Why Are My Turtle’s Eyes Sunken?

1 Causes and Fixes for Sunken Turtle Eyes

Why Turtle Eyes Sink In

1) Malnutrition:

1) Illness or infection reduces appetite and food intake, causing malnutrition. Or heavy internal parasites steal nutrients, leaving the body short, leading to sunken eyes.

2) Even with normal eating, an unbalanced diet can fail to supply enough nutrients, causing sunken eyes over time.

For both, cure any underlying disease and restore nutrition; eyes recover once fixed. To supplement: feed more fish and shrimp (nutritious and favored); avoid raw meat (parasite risk) and shellfish (also parasite-prone). You can also add a children’s vitamin tablet — half a tablet per feeding or one every two days.

2) Dehydration:

Dehydration is another common cause. Mild dehydration eases once the turtle is in water. If it persists with poor appetite, try probiotics; if no improvement, see a vet.

If dehydration is from bacterial infection, add an antimicrobial to the drinking water, give vitamins and sunlight to boost resistance; it recovers once the infection clears.

Turtles also often dehydrate during hibernation — take it out and soak in warm water about 10 minutes to relieve it; for severe cases add a little glucose solution to the water.

Tip: sick turtles are often dry-kept for treatment — learn the correct dry-keeping method and don’t forget to soak the turtle, or long dry-keeping causes dehydration and can be fatal. Take it seriously.