Eye scratching on occasion is nothing to worry about, that’s true in turtles, humans, or any other living creature, but it that starts to become a problem the more frequently it happens
This article looks into why your turtle keeps scratching its eyes
Table of Contents
My turtle keeps scratching his eyes:
The eyes of turtles, just as with the eyes of humans, are quite delicate and are very important for one’s autonomy.
If your pet keeps rubbing its eyes, if the eye rubbing seems to be a continuous thing, then you’d understandably be worried
Here is why your turtle may keep scratching its eyes:
Eye irritation:
One reason why your turtle may be scratching its eyes may be that the eye has been irritated by something and the turtle is trying to relieve the irritation by rubbing its eyes.
The water in your pet’s tank may be the reason behind the eye irritation. If the water chemistry of your pet’s tank is off then eye irritation may ensue.
A water chemistry issue may develop if there is an excess of ammonia or chlorine in the tank’s water.
What to do:
Before you replace all the water in your pet’s tank it’s recommended that you test this theory out. Do this by filling a clean container with distilled water and placing your pet in the container
If the rubbing stops while the turtle is in this new container then the tank water was the reason behind the eye rubbing.
To solve this issue you would need to replace the water currently in your pet’s tank and make sure that you frequently change the water in the tank from here on out.
Using a water conditioner will also keep any eye irritation at bay.
Giving your pet some turtle-safe eye drops will do well to immediately relieve the animal’s eye issues.
Injury or abrasion:
Another reason why your turtle may be scratching its eyes may be because the animal suffered an injury or abrasion at its eyes.
The injury may have been caused by the turtle itself or by another turtle. The abrasion may have been caused by something like sand getting on the turtle’s eye or getting under the animal’s eyelid.
This injury or abrasion may cause the animal to scratch its eyes to relieve it.
What to do:
If you can’t see the injury or abrasion then it is likely quite small and will remedy itself over some time, the piece of sand will likely come out of the animal’s eyes over time.
You can also use a saline solution to flush the animal’s eye, this should help get any sand or debris out.
Keeping your pet’s enclosure clean will also keep debris and sand from getting under the eyelid or on the eyeball.
Eye infection:
Another reason why your pet turtle may be scratching its eye may be that the animal is suffering from an eye infection.
Infections can develop on a number of turtle body parts including the eye, These infections will cause discomfort and the animal may try to scratch the eye to feel comfortable
What to do:
Taking your pet to the vet to be examined, diagnosed, and treated would be the way to go in this case.
If your turtle is living with other turtles then separating the animals, so the ill turtle doesn’t infect the healthy turtles, is recommended
If you enjoyed this article then you may also be interested in other turtle/tortoise related articles. Here are some articles that you may be interested in: My Turtle Has A Hole In Its Shell, Is My Turtle Underweight?, Can Turtles Overheat?, My Turtle Is Spitting Up Blood, My Turtle Only Laid One Egg, My Turtle Only Eats Shrimp, My Turtle Only Eats Lettuce, My Turtle Tank Smells Bad, Why Does My Turtle Tank Smell Bad After Cleaning?
