Sealed eyes

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Hello so when my male bearded dragon Igneal wakes up in the morning his eyes are kinda sealed **** I have to take a wet quetip or paper towel n help him jngunk his eyes. What is this, and is how I’m helping him safe?
 

Drache613

BD.org Sicko
Staff member
Moderator
Hello,

How long have the eyes been sealed shut?
Can you review the type/brand of UVB light you are using? Is it a compact/coil light
or a tube bulb?
If you can post some pictures that would be great, just so we can see his condition.
For now you can get some sterile saline solution to help flush the eyes out with, daily.
Are you using a sand or other loose particulate for bedding?

Tracie
 

Spartan101

Member
Original Poster
His bedding is reptile carpet, his uvb is a tube bulb, and if I knew how to post pics using my phone I would the best way I can describe what it is is what we get in our eyes when we sleep.
 

kingofnobbys

BD.org Sicko
Spartan101":kwfn5kav said:
His bedding is reptile carpet, his uvb is a tube bulb, and if I knew how to post pics using my phone I would the best way I can describe what it is is what we get in our eyes when we sleep.

What brand is the UVB tube ? It is a white 10%UVB T8 or T5HO tube ?
Though I don't think you are dealing with photo-conjunctivitis.

Try manuka honey (medihoney , a good brand is Activon) , made up as 50% in water .

I had a similar issue with my latest rescue , an injured and very sick wild water skink who my wife found in our back yard and was blind and very very lethargic and weak when she brought her inside to me.

See my thread here : viewtopic.php?f=6&t=238063
Fluffy's eyes have improved greatly.

I do the diluting and mixing in a syringe and store the solution in the syringe ==> no wastage.

I use a 14Gauge DRAWINGUP (NOT SHARP) syringe attached to a 1ml syringe to drawup about 0.3ml of honey from the tube of manuka honey , then drawup about the same volume of water. Mix and you have 0.6ml of 50% honey solution in the syringe which will last many days. (I put a syringe cap over the syringe nozzle and keep in a dark room temperature place between uses).

I simply very carefully deposit a drop of the 50% honey solution on the eyelids of each closed eye a couple of times per day. A bearded dragon may need 3 - 4 drops per eye . The solution seems to have a very low surface tension so it spreads very and if the dragon gets a taste he'll go bananas for it , and when he knows it come from the syringe he'll be very keen get some when he sees/smells the stuff.

I would be a good idea to take the dragon to the vet so a swab can be taken the enable the vet to do cultures and determine what kind of germ is causing this , even if you chose to try diluted manuka honey drops on his eyes. Especially if this has been going on for while and shows no sign of improving.
Note that most forms of conjunctivitis are highly infectious and it only takes you having contact with the infected reptile to spread it to all the other reptiles you have contact with unless you take steps to prevent the spread.
 

EllenD

Gray-bearded Member
Can you tell us what brand of UVB tube you have, and what model/strength/wattage? It will say it right on the tube, should be something like "Reptisun 10.0 T8 17 watt" just as an example...

Also, what color and type (regular lightbulb shape or a coil/spiral bulb) of basking bulb do you use?

Also, can you list his Basking Spot Surface temperature, Hot Side Ambient temperature, and Cool Side Ambient temperature? What type of thermometer do you use?

This is either photoconjunctivitis, which is an eye infection being caused by one of his lights (usually it's the basking bulb if you are using a UVB tube, although the Brand of UVB tube can also be very telling), or it's just an eye infection caused by a bacteria or a fungi, just like we get. I would do exactly what Tracie already told you, buy a bottle of regular, saline-only eye drops (like plain Visine), they sell them at the DollarTree for $1, but you don't want ones that have any medications added for redness or allergies, just plain saline eye drops. Then rinse each eye with them at least twice a day. Then you can buy either the raw, unfiltered/unpasteurized honey and dilute it with warm water (natural antibiotic) or you can go to Tractor Supply and buy a small tube of Terramycin for $15. It's expensive, but it's exactly the same prescription antibiotic that your own doctor would write a prescription for and you would get filled at your own pharmacy. It's available over-the-counter for animals.

This isn't going to stop if it's "Photo-conjunctivitis" and you don't remove the light that is causing it, this is quite common. So please, let us know exactly what UVb tube you have and what color/shape/wattage of basking bulb you have.
 

Spartan101

Member
Original Poster
The bulb I am using is a desert 50 uvb t8 fluorescent bulb, this morning he woke up and was able to open his eyes fine. I’ll keep an eye on him this weekend and if it continues I’ll take him to the vet. Since it’s winter and there is snow what is the best way of transporting them so that they don’t freeze?
 

EllenD

Gray-bearded Member
Spartan101":18za6n9c said:
The bulb I am using is a desert 50 uvb t8 fluorescent bulb, this morning he woke up and was able to open his eyes fine. I’ll keep an eye on him this weekend and if it continues I’ll take him to the vet. Since it’s winter and there is snow what is the best way of transporting them so that they don’t freeze?


VERY IMPORTANT: As an extremely important FYI about your Zilla Desert 50 T8 UVB tube, there are 2 serious issues with this particular UVB tube that you need to make sure you are doing correctly.

#1) If you bought the Zilla Desert 50 T8 UVB tube along with the Zilla Slimline Fixture (they usually come as a combo package that includes both for around $40), most all of those Zilla Slimline tube Fixtures have a clear, hard-plastic, safety cover on them that is attached to the bottom of the fixture with 2 screws, and this clear plastic cover goes over the actual UVB tube. NO UVB LIGHT CAN PENETRATE CLEAR PLASTIC OR GLASS, AND AS SUCH YOU MUST ABSOLUTELY REMOVE THAT CLEAR PLASTIC COVER FROM THE FIXTURE, AS IF IT'S ON IT, YOUR DRAGON HAS GOTTEN NO UVB LIGHT AT ALL!!!! This particular problem has resulted in hundreds of Bearded Dragons developing severe Calcium Deficiency and Metabolic Bone Disease (MBD), and even death in many cases. So please check your Zilla tube fixture Immediately if you haven't already, and if that clear plastic cover is on the bottom of the fixture you must remove it right now, as he's gotten no UVB light at all since he's been under it. Zilla has been contacted about this problem several hundred times by angry and devastated Dragon owners, but refuses to do anything about it...

#2) The Zilla Desert 50 T8 UVB tube is an extremely weak UVB tube. It's only a 15 watt tube (in comparison the 18" Reptisun 10.0 T8 UVB tube is 17 watts and these following rules apply to it as well, so you can see how weak the Zilla UVB tube is and how important this is to do). As such, you absolutely cannot have the Zilla Desert 50 T8 UVB tube sitting on top of any kind of mesh tank lid or have it obstructed by anything. No T8 strength UVB tubes are strong enough to sit on top of a mesh lid (even the T8 Reptisun 10.0 tube), as the mesh lids block around 40% of the UVB light emitted by any UVB tube, and the T8 tubes are far too weak to penetrate adequate UVB light through the mesh to your dragon. The Zilla Desert 50 T8 UVB tube is the weakest T8 strength UVB tube made today, so again, many hundreds of Bearded Dragon owners have permanently disable dragons due to Metabolic Bone Disease (MBD) because they just allowed the Zilla UVB tubes to just sit on top of the mesh lid to the tank.

If you haven't already, you need to mount the entire UVB tube and fixture INSIDE the tank and underneath the mesh lid. You can easily do this by poking holes in the mesh of the lid, and then use long, plastic Zip Ties, Shoelaces, Wire, Twine, etc. to strap the entire fixture to the underside of the mesh lid. In addition, his Basking Spot/Platform, whatever it is that he lays to bask on, must be within at least 6" of the unobstructed Zilla UVB tube and no further away, as the tube is too weak to emit adequate UVB light to your dragon if it is any further away.

Also, you must replace any and all T8 strength UVB tubes, especially the Zilla Desert 50 T8 UVb tube, every 6 months like clockwork, because they have an extremely fast decay rate, and at 6 months old T8 strength UVB tubes stop emitting any and all UVB light. They will not be burnt-out at 6 months old, they will still turn-on and emit plain light, but they will not be emitting any UVB light at all, and must be replaced.

In the future you may want to think about upgrading to a much stronger and better UVB tube and tube fixture for Bearded Dragons, preferably a much stronger T5 strength UVB tube, which can sit on top of the mesh lid, must only be within 11" of the basking spot/platform, and must only be replaced once every year, as their UVB decay rate is much slower. Something to think about, because not only is it better for him by far, but it will save you a ton of money because you won't have to replace it every 6 months, but rather only once a year.

As far as transporting a Bearded Dragon in the cold, you must always heat your vehicle up first before taking him out to the car and putting him in it, and it's best to buy a little fabric carrier for him, the collapsible kind, and then put lots of blankets/towels inside it, along with at least one "Hot Hands" heater pack (be sure to wrap it inside one of the towels so it doesn't touch his skin directly, they get very hot). And always cover the carrier over with a blanket or a large towel to block wind and cold air while you're carry him to your vehicle. Once inside your pre-heated car you can take the blanket off of the carrier and sit him on top of the blankets/towels that are inside the carrier, but always be sure to cover him up well while you have the carrier outside in the cold.
 

sweetiepie9

BD.org Sicko
Retired Moderator
You need a Reptisun 10.0 tube that covers 2/3 of the tank and is close to the basking spot. That should be between 6-8" and if it can be put inside the tank and connected. There are people who are experts at this. Hopefully someone will let this OP how to set up the tube inside the tank, then basking light on top of mesh top above basking spot. So your dragon gets full spectrum UVB daily. It's very important or their whole body to get proper UVB. The difference will be huge, you'll see. What type of tank do you have your dragon in? And how old is your dragon? Either way, you can't go wrong with the ReptiSUN 10.0, T5 or T8, not sure what those mean. I use a different type of bulb called an MVB, heat and light in one bulb that goes above the dragon's basking spot. I don't use tank tops and have the MVB in a deep dome, attached to a lampstand. It's a great way to get good UVB on adults, but under 1 yr old, you like of need the mesh top, so it's to find out how to hook it up inside the tank.
 

EllenD

Gray-bearded Member
sweetiepie9":2jxbn84x said:
You need a Reptisun 10.0 tube that covers 2/3 of the tank and is close to the basking spot. That should be between 6-8" and if it can be put inside the tank and connected. There are people who are experts at this. Hopefully someone will let this OP how to set up the tube inside the tank, then basking light on top of mesh top above basking spot. So your dragon gets full spectrum UVB daily. It's very important or their whole body to get proper UVB. The difference will be huge, you'll see. What type of tank do you have your dragon in? And how old is your dragon? Either way, you can't go wrong with the ReptiSUN 10.0, T5 or T8, not sure what those mean. I use a different type of bulb called an MVB, heat and light in one bulb that goes above the dragon's basking spot. I don't use tank tops and have the MVB in a deep dome, attached to a lampstand. It's a great way to get good UVB on adults, but under 1 yr old, you like of need the mesh top, so it's to find out how to hook it up inside the tank.


This is exactly what I just wrote to him above, as it's likely that his Zilla Desert 50 T8 UVB tube came with the damn Zilla Slimline fixture that has that clear plastic cover screwed on it, which blocks 100% of the UVB light emitted by the tube anyway. I also explained to him that it must be mounted underneath the mesh lid and within 6" of the basking spot, and replaced once every 6 months. I'm just waiting for him to reply to see if in fact his Zilla Slimline fixture does have that clear plastic safety cover on it, and whether or not he has it sitting on top of the mesh lid.

If he removes the clear plastic cover from the Zilla Slimline fixture, and he gets it mounted underneath the mesh lid and within 6" of the basking spot, as I instructed above with directions, he can use the Zilla Desert 50 T8 UVB tube if it is under the 5-6 month old age. I did however recommend that he upgrade to a 22" Reptisun 10.0 T5HO UVB tube when he's due to replace the Zilla Desert 50 T8 at 6 months old. So all of that is there for him, in detail. I'm just waiting for him to reply.
 

Spartan101

Member
Original Poster
I got the Sulla cause at that moment I had Limited funds, I already knew to mount them in the cage because they are T8 and I have a couple reptisuns coming in the mail. The uvb light is wishing 6 inches of his heat spot, his heating side is always between 95-100. I don’t have a thermometer on his cool side. I didn’t realize that the plastic was blocking the uvb I will get those removed right away.
 

Spartan101

Member
Original Poster
IMG_0290.JPG I’m hoping the pic will let you view it. Anyway if you look right around his lid you can see it it looks watery it’s on both upper n lower lid.
 

EllenD

Gray-bearded Member
Spartan101":sed93l6u said:
They are both around a year n a half

You mean your UVB tube is a year and a half old? If that's what you mean, it stopped emitting any UVB light at 6 months old!!! Not that it would have mattered anyway if your fixture has that damn clean plastic cover on it, as it blocks 100% of the UVB light anyway...

So your dragon hasn't had any UVB light at all either since you got him, if that clear plastic cover is on your fixture, or at best not for about a year, because it stopped emitting any UVB at 6 months old...oh my, he surely has a calcium deficiency and severe MBD starting....this is not good, you said you have "some Reptisuns in the mail", but if they are just the T8 versions of the Reptisun 10.0, and I'm assuming they are because the T5HO won't work inside the Zilla fixture, and honestly you shouldn't use even the Reptisun 10.0 T8 in the Zilla Slimline fixture, because the T8 Reptisun is 17 watts, while the Zilla Slimline fixture is only rated for 15 watts, you're likely to start a fire, or at the very least short out the fixture and blow the new Reptisun tubes..

Forgetting anything else, I'm more concerned about your dragon and the fact that he's not gotten any UVb light at all, pretty much ever. My best advice is that you return the Reptisun 10.0 T8 tube, if that's what you ordered, and you go onto Amazon.com (cheapest place) and order both a 22" Reptisun 10.0 T5HO UVB tube and then a 24", T5-rated tube fixture for it, that has a Metal Reflector included in it. You can buy a package deal on Amazon.com that includes both for under $50, the 22" Reptisun 10.0 T5HO UVB tube costs around $23 on there, and a 24" T5-rated tube fixture (24 watts) with a metal fixture costs about the same...I'd do this ASAP and get it mounted underneath the mesh lid as well, at the same distance, as he needs a strong UVb source for at least 14 hours a day, along with Calcium supplementation 5 days a week and multivitamin 3 days a week.
 

Spartan101

Member
Original Poster
No the bulbs aren’t even a month old. The dragons are about a year n a half sorry should have specified.
 

Spartan101

Member
Original Poster
But I’ll do what you suggest because I got them from another person the previous owner had both of them in a 55 gallon tank I got everything when I got the dragons the lights they were using was I’m assuming 2 heat bulbs one of which was a black bulb. Since I have gotten them I have separated them because one was being aggressive, I have gotten the uvb bulbs, and some calcium powder to give when I feed them. Trust me when I say I am doing the best I can to get them both happy and healthy. I’m taking all the advice I am getting.
 
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