Urgent Care :: Eye Swollen

[punzalan]

Hi. My 10+ year old slider has a swollen eye. Happened within the last day. Any advice on cause and how to treat?

How big is your turtle? around 8" shell from head to tail
How long have you had it? since 2019. adopted from a neighbor who previously had her in an aquarium

What is the water temperature? 75ish degrees
Did you use a thermometer? no
Are you using a water heater? no
How much water is in there? around 1000 gallons
Are you using a water conditioner? when needed
Are you using any filtration? yes, skimmer attached to waterfall and pump at bottom of pond attached to external filter

What is the basking temperature? 80 degrees
Is there a basking light? no natural sun
Is there a basking platform that is easy to climb on? yes
What kind is it or what is it made out of? rock, sand, gravel
Is there a UVB light? no

What have you been trying to feed it? zoo med turtle floating pellets
When was the last time your turtle ate? today

How big is the tank/pond/enclosure? 1000 gallons
Is the tank near a window? pond in backyard
Is the tank in a room with a lot of activity? N/A

Have you read the Basic Care section? yes
Have you searched the forums for similar situations? yes

Is there any other unusual activity/symptoms? no

[steve]

Usually if it's just the one eye/eyelid, it was probably some injury. No way to know what's causing it and it's probably a good idea to have a vet check it out.

[punzalan]

So weird. When I checked on her this morning, both eyes looked like this although she was opening the right one still. So I made an appointment for her at the vet for later today. I just went in the backyard and she was out laying eggs and neither eye looked injured. Once she finished I put her in a tube with water so I could keep an eye on her (and not have to fish her out of the pond for her vet appt) and now she looks fine. Moving around in the tub like she's at a swim party. Could she have just not been feeling good because she had a clutch to lay?

[steve]

Having a clutch would not be related to eye issues. Do you have any UVB lights for her setup?

[punzalan]

Well now that I've put her back in the pond she's showing signs again in one eye. I'm mostly seeing her with it closed but she will open it some. She's eating and otherwise normal. No UVB light as she's in a backyard pond. I did get some cod liver oil so will try that and if not better will take her to the vet.

[steve]

Cod liver oil is great if there's a vitamin deficiency. Zoo Med has (had?) some turtle eye drops that were medicated, it might help with irritation. Any swelling or discoloration?

[punzalan]

Hi Steve. Thanks for all your responses. Yesterday she seemed fine. Ate very well and eyes were open, no discoloration and not swollen. I did scoop her out of the pond and put cod liver oil on her eyes just in case and will keep a close eye on her for several days.