Reptile & Amphibian Forums

First, sorry for the double post; I accidentally posted this to the sulcata forum before realizing it wasn't the main tortoise page, so trying again here.

I have 2 leopard tortoise hatchlings that are showing signs of respiratory illness (swollen eyes). I purchased a product called Reptaid that is supposed to be very good for respiratory illness, but I'm having trouble getting it into these little guys' mouths.

I have a small syringe and aim to give them each 2-3 very small drops from the tip of the needle. I've been trying to gently pry open their mouths using the round end of a paper clip and that's not working for me; I'm afraid to hurt them.

Are there any tips or tricks for getting a hatchling's mouth open with a minimum of stress to the animal?

By the way, I do also have them under a MegaRay with the basking spot thermostat turned up to 95-100, and I'm soaking them a couple times a day.

Any thoughts would be greatly appreciated. I would prefer to avoid antibiotics in such young animals unless I can't heal them through other means.

I dont know anything about reptaid but years ago I had issues with two baby eastern box turtles that kept getting swollen and krusty eyes. I decided to try Zoo Med's Turtle Eye Drops which is for swollen and shut eyes due to a lack of Vitamin A. I used the product for about 4 days and never had an issue again. I would from time to time give then a squirt or two just as a preventative. This seemed to work quick in reducing the swelling in a couple hours and kept them from swelling again. It seems you can get it online at a lot of places and in a few stores. Probably worth a shot before trying the reptaid.

Good Luck, Jason
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Everyone Is In A Hurry To Get Nowhere Quick, Fast!!!!!!!!!!!

Thanks, Jason--I will take a look for that product and see if it helps. I'm pretty confident this is a respiratory issue, but I know they can get primary eye issues too.