Help. Possible excess heat exposure

So down here in California it has been getting super hot lately. I had left for school this morning with my beardie 100% fine. I return back home and find his eyes super swollen. I took him back first to the pet shop we got him from. They say that it could have happened from the vessels in his eyelids swelling. He told me to let my tank cool down and just leave him alone and keep an eye on him. Swelling has gone down just a little and he says my beardie should be find by morning. Either way I am already looking towards going to a vet 2morrow morning. Has any one ever experienced this problem before?

Hello,

I have never heard of overheating causing the eyes to swell. What type of UVB light are you using? What type of substrate are you using?
How HOT did it get in his tank? What do you measure the temps with?

Tracie

I don't know exactly how hot his tank got. All I really have to measure the temperature of the tank is this dinky little strip. His tank is half lined with paper towel and the other half is a fabric of sort. His UVB light is Zoo-Med tube

i had the same problem and have been working with tracie to get them right now, it has been very hot in cali, what are you taking your temps with?

Don't really have anything but a little strip

Hello,

The little stick on temp readers are not reliable as they can be off by as much as 20 degrees! I would recomend getting a digital with a probe or a temp gun asap. It is crucial to have the correct temps in the tank for your beardie to be able to thrive. I have never heard of swollen eyes due to over heating either. I was thinking it could have something to do with the wrong UVB maybe. I see u have the ZooMed UVB tube! I am glad to hear it is the tube & not a coil. The ZooMed ReptiSun 10 is the best recomended UVB light. Is this the UVB u have? If so...PERFECT! lol

~Sandy

Yes that is the UVB I have. He's actually feeling a little better now eyes are still super swollen but compared to yesterday he has gotten some of his energy back. And this morning during a little bath he actually drank some water. He's back in his cage now with the basking light on again and I've been monitoring him. I have an appointment scheduled with the vet at 5. I'm still worried though because I still have no idea whats wrong with him.

Hey that's great that u have a vet appointment. Better to be safe then sorry, ya know? Hope everything goes well. Keep us posted & Good Luck!!

~Sandy

Thank you very much

Hello,

You mentioned that you have a little strip? How little, is it a compact flourescent or a long tube bulb?
I am just making sure because the long tube lights do not cause eye swelling like that. How close is the light to your dragon?
What type of basking light are you using?
Don't let the vet automatically medicate your dragon without doing a blood test or cause/reason to do so.

Tracie

Have you been bathing him to make sure he isn't dehydrated? Is he shedding on his head, if so, perhaps he is doing the eye bulging to help loosen the skin there.

Please answer Tracie's questions as they are very important.

It is a long tube bulb. Anyways the vet had told me the same as the pet shop guy I had bought my dragon from. The excessive heat has caused the swelling in the head. The vet had said that he doesn't know if my dragon will pull through in the end. He says that even if the swelling goes down he may have suffered some swelling to the brain. He had given my dragon disinflammants as well as a gel to put in his eye to help lubricate and remove some swelling.In addition to that he also injected him with some fluids. And yes I have been giving him baths and trying to get him to drink. So basically all I can do is let time play it all out. I feel horrible... like this is all my fault I don't think anything is wrong with his brain because he is actually acting liking he normally does minus the swollen eyes. I pray and hope that my beardie gets better =/

Hello,

How HOT did it get in the tank? What are you measuring the temps with? What heat sources are you using, was he by a window to where the sun came through? How close is he to the heat source?
Can you post a picture of him?
This is just very strange. Usually excessive heat does the opposite, it causes severe dehydration & the eyes sink in?? That just doesn't sound right to me. I have never seen or heard of a case where the eyes or head swelled up from heat exposure.
Are his eyes swollen or his entire head?

What substrate are you using?

Tracie

Its some crappy little thermometer. Yes he tank is right under a window. Idk how hot it got. His tank is lied half with reptile carpet and half with paper towel. I try to get a pic up in a little bit

And just his eyes are swollen