bent eye?

[erica]

I've done a search and can't find anything on this one but please bear with me if the question gets a bit long...

Isaac my wild fulica burrowed himself into the soil two days ago, after a day he borrowed deeper. After two he'd not moved so i gently moved the soil from around him to see if he's okay (my heating broke so i didn't want him to hibernate)

After a little while he woke up and has started to slowly come out, he ignored the sweet potato i put next to him. Anyway, I noticed that his left eye stalk is bent backwards no matter where he looks. The right one is moving about fine, if a little slowly, but it's relatively straight.

When sprayed both eyes retract pretty quickly and normally, but the left one still comes out at an angle. About 5 or 6mm from the end the stalk is bent backwards, and halfway down it's got a bit of a bend too, although the second isn't as bad.

Is this something I should worry about? Is it likely to go back to normal?
Erica
PS here's a pic but it's taken with a phone so i'm afraid it's not very clear - it looks a lot less natural in real life than the pic indicates

[Tigs]

Mine sometimes has a little kink in it - Well not mine personally but you know what i mean.

Sounds like you are doing everything i would do. How active is he now?

Tigs

[erica]

he crawled to the other side of the tank (below the heat mat) and burrowed under the moss. he was very slow (i know the potential for a joke there, slower than that though) and didn't eat anything.

i noticed that when the eye comes out after retracting it looks normal until the last kinky bit comes out.

[goose]

Erica - sorry Isaac is feeling poorly hope he gets better soon. Not sure what to suggest and of course you are looking after him very well so that will certainly help - maybe he has slightly damaged his eye stalk or something has irritated it, a slight swelling could cause the stalk above the swelling to bend. If it is irritation then chances are it heal itself with time. Sometimes snails carry parasites which affect the eyes but the pictures I have seen of this show much swelling usually at the base of the eye stalk - not like the picture you have taken of Isaac. If the eye is retracting normally then that is a good sign I would say. He may be feeling a little off colour and I suppose the fact that his eye is at a different angle may mean he is a little disorientated as his vision will be slightly affected. Maybe someone with more experience can help more? In the meantime fingers crossed that he is better soon.

[erica]

thanks for the replies - and you were right, he is better now. after another day of burrowing and laziness (of which i was very jealous) he came out and has been back to his usual self with the eye moving around as normal. phew!

[Tigs]

Great news ;D

[goose]

Brilliant - glad to hear he is OK!