Need some Box Turtle first-aid advice

[Taceas]

As I was driving home tonight I noticed the vehicles in front of me swerving to miss something. As I approached I noticed it was a lone box turtle. So being the good person I try to be, I stopped and picked it up.

When I got it home I see why it was aimlessly wandering around the road..both of it's eyes are swelled shut. I tried wetting them and gently massaging them open, and they're sealed shut.

The turtle is pretty weak, I guess from not being able to see for foraging. So she's pretty calm when I am working on her. I did manage to get one eye loose, and flushed it out with saline. I have sensitive eyes and can't stand the regular chemical filled contact solution.

The eyes are bulged out and filled with an egg-white consistency fluid and there is also a white cheesy substance as well within the eyelid. Neither of them have an odor to them that I can tell.

Right now I've got her in a container on a UTH to keep her warm. I'd like to get her healed up and return her to the wild. I don't wish to keep an already threatened species captive.

Is there anything I can topically do for her eyes?

Is there anything that I can feed her to get her strength back up?

And also, is this a common problem with box turtles? I've seen it on one other turtle but it only had it in one eye.

And what is it?

[CornCrazy]

I did one of my rotations for school at a wildlife rehabilitation center. We had several turtles come in that were like that. I don't know how they treated it, but I do know that those turtles went off to the vet right away. If the turtle loses it sight, then it cannot ever be released. Is there a wildlife rehab place in your area? If not, then I would suggest taking it to the vet. Sorry I can't be any more help than that.

[Tim Madsen]

There is a product called turtle clear eyes that you can get at some pet stores. My Vet. recommends it for treating turtle eye problems. It's one of the few things you can buy off the shelf that actually works. Box turtles love earth worms and red wigglers they will eat them when they wont eat other things.

[anny]

On the topic of turtle first aid...
Yesterday a female egg carrying Eastern Painted Turtle was hit. Her shell was comletely cracked open; it was in peices. I have four of her eggs though. Anyone have any idea how I can care for them until fall? Indoors or out. If I bury them outside, how would I go about choosing a spot and burying at the right depth, etc.?

I've looked a little but I can't find out if there is a humidity that the eggs should be at or what. I have vague temp ranges, and I know that they should be buried in sandy soil, but other than that I have no clue. Anyone?

[Tim Madsen]

You can incubate turtle eggs the same as snake eggs, in moist vermiculite @ 82 degrees