April 5, 2016
"This terrapin eats only meat, mainly fish and prawns as she rejects the pellets," the woman said. "For the past 4 weeks, she has no appetite as my domestic worker sees the meat still present inside the tank.
In the past, the terrapin will eat all and be taken out of the tank after 2 hours to roam on the floor. But in the past 4 weeks, the domestic worker had retained the terrapin for 4 hours to ensure she will eat. But she had no appetite.
"When do the eyes become shut and the eyelids swollen?" I asked.
"I don't know," the mistress said. Neither did the domestic worker who mentioned that it could be the past 2 weeks. The water was very dirty with stools and meat during the 4 hours and this poor quality of water irritated the terrapin's eyes. So painful were the eyes that the terrapin shuts the eyelids and will not eat.
"How long will she recover?" the mistress asked.
"It is hard to tell. It depends on how badly infected the eyelids are," I could see the terrapin using his right fore hand to rub his right eye.
I hospitalised the terrapin for 2 days giving eye drops and medication and warm morning sunshine for 30 minutes. Her left eyelid started to open first showing a cloudy upper cornea. Then the right swollen eyelids opened. The next day, the eyelids were much less swollen.
So, on Day 3, the terrapin went home. I advised changing of water twice a day. Apply eye drops and give medication inside the prawns and fishes. Also to vary the diet and introduce pellets.
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