Eye problems still. Advice please.

[outrank17]

Ok, Ty has been having problems with his right eye for awhile. If you have looked at, or check out my old threads, you'll see that. For the past couple of weeks I have been applying an ophthalmic ointment that the vet gave me to his right eye, which has ulcers from some sort of trauma. At times it seems to be getting better, he moves it around in the socket and might kick it too.

ANYWAYS. Lately his left eye has been shutting more often. I'm not sure why. He has been on tile and/or paper for the last couple months. He may have gotten sand in his right eye, but it would be difficult for him to get anything in his left eye.

I bought some more of what I THINK is saline solution at walmart today and have applied it to his left eye. It is Bausch & Lomb Eye Wash Eye Irritating Solution. The main ingredient is purified water. I chose it over another solution that explicitly said "Saline Solution" but was for contact lens cleaning.

He hasn't eaten since last week, but part of that could be because I had to move back up to college so he may be dealing with moving stress.

 

[Livey]

Could it be your UVB? have you changed it in a while?

 

[outrank17]

It shouldn't be. I changed out my old Reptisun 10.0 with a new one in the last month. I've always used a tube.

 

[Drache613]

Hello,

What substrate do you use?
What type of basking light are you using, a bright white light or a colored light?
Which opthalmic ointment are you using, Gentamicin drops, or an ointment?


Tracie

 

[outrank17]

Substrate: Tile
Basking light: Neodymium 100 watt basking bulb. Manufactured by All Living Things. I just recently got this because I couldn't find the incandescent light they make that I usually use. Could it be the problem?
Erythromycin Ophthalmic Ointment for his right eye.

Taking him to the vet again tomorrow. This vet is a different one though, since I"m back at college.

 

[Drache613]

Hello,

Ok, everything sounds to be setup fine. The lighting should not be a problem at all.
He could have gotten something underneath of his eye lid at one point, that is causing some irritation & that possibly got lodged. If it has never cleared out then it might be causing an abscess perhaps. The vet can put numbing fluids onto his eye in order to dilate the eye so he can look closely at it with the eye instrument.
Let us know how things go!

Tracie

 

[outrank17]

As most silly beardies might do, the left eye I was worried about, Ty kept open while at the vet. However, the vet looked at the right eye some more and thinks it could be conjunctivitis. He gave Ty a steroid shot and gave me a new eye ointment to put on his right eye twice a day which says "Vetrogen, gentamicin sulfate, vertarinary ophthalmic ointment" on the front. His right eye SEEMS to be getting better. He keeps it shut more than often still. His left eye has been bothering him more and more though... The vet should call back for a follow up soon.

His appetite hasn't been good lately so I've been helping him with mild doses of Repta Aid Critical Care Formula. Hopefully he can get his appetite back. He'll eye worms as if he's going to eat them, but then decides not to.

 

[Drache613]

Hello,

Well, at least he should be on the road to recovery with the Gentamicin sulfate. It is a pretty effective eye medication. I hope both eyes improve. Did the vet do an eye culture?
The Repta aid should help him out quite a bit. Maybe his appetite will pick up for you soon. Has his beard been dark any recently, or normal?

Keep us posted on him. Thanks.
Tracie

 

[outrank17]

How long do these eye problems take to heal up? I've had two vet visits, will probably have a follow up one soon (although my funds, like anyone would be in my position, are dwindling), and today he kept both eyes shut for most of the day unless he really needed to move somewhere. Sometimes even when I pick him up he keeps both his eyes shut unless I put him in an uncomfortable position. His right eye SEEMS to be making a little progress, but now he's rubbing his left eye from time to time and all I can do is rinse it with saline which seems to be accomplishing nothing.

Like I've said before, I took him off of sand months ago so I don't know what in the world got in his left eye... the one that has been healthy ever since he started having right eye problems. Of course I'm not giving up, but after dealing with this problem for a few months, only to see the second eye start closing too, it's very hope draining to say the least.

Could his right eye still have some sand in it that I can't get out? Or should the eye ointment take care of that? Have any other beardies had eye problems that took this long to heal??

 

[outrank17]

I did give him some chicken and veggie baby food today, and will continue that (maybe mixed with calcium and reptaaid) until he starts eating on is own. He still looks ok. He keeps his head up and will bask once I get him to his rock, but his eyes still keep shut, so it worries me.

 

[Drache613]

Hello,

Now Ty is keeping BOTH eyes closed really?
Eye problems can persist but they should be healing up by now or at least be showing some improvement.
Did the vet think that there were any areas that could have an abscess developing perhaps?

Let's just try this to see if it helps any. Can you change out that Neodymium light for a regular house hold light bulb? Maybe that light spectrum is not working out very well for him. Let me know if that helps out.

Tracie

 

[outrank17]

Ok, kinda new development. On his left eye, his top eyelid, there is a small bump. Almost like a mole or something. Hardly bigger than the ballpoint of a pen, but bigger than last night when I first noticed it. Though I hadn't noticed it before today, could this be why he is closing his left eye because his actual eyeball looks fine when he opens it? This is different from his right eyeball which has had an ulcer but has a fine right eyelid.

The Neodymium light shouldn't be the problem and I've already tried taking it out for 5 days or so. When his right eye had developed a problem he was under a normal incandescent basking bulb. I only started using the Neodymium bulb a few days ago, and soon after he developed the left eye problem--which I think may have been coincidence. As soon as I said he was under the Neodymium light, I took it out for awhile because I was scared it had caused the left eye problems, but they didn't really get better. Just last night I put the Neodymium bulb in again because it gives more heat, in the 105 degree range instead of the other bulb which only gets up to 95 degrees or so.

 

[outrank17]

Despite the new bump on his top left eyelid, I still think he has something in the left eye, or else it doesn't seem likely that he would be blinking every once and awhile like he does to try to get it out.

 

[outrank17]

Well I put the Neodymium light in yesterday after not having used it for five days, but I just took it out again. He was kicking his right eye a bit earlier and it produced some yellowish discharge. I don't know if it was coincidental with me putting the neodymium in again (which I think it was) or not, but I don't want to take the chance.

Thanks so much for the help so far though.

 

[outrank17]

I've had to go back to the Neodymium light as my other incandescent bulb flickered out. Ty's situation never improved when the Neodymium light was absent, so I don't think it's exacerbating the situation. His eyes still remain closed most of the day, his right eyelid still has a small pinpoint bump, and I still feed him baby food + reptaid daily.