Eyes shutting all the time?

[CaptainVimes]

Dexter has been a part of my life, and my family for 23 days now. (I can't believe I've had him over three Weeks! )

Since Simon put Dexter's brand spanking new T5 tube & reflector in... I have noticed a change in Dexter's behaviour.

Prior to this tube, I would sit and cuddle him, and think "my God, does he ever blink?" (Euan, (my Son) asked me this too, as he had never witnessed it either)

Since the tube, he is always closing the eye that is facing the tube, whichever way he is, he basks under his spot with his right eye facing, and keeps shutting it. He basks under the UV with his left eye facing, and keeps shutting it.

When he's sitting on my right shoulder, he keeps closing his left eye, this is with him looking across me to his right, I keep thinking that I'm blowing on it when I'm breathing, but I don't know....

He actually does it a lot with both eyes, even when there's no bright light.

When he basks under the UV, (the closest he can get to it) his head is 11" away from it, (rest of his body sloping downwards) but not directly under it, in relation to looking at the front of his face, the tube sits at "7 minutes past" on an analogue clock face. I don't know the angle in degrees, as Bronny has lost her protractor. (sp)

At this moment in time, I don't know if he likes sitting there because it's the highest thing in the viv, or because it's the closest he can get to his UV. (I could move the viv back how it was before the UV issue, with his "root" back at the back, (when we realised it was useless) but I don't know if that would just stress him out too much?)

Am I just worrying for nothing, is it something all Beardies do, or should I be worried about the amount of UV this specific tube is actually kicking out? (I CANNOT afford a £90 UV meter)

I will post the link to this thread to the Arcadia rep for his input too.

 

[Gail]

Does his eyes look swollen at all? too much UVB is a common cause of closed eyes so you might be on the right track. I'd shut the UVB off for a couple days and see if it helps.

 

[CaptainVimes]

Hmmmm.......

I was actually wondering whether Dexter's eyes were actually "slightly sunken", compared to other beardie's eyes?

I took a few "eye photos" so you guys could compare.

Here goes:

{all thumbnails, please click to view full size}



Compared to SOME beardie eyes I've seen, they certainly don't "stick out" but I'm not sure if they are perfect, or are slightly sunken?

(ok, I'm officially sick of my mobile's predictive text now... My beardie is NOT CALLED "SEXTET" ! :lol: *blushes* )

 

[Gail]

They may be a tiny bit sunken but not bad, does he drink water? I would try and keep him hydrated. I would worry more about the slight swelling of the membrane around the eyeball. Its the whitish part you can see around the eye, especially at the bottom.

Did you ever hear back from the Arcadia rep? Maybe the high output light you have combined with the reflector is just too much for him.

 

[CaptainVimes]

I haven't got hold of him yet. Can you show me the photo where you think the white of his eye is swollen?

EDIT, can you put an arrow on the photo to show me the EXACT bit you mean? Simon says that it must be something that the camera has made look worse than it is, otherwise I'd have noticed that its swollen?

Do you mean the eyeball itself, or the "eyelid"?


He was dehydrated yes, but his urate is fine now, (it was small and hard) he's not had a proper drink (from the pipette, or from being misted) for days though, also I've had to stop giving him a bath, (3 or 4 days now) because he had, what I can only explain was a panic attack when he was last in the bath.

He is in shed ATM, so could that be causing whatever you said about his eyes?

 

[Gail]

I don't think shed would have anything to do with it. Is he still closing his eyes a lot? I circled the white part with red
http://oi39.tinypic.com/24bozv8.jpg

I've had mine panic in the bath before. Next time, make the water really shallow until he gets used to it again.

 

[CaptainVimes]

Simon says it's not remotely swollen and it's just a trick of the light of my mobile phone camera. :| I don't know, I'll keep an eye on it (no pun intended :lol: )