russian tortoise eye problem

Question
my russian tortoise is 2 years old and his eyes have been closed for a few days and are also runny and hes gone off his food would like any help please

Answer
Could be a respiratory infection (RI), a tortoise version of a flu. It could also be dehydration, depending on the cares and diet it gets.

Russians need a 'normally humid' habitat, that is, about 50% humidity with a more humid hiding option, available water, some moisture in some food, and the chance to soak when they want. It is easy to keep them too dry- on a dehydrating substrate, too dry foods, etc.

Signs of dehydration are flaky skin, sunken or closed eyes, 'tears' around the eyes, and feeling light for its size.

Signs of RI include breathing noises, bubbles at the nose, discharge at the nose, and can often include wet and swollen or closed eyes.

Care for both is pretty similar, but dehydration means you need to change the basic cares overall.

1. Soak the tortoise in shallow, warm water for 15-20 minutes or so. If it struggles a lot, shorten the time. Make sure the water is less than about 1/3rd the height of the shell and stays nicely warm. Repeat daily for about a week, then cut back slowly to weekly soakings.

2. Boost the temps in the habitat in the warm end. Aim for upper 80's to lower 90's. Try to keep the cool end cooler- 80'ish.

3. Raise overall humidity. How you do this will depend on your set-up. A humid hide can be made from a small plastic box with a lid (like a plastic shoebox) with a hole cut in the side. Put some dampened moss or even paper towels in it, and park it in a warm area of the habitat.

NOTE: If the habitat is already so humid that condensation forms or surfaces are clammy, then it needs to be made less humid- dry it up some. Too much humidity can help cause RI.

4. Leave the tortoise as alone as possible to reduce stress.

5. If you do not already use one, consider using a UVB bulb about 12-18" over the ground. Not only do tortoises need UVB or vitamin D3 to properly process calcium, the UVB also helps kill germs.

6. Add a small pinch of a good reptile vitamin and calcium supplement to the food every other day to help it build immunity.

Some places you can try for more help would be:

http://www.russiantortoise.org (a great sight for these tortoises!)

http://www.turtleforum.com or http://www.tortoiseforum.org (both are filled with experienced keepers who can help as well.)

Good luck!