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Turtle Eye Problems (Swollen Shut Eyes): Causes and Emergency Care

When a turtle keeps one or both eyes shut, or the eyelids look swollen, it affects not just their vision but their ability to feed at all. Left untreated it tends to progress to loss of appetite, so it's best to respond fairly quickly.

Common causes

• Vitamin A deficiency: the most common cause in both land and aquatic turtles. It shows up as periorbital edema — swollen eyelids and a cloudy cornea.
• Poor water quality (aquatic species): dirty water makes bacterial conjunctivitis much more likely.
• Debris or trauma: substrate or sand getting into the eye and causing irritation.
• Accompanying respiratory illness: if nasal discharge or open-mouth breathing is also present, a respiratory infection may be occurring alongside it.

What you can do at home

1. Check water quality: for aquatic species, change the water immediately and check the filter is working.
2. Rinse gently with lukewarm water: gently wipe around the eyes with clean, lukewarm water to remove any debris.
3. Review the diet: think back on whether you've recently been feeding enough leafy greens and vitamin-A-rich food.

When to see a vet

If the eyes stay shut and your turtle refuses food, if there's discharge or pus from the eyes, or if nasal discharge or breathing difficulty accompanies it, home care is unlikely to resolve it on its own. Even if vitamin A deficiency is suspected, it's safer to get an exact dosage prescribed by a vet — overdosing can also be dangerous.

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Frequently Asked Questions

My turtle can't open its eyes — can I just give vitamin A supplements on my own?

If the eyes stay shut and your turtle refuses food, if there's discharge or pus from the eyes, or if nasal discharge or breathing difficulty accompanies it, home care is unlikely to resolve it on its own. Even if vitamin A deficiency is suspected, it's safer to get an exact dosage prescribed by a vet — overdosing can also be dangerous.

Is there anything I can do at home before going to the vet?

For aquatic species, change the water immediately and check that the filter is working, and gently wipe around the eyes with clean, lukewarm water to remove any debris. It also helps to think back on whether you've recently been feeding enough leafy greens and vitamin-A-rich food.

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