Have a shelled companion at home? The glistening pair of eyes, under the water’s surface or basking under the warmth of the sun, are your pet turtle’s windows into the world. Eye problems are the most common and concerning health risks in aquatic and terrestrial pet turtles. If not properly treated on time, it causes serious health concerns for your shelled companion and can even prove fatal. Most turtle parents are constantly on the lookout for great turtle eye drops to not only treat and provide instant relief to their pets but prevent eye infections too.
In effect, a good turtle eye drop not only ensures good eyesight and ocular health in your pet turtles but also plays a vital role in maintaining their overall well-being. In this blog, we help you understand the uses of turtle eye drops and how to find the best one for your pet turtle.
The Science Behind Turtle Eye Drops
Being one of the oldest in the reptile group, turtles are natural wonders that reflect their ancient lineage. Turtles have adapted and evolved over the centuries to develop capabilities to thrive in diverse environments. Their eyes have developed complex capabilities for life on earth and in water.
One of the main distinguishing features of turtle eyes is their nictitating membrane, also known as the third eyelid. It is a transparent membrane that covers and protects their eyes, acting as a shield against debris and water. This membrane enhances their vision while swimming and protects their eyes while burrowing, enabling them to maintain proper vision even in challenging conditions.
The ocular health of turtles is of paramount importance as it directly impacts their overall health and wellbeing. To take care of their ocular health, you need to understand the common eye problems that turtles face and how turtle eye drops help.
Two Most Common Turtle Eye Problems
- Swollen Eye:
One of the most common eye problems that turtles experience is the swollen eye. Vitamin A deficiency and a poor diet are the top causes of turtle swollen eyes. High chlorine concentrations and the poor quality of water in their tank also cause turtle eyes to swell. Physical injuries also result in swollen eyes. Physical injuries could be caused by a sharp object in their tank, self-inflicted injuries, or injuries caused by other turtles poking them.
How to tell if your pet turtle is experiencing a swollen eye problem? If your pet turtle is experiencing one or more of the following, it is indicative of a swollen eye problem.
- Swollen and/or puffy eyelids
- Completely shut eyes
- Reddish eyes
- Redness of conjunctiva & orbital glands
- Fluid secretion from the eyes
- Dead cell accumulation around the eyes
- Blocked nose
- Alarming weight loss
Your pet turtle may experience these symptoms in one or both eyes. While Vitamin A deficiency, imbalanced diets, and poor water quality cause swollen eyes in both eyes, physical injuries often cause swollen eyes in one eye. When both eyes are swollen, it is often an indication that your turtle is having an underlying health issue.
Regardless of whether one or both eyes are swollen, quick action needs to be taken to provide comfort to your shelled companion and protect their health from deteriorating. Leaving a swollen eye untreated or improperly treated could cause blindness in your shelled companion. For immediate relief and treatment of swollen eyes, you should always have a good turtle eye drops kit handy.
- Eye Infection:
The other most common turtle eye problem is eye infections. Eye infections are caused by a wide range of bacteria present in the water owing to its poor quality or poor maintenance of the tank. The infection may also originate from another body organ which later attacks the eye.
Conjunctivitis is one of the most common turtle eye infections caused by bacterial, viral, or fungal infections. It is characterized by the inflammation of the thin membrane covering the white part of the turtle’s eye, leading to redness, swelling, and watery discharge from the eye.
In some cases, physical injuries, poor diet, and environmental conditions could also cause turtle eye infections. Regardless of the root cause, turtle eye infections are serious problems and need to be handled with care.
Here are some of the symptoms to tell you if your little pet turtle is experiencing an eye infection.
- Redness of the eye/ conjunctiva and tissues around it
- Swollen and/or puffy eyes
- Liquid discharge from eyes
- Wheezing
- Loss of balance while swimming
- Constant scratching or rubbing of eyes
- Fluid secretion from the nose and mouth
- Frothing from eyes, nose, or mouth
- Excessive weight loss
While using turtle eye drops offers instant relief, it is important to visit a reptile veterinarian if the symptoms do not ease. Leaving an infection untreated or improperly treated has serious health implications for your turtle.
Turtle Eye Drops: The Uses & Benefits
The good thing about these turtle eye problems is that they are curable if treated on time and preventable with adequate precautions. One of the best ways to cure and prevent eye infections is by using good-quality turtle eye drops.
How turtle eye drops work is that they remove unwanted secretions from the eye. They clean foreign materials and harmful substances from the eyes. Turtle eye drops irrigate/ soak the eye and clear any irritation your pet turtle may be experiencing, providing them with relief.
Turtle eye drops help open and clean the inflamed, swollen, and infected eyes of your pet turtles. They can be administered with ease to your shelled pet’s eyes. They also help in preventing certain eye infections and swollen, especially those originating from Vitamin A deficiencies.
Remember that turtle eye drops are just one of the ways to treat and prevent turtle eye problems. You must find the root cause of eye problems, which could be underlying health problems, Vitamin A deficiency, poor tank cleaning, improper tank filtration, imbalanced diets, or other environmental and hygiene problems. You must address these root causes to prevent the recurrence of turtle eye problems and ensure that your little shelled companion is hale and healthy.
The Best Turtle Eye Drops
Wondering which are the best eye drops for your turtle? Your search end for safe and effective turtle eye drops for your shelled companion ends here.
One of the best turtle eye drops in the market is Taiyo Turtle Eye Drops. It is super safe, gentle, and easy to use and is suitable for all breed sizes. Taiyo Eye Drops are effective in cleaning swollen and infected eyes, as well as preventing certain eye problems in turtles.
Order now! Visit our website.
