Eyes and Aim

Question

Bowseta   I have a female viatnamiese black breasted leaf turtle that is 16 years old. Latety when ever I feed her (mealworms) she keeps on trying to rub her eyes with her front legs, and I noticed that she has theses bumps on her eyeballs. also when I feed her she keeps on missing her food when she tries to grab it. I read about her breed of turtle and found out that they live to be 50 years or older so I know it's not old age because she's only 16. Please tell me what's going on and how to fix it.

Answer
Hi Anna,

I can't tell anything from the picture you posted because it's much too dark.  About all I can tell is that her eyes appear to be quite swollen.  I really need more information in order to help.  I need to know how long you've had her, exactly how you have her set up (enclosure type and size, substrate, basking/UVB bulbs, temperatures in warm and cool areas), and complete diet.

It's possible her eye issue is due to infection, but if her sole diet is mealworms and/or there's no UVB provided or inadequate room, the problem could also be due to that.  A wide variety of foods is very important for nutrition, for example.   If you can post back with more information I can help you to pinpoint what the problem is.