Help please, i don't know what's wrong wont open eyes all da

[Embee]

So i went to the doc today and I have never been more mortified at the way this vet handled spike, he squuezed him so hard his pee came out and he made something stick out of his vent and then it went back in. He was practically holding him upside down belly up and then would hold him by his tail . . . :shock: . . . nevermind the mishandling he did not seem to know anything I asked him, he looked at me like I was crazy when I asked him simple questions. I am soo mad what a waste of money, he told me that it was just a behavioral issue and that he needed more exercise. The only thing i found out was that Spike is not a boy but a girl . . . hmmm who knew . . . anyway that was no help at all, i don't know what to do now it seems the people are more knowledgeable on this site than the vet did

Oh, I am SO sorry. That sounds like a horrible experience for Spike, and you!

There were a few questions asked later in the day yesterday... about the your Mega Ray, and such. Maybe if we can get some more info on your lighting/heating, we can continue to help you figure out why Spike isn't him (um, Her? :? ) self. That said, being that this vet was a bit, shall we say, inept, maybe you should get a second opinion on Spike's gender. If the vet didn't know enough not to hold a bearded dragon by it's tail, I question whether he would know how to properly sex them. It sounds like he did some "probing" which a professional can do to determine sex, but if something came out of Spike's vent, I wonder if it wasn't the hemipenes... which would suggest um, male? I'm TOTALLY not an expert however, so don't quote me on that. It is an area I'm struggling to understand myself. At present, our dearie is a girl, but sometimes I look and think, well, maybe boy. *sigh*

At any rate, when you get time, let's find out about that MegaRay light... wattage, is it a true MVB, etc. Aside from the atrocious vet visit, how is Spike doing today?

The best,
Em

 

[Dragonsrule]

Hi thanks all for writting . . . I thought I posted last night what type of bulb it really was . . but I see that it did not go through . . . so i got a little bit confused with in the last couple weeks bought him a 75 watt basking bulb . . . while wating for my POWERSUN UV 100Watt which is what he/she?? Spike has had for the last week plus my reptisun 10.00 uvb tube, Spike can get as close as 5-6 inches to the powersun and th other uv by climbing on his branch and with his tank only being a 20G Long i guess it was too much UV Rays maybe made him sick???? at this point i have to try to come to my own diagnosis??? the vet I went to today was also supposedly to be the best one there was in my area horrible huh!!!! one thing the vet said was that I should do away with the sand and go back to the shelf liner I had . . . but spike loves to dig so much i would ahte to take it away . . . hopefully i can find a bigger enclosure soon so he can have some more room . . there hope that helps . . . does anyone think it could be impaction??? possibly?? the only thing I can think that was weird that he might have eaten was silk worm poo, two little drops I couldn't get of the silk wormd before he took them out of my hand would that make him sick???? sigh . . .??? very confused hope this blurb helps anyone that may be able to help me?

 

[Dragonsrule]

Oh I forgot to mention that he seems to be more awake but I think he was so scard of the vet it woke him up plus the scary car ride . . . other than that he still seems sooooo sleeeppyyyy still has not eaten or pooped today or yesturday . . . .

 

[Embee]

so i got a little bit confused with in the last couple weeks bought him a 75 watt basking bulb . . . while wating for my POWERSUN UV 100Watt which is what he/she?? Spike has had for the last week plus my reptisun 10.00 uvb tube, Spike can get as close as 5-6 inches to the powersun and th other uv by climbing on his branch and with his tank only being a 20G Long i guess it was too much UV Rays maybe made him sick????

Ok, I think I'm understanding. You did, in fact, have a MVB and a tube UVB on at the same time, in your 20 gallon tank? In my 'unexpert' opinion, the answer is yes, WAY too much UVB for beardie. There are multiple levels upon which beardie is affected here. First, you have a 20 gallon tank, which is not recommended for use with a MVB. Second, when you installed the MVB, you also left on the ReptiSun, and your beardie became overwhelmed with UVB lighting. In addition, your beardie was able to get WAY TOO CLOSE to the MVB. I believe there is a minimum distance of 12 inches from beardie for these bulbs. For the ReptiSun tube, the minimum distance is 6-8 inches. You have removed the MVB, yes? Ok, my best advice right now is to TURN OFF THE REPTISUN, for a few days, so that beardie's eyes can recover and heal. Just leave your basking light on... the following is a thread that may be of help to you. Read the entire thing, and pay particular attention to the posts made by Tracie (Drache613). Very important, as to what you can do treatment wise, for your beardie's eyes.

http://www.beardeddragon.org/forums/viewtopic.php?f=6&t=98207&p=764074&hilit=powersun+eye#p764074

When beardie is better, continue using the ReptiSun, and a basking. Save the MVB until you can secure a larger tank (40 gallon minimum). Try some higher wattage basking or household bulbs to aid your heat situation (I've found household floods throw out more heat than then regular bulbs). Also, forgive if I've already asked this, but what are you using to monitor temps? I would think a 20 gallon wouldn't need too much wattage to heat sufficiently? We used a 60w in our 15 gallon, and it did pretty well. Is your house on the chilly side?

the vet I went to today was also supposedly to be the best one there was in my area horrible huh!!!! one thing the vet said was that I should do away with the sand and go back to the shelf liner I had . . . but spike loves to dig so much i would ahte to take it away

Well, the vet (as horrible as the rest of the experience was) at least gave you some excellent advice here. Sand, in particular, calci, vita or any other of the other pet store types, carries with it an extreme impaction risk. Just not worth it. Shelf liner is much safer for your beardie (we use repti-carpet it's great, easy). Some, when their beardies reach adulthood (18 months to 2 years), will switch to sand, but then, only play sand that is well sifted and cleaned. Loose substrates, of any kind, are not recommended, particularly for juveniles. Impaction is risk one, but they also tend to harbor more bacteria then solid substrates.

does anyone think it could be impaction??? possibly?? the only thing I can think that was weird that he might have eaten was silk worm poo, two little drops I couldn't get of the silk wormd before he took them out of my hand would that make him sick???? sigh . . .??? very confused hope this blurb helps anyone that may be able to help me?

Now that you've mentioned you have him on sand, impaction is certainly a concern (but not a foregone conclusion mind you). Try rubbing the right side of his belly... do you feel anything hard? Also, give him some warm baths and massage the right side of his belly gently. If he hasn't been eating, then he won't be pooping as much so there is always that. He is moving somewhat?

Oh I forgot to mention that he seems to be more awake but I think he was so scard of the vet it woke him up plus the scary car ride . . . other than that he still seems sooooo sleeeppyyyy still has not eaten or pooped today or yesturday . . . .

This is all pretty concerning, I'm afraid. I'm going to do my best and help, but also try to get a moderator here for you, k? For now, turn out ALL UVB... and do some reading (the link above), and I'll see what I can do about getting someone to you that can give more experienced advice.

The best,
Em

 

[Embee]

Trying to PM a moderator for you...

 

[Dragonsrule]

okay so yes I have already turned off any UV since yesturday and I currently have a 75 W Basking Bulb only on now . . . he did however make a BIG Poop today and sat on his rock for two minutes then went and hid and went to sleep again . . . i do have more to add . . in a couple minutes, it would be great to talk to someone that could help me help him . . I feel so horrible that I have caused this . . i even asked the vet today if it could be the UV lights and he said no nothing is wrong and that I shouldn't be using any UV at all are you seriously kidding me?? Oh also the sand he does have is washed playsand that has been siffted very well, very fine grains . . i do not think it is impaction due to the large poop he had today . . . I know his eyes probably hurt but how does that explain the sleepiness??

Just to add I am getting a larger enclosure for him/her? this next week hopefully

 

[Embee]

I got a hold of Diane (diamc), a moderator. My first pm didn't go through to her for some reason, but we're in touch now...

Great that he pooped. I think impaction is probably not an issue then... but certainly the eyes and lethargy are...

...stay tuned for more expert advice.

Em

 

[Embee]

Just to add I am getting a larger enclosure for him/her? this next week hopefully

Great news.

Diane is reading through the entire thread, so she can know the "whole story" and better help you.

Hang tight,
Em

 

[diamc]

Hi, I read through all the posts quickly and have an idea of what is going on. By looking at his eyes, it seems like he had an over exposure of UV rays. The Power Sun was way too close to him and is actually too strong to use in a tank that size so please put it away until you can get at least a 40 gallon breeder tank. For now, it would be a good idea to leave the Repti-Sun off for at least a few days and only use the 75 watt basking bulb.

What are you using for a thermometer? If using anything OTHER than a temperature gun or a digital thermometer with a long wire & probe on the end, then you're not getting accurate readings. It's very important to know what the true temps are so if you're using any type of stick on thermometer, you need to be aware that those can be 20 degrees off or even more.

Since he has been on sand, there is also the possibility that he got some in his eyes. Recently I helped another beardie that didn't want to open his eyes and once she flushed them with saline solution and made some tank adjustments too, he now has his eyes completely open. So, I suggest you go to a drug store and pick some up, it is sterilized water and will help clean his eyes. I have used it from time to time for pieces of skin that are almost in the eyes and it really help.

You mentioned that he had a big poo today. Did you notice any sand in it? Was the urate (white part) yellowish in color, hard like chalk or look rubbery? If you noticed any of those, then he was probably somewhat dehydrated, so you should bathe in warm water making sure his vent area is right down in the water for at least 15 min and bathe twice a day until he gets pooping normally.

I'm going to send this now, if you have any questions, please post them, but we'll start here for now.

 

[Embee]

Thank you, Diane.

 

[diamc]

No, thank YOU Em. You actually had a handle on the UV over exposure yourself. :wink:

I do need to know Dragonsrule when he last ate and what he actually ate? And also, have you been using calcium and vitamin supplements, if so, how often?

I'm sorry to hear that the vet visit was so horrible for you and your poor beardie.

 

[Embee]

I feel so horrible that I have caused this . .

If it helps, there are many here (including me), who initially visited this site because of something going on with our dear dragons... something that could have been avoided, had we known...

Good news is, beardies are tough in their way, and with proper advice, and on-going care, can recover and do quite well.

Hang in there. You're in very good hands now.

Em

 

[diamc]

Em is right, we have all made mistakes and have also been given some wrong info from pet stores. But, you have done the right thing, you have asked for help and we are here to help you every step of the way. :wink:

 

[Dragonsrule]

i don't know why my posts aren't going through i keep writting all the anwers to the questions and i look back and there is no post I will write in a few minutes to answer the questions again . . jsut read the last few posts thanks so muhc again I really appreciate all the help i love this site i don't know what id do without it.

 

[Dragonsrule]

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