a vet answered
Aquatic turtle with red eyes kept shut and not eating, no better with eye drops
What they asked
Hello, I’m looking for advice regarding my aquatic turtle. Its eyes appear irritated and red, and it keeps them completely closed. It also refuses to eat. I have a water heater, a UVB lamp, a water filter, and a dry basking area in its tank. I have also been applying eye drops, but I haven’t noticed any improvement. I’m very concerned and would like to know what I can do to treat its eyes and help it recover. Could you please advise me on the next steps or let me know if it needs an urgent examination?
Sorry to hear about your turtle. He needs an urgent examination. That's a significant amount of eye swelling. If it's an infection or severe vitamin A deficiency, you will need prescription meds with oral or injectable treatment.
Have a question about your own pet?
Ask Dylan a questionAnswered from your description alone, without examining your pet. That makes this general information, not a diagnosis, treatment plan, or prescription, and it is not intended to establish a veterinarian-client-patient relationship. There is only so much anyone can tell from a message. For guidance specific to your pet, book an appointment so a vet can examine them properly.
Veterinarians on PawsRx are independent professionals, not PawsRx employees. Each is solely responsible for their own advice and clinical decisions. PawsRx does not review, endorse, recommend, or guarantee anything a vet or any other user posts, and does not practice veterinary medicine.
If you want your reptile seen in person
Clinics near you that see reptiles
Enter your ZIP. Send a clinic a request and they confirm a time with you.
Listings, not recommendations.
- Pet mouse making little beeping sounds for half an hour, like he's struggling to breathe: what should I do?
- Hermann's tortoise with pink tissue coming out of the cloaca that goes back in: normal, or a prolapse?
- Veiled chameleon's eye closed with a swollen bump above it: could it be an abscess?
- Male guinea pig with poop stuck around his bottom, sore when cleaned and not himself: what should I do?
- Green-cheek conure's eyes watering for two months with swollen eye rings: sinusitis or vitamin A deficiency?
- Five-year-old female guinea pig's private area swollen with brown crusty buildup: what should I do?
- Betta fish floating on his side for five days after a full round of treatment, water tests normal
- Pet mouse breathing fast with clicking and wheezing sounds and sitting still: how urgent is it?
Verified means we confirmed a veterinary license exists and is active in the state shown. It is not a review of anyone's skill, judgment, or disciplinary record, and it is not an endorsement or recommendation by PawsRx. In an emergency, contact an emergency clinic rather than waiting on an answer here. Have your own question? Ask a vet.