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My turtle has puffy eyes, won't eat, and shell rot. What should I do?

Updated On September 23rd, 2025

Pet's info: Reptile | Turtle | Male | 5 years old | 1.1 lbs

Hi I can't take my turtle to the vet since the vets near us only treat cats and dogs. My turtle is a five-year old box turtle. Last week I placed him in land habitat since he was getting shell rots from the water since the filter broke. Since then he wouldn't eat. He'd just chew the pellet then spits it out. He also developed puffy eyes, the other eye has a white bump on his lid. He would also yawn from time to time but not repeatedly. Lastly, he always rubs his face with his hand.

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3 Answers

Most Helpful Answer

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Answered By Dr. Strydom, DVM

Veterinarian

Published on June 29th, 2019

Sounds like he may have hypovitaminosis A. I suggest you read this article for suggestions on care and treatment. This is a diet and housing/lighting/temperature issue so be sure you are caring for him correctly. ( https://www.petplace.com/article/reptiles/general/vitamin-a-deficiency-hypovitaminosis-a-in-turtles/ ) ( http://www.avianandexotic.com/care-sheets/reptiles/aquatic-turtle/ ) As for the shell rot, you cannot keep an aquatic turtle on dry land 24/7. You should put him in water four one hour a day to eat and toilet then dry dock him again on land in a soft towel with a small, shallow water bowl for the remainder of the day. It is also important to get these turtles some UV light. At least twenty minutes a day in the sunshine or a set up with a UV lamp works well. It is also important the species are kept at their preferred body temperature to encourage the body to heal, a cold turtle can not mount an immune response. As a general rule around 25C suits most turtles.

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    Answered By Dr. Strydom, DVM

    Veterinarian

    Published on May 21st, 2017

    Hello. I think there may be some areas of shell rot that I can see on the photos on the carapace - the marginal scutes It is truly difficult to tell on those photos. What does trouble me on the photos is the bulging eyes. It is indicative of hypovitaminosis A (deficiency of vitamin A). Between those two things I think you should get him to a vet for an exam. That would be the best idea. I hope this helps. Best wishes. Dr. Amber

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    Answered By Todd Cecil

    Veterinarian

    Published on January 21st, 2019

    Thanks for reaching out about Squirt and including photos. This does not appear to be shell rot as is uniform across the entire shell. The recommendation is to keep an eye on it and if appears to be progressing, seek a visit with a veterinarian. Good luck

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