snapping turtle,common

Question
My 13yr.old snapping turtle has developed a swollen inner eyelid[bulbous},pinkish-cream colored as is his unswollen other inner eyelid.there is no sign of viral infection,no wheezing or sneezing.Eyes are clear,not runny,vision good.Animal is healthy and vital,eats well.Please advise.

Answer
Hello Frank,

Since this is not accompanied by any other symptoms, there might
be an indication of poor conditions:

- Keep the vivarium clean and well lighted. Make sure you are providing a varied diet with lots of calcium, a good basking area, and correct temperatures.

- Make sure that the water is clean! Even with a well working filtration system, you might have to change the water once/week

- Vitamin A deficiency can cause puffy eyes (swollen membranes.) Use a supplement that has vitamin A occasionally. Too much vitamin A is toxic, so don't overdo it. My advice would be to use Aquatic plants, dark greens, sweet potato, squash and carrots in the diet. They contains a lot of A vitamin.

If you won't see any improvements within a week or so, you probably should contact a vet for further help.

Best wishes
Sara