Is white film on turtle’s eyes normal? It depends. If you notice white, chalky material appear over your turtles’ eyes – it is probably something to be concerned about.
In today’s article, I will help you understand the reasons why white film develops on your turtle. I will also explain what you should do if it happens, and how to prevent it in the future.
Why is there white film over a turtle’s eyes?
The main reasons white film develops over a turtle’s eye is because of respiratory illness, eye infection, eye tear, and natural discharge.
How to treat turtle with white film over eyes
If your turtle has white film over their eyes, I suggest you get them some eye drops. Below are the best eye drops for turtles:
Zoo Med Repti Turtle Eye Drops
Nature Zone Turtle Eye Vitamin Supplement
Below is more detail about the different things that cause white film over your turtle’s eyes.
Respiratory Illness
Respiratory illness is the most common disease among pet turtles. It can cause a wide range of symptoms, with the most common being excessive discharge from the face. This discharge usually comes out of either your turtle’s mouth or eye.
When discharge is released from your turtle’s eye, it can be hard for your turtle to shake it off. It can be very sticky, and eventually chalky deposits can form in and around your turtle’s eye. Below is a video of a turtle with a respiratory infection.
Eye Infection
There are two main types of eye infections in turtles: swollen eyelids and bacterial infections. While swollen eyelids don’t always cause white film to form, the main symptom of a turtle bacterial eye infection is white discharge in or around the eye. Your turtle might start twitching when their eye becomes infected.
In some cases, an ear abscesses can also cause a turtle’s eye to develop a white film.
Eye infections are usually caused by poor environments and unbalanced diets.
Eye Tear
A turtle can also develop white film over their eye when something pokes their eye. This is usually caused by plants or substrate in a turtle tank. This is most common in box turtles, since they spend most of their time crawling around the substrate.
If you have other animals in your tank, such as a frog, it might have also taken a bite at your turtle’s face or eyes. For this reason, I don’t recommend that you let a frog and turtle live together.
When something pokes your turtle’s eye, it can cause a tear that will puff up with inflammation. As a response, your turtle’s immune system will send discharge to the eye to try and soothe the burn. This excess discharge can cause a white film to form over their eye.
Natural Discharge
While white film can certainly be the sign of a health issue, there is also the chance that it is completely natural. A turtle’s eye will naturally always have some discharge to keep it moist and clean. Sometimes this discharge can naturally build up.
In most cases, it will naturally wash away or fall off if your turtle is healthy and lives in a healthy habitat.
How to prevent white film over a turtle’s eye?
The key to treating white film over a turtle’s eye and preventing it from happening in the future is to make sure your turtle has a clean and healthy environment. It is also important that you feed your turtle a balanced, nutritious diet.
Below are a bunch of different techniques you can use to treat the white film on your turtle’s eye:
- Clean your pet’s habitat thoroughly to make sure there isn’t something in the tank that might be irritating his or her eye(s). Check especially for sharp objects that might have poked your pet’s eyes. This could be ornaments, plants, or substrate.
- Remove any sharp objects with items like smooth rocks or driftwood for safer, eye-friendly decorations.
- Make sure to provide a UVB light source so your little one can get enough Vitamin D! Vitamin D is important for bone health and your pet turtle needs it to process calcium properly.
- Change the water in the habitat at least every week. This can help prevent the buildup of harmful bacteria, which could be the source of your turtle’s eye problem.
- Replace UV lights if they are old or have stopped working. If you suspect that white film on turtle’s eyes is caused by a calcium deficiency, you might want to consider replacing the UVB lights. Some bulbs are only good for a couple of months before they become inefficient.
- Vitamin A deficienciey could also be the cause of white film in your turtle’s eye. Turtles need fat-soluble vitamins like retinol (vitamin A) for healthy skin and clear vision! You can find a wide range of vitamin a supplements on amazon that you can feed your turtle.
Should I take my turtle to the vet if they have white film over their eye?
If you try all of the methods listed above, and the white film persists, your turtle might be at risk. Some white film on turtles’ eyes is harmless, but you should still have your pet checked by a qualified reptile veterinarian as soon as possible.
If left untreated for too long, eye problems in reptiles can become serious and even cause loss of sight or blindness.
In extreme cases, white film and infection in the eye can cause your turtle to die suddenly.
