My russian tortoise

Could be a couple of things. How is your setup? What are the temps of the enclosure, and the humidity? Do you have a UVB bulb (box must say UVB) and a heat lamp? What is his diet? What kind of tortoise? It could be the beginning of RI or it could be a vit A infection or just a cold. You may want to reevaluate your care though and make sure he has what he needs. Also if he is being kept with any other tortoises, quarantine him. If, after following suggestions below, he doesn’t improve you will need a qualified herp vet.

Swollen/closed eyes: This is often caused by a respiratory or other infection, but may also be due to a lack of nutrition, lack of sunlight, or dehydration. First check for signs of a respiratory infection (below) and treat accordingly as soon as possible. Any kind of discharge from the nose, or other signs of infection should be dealt with by a reptile veterinarian. Otherwise, try soaking the animal in warm water for a few minutes a day to help rinse any pus out of the eye, or soften it if it has hardened. Raise humidity levels by misting the enclosure (a hospital enclosure should probably be used during treatment) and providing an adequately sized water dish. Swollen eyes are also a symptom of a Vitamin A deficiency. If this is a possibility, get a multivitamin supplement with Vitamin A, and include appropriate fruits and vegetables in the diet. Also be sure your pet gets plenty of natural, unfiltered sunlight daily. Injections of Vitamin A can easily overdose and should be used as a last resort.

Respiratory infection: Symptoms include difficulty breathing, breathing with the mouth open, discharge or mucus in the nose (bubbles appear in nostrils), frequent sneezing, lethargy, and lack of appetite. Preliminary treatment of these symptoms should be to increase the temperature of the enclosure to at least 85 degrees and eliminate any cold drafts from the room. If this is an aquatic turtle, make sure the water isn’t too cold. Check your pet often to see if the symptoms improve over the next couple of days. If they do, continue treatment until the turtle is 100%. If the symptoms do not go away, or get worse, see a vet immediately. Respiratory infections can accelerate to pneumonia quickly, and will usually be fatal.