prescribe special drops - most often it is Sofradeks. However, if inflammation has not been treated for a long time, then a more serious drug, for example, Gentamicin, can be used.
Colds
Have you noticed that the turtle’s eyes are swollen, and besides, it coughs, cannot swim normally, falls over on its side? Most likely, the case is pneumonia. Alas, this happens quite often if the owners do not take care of the additional heating of the terrarium in the cold season.
Consult a veterinarian is definitely worth it. If this is not possible, you should expose the pet to the course of inhalation with chamomile.
The grass is poured with water and brought to a boil. After that, a sieve is installed on the pan (only not plastic and not metal - ordinary, of threads), a turtle is placed in it, the sieve is covered with a cloth and left for 10 minutes. After that, slightly cooled water should be diluted cold, so that the temperature is 30-45 degrees. The turtle can calmly swim in this water or just stand. Finally, the reptile is placed in a suitable dish and heated with a lamp to 35 degrees for 4 hours. Such procedures are quite tedious - you need to repeat them twice a day for a week.
Worse if the turtle suffers from complex rhinitis. Symptoms are very similar to pneumonia, but an open mouth (it cannot breathe) and air bubbles coming out of the nose when a pet swims are added to them. It is better not to engage in self-medication - immediately go to the veterinarian. He will prescribe suitable antibiotics that will surely help the patient.
Prevention
Alas, in most cases, the insufficiently attentive owner is to blame for all the diseases listed above. If you took a turtle to your house, then try to provide it with the most comfortable living conditions.
First of all, this, of course, hygiene. The terrarium needs to be cleaned regularly. When the debris and feces of the turtle get into the water, various bacteria can develop in it, which pose a serious danger to both reptiles and people. Therefore, you need to ensure that the food is eaten, and the remnants are removed. Feces should be removed as quickly as possible. Change the water in the terrarium at least once a week. Perform general cleaning once or twice a month - wash sand or pebbles, clean the walls and all interior elements in the terrarium.
Also do not forget about the temperature regime. If the red-eared turtle's eyes are swollen and do not open, it is highly likely that she caught a catarrhal disease precisely because of the cold. 24-27 degrees seems to you quite sufficient temperature. But such a cold-blooded reptile is completely unsuitable. She used to live in a much warmer climate.
Therefore, make sure to install a lamp with a suitable power in the terrarium - you can purchase it at any pet store. Do not forget about the thermometer to monitor the temperature regime - overheating is no less dangerous than overcooling.
Finally, it is very important that you make the right diet for the Red-eared Turtle. We will tell you more about this.
Diet
If you encounter reddening of the eyes of a turtle, it may be that there is a lack of vitamin A. Fortunately, this is very easy to avoid, because this valuable vitamin is found in the vegetable available in every kitchen, without exception. Of course, we are talking about carrots. A few slices of juicy root vegetables per day will fully satisfy the pet's need for vitamin A. In case of eye diseases, you can also give a small amount of liver - not more than 1 time per week.
The usual diet should be plant foods. Algae (ludwigia, hornwort, duckweed, ceratopteris), which can be grown in a separate aquarium and gradually feed their excess turtle, are great. She eats cabbage and salad scalded with boiling water, dandelions, clover, fresh cucumbers and even thinly sliced peels of watermelon.
Conclusion
So that is all. Now you know exactly what to do if the turtle has swollen eyes and has figured out what to do so that such a disease does not overshadow the life of your and your pet.