Is something wrong??

[Beardeddragon2016]

My bearded dragons iris has looked like its ‘broken’ since I got her, like it’s leaking and I just woke her up from brumination and that eye was really glassy and looked like her eye was filled with water but now her eyes bright does this mean she’s ok? She also didn’t seem to register movement I was moving a worm in front of her and she only noticed once I put the worm right by her nose.

She was also moving really slow and chewing very very slowly but I think this was because she’d just woken up from a few weeks of sleeping.

She also kept tensing her stomach before she had ate?

Also ever since I got her (she was 3/4years she’s now either 4/5years) her aims been off (not all the time but she has a little trouble) and if she doesn’t aim correctly she tilts her head and twists herself at a really odd angle and her aim is really really bad she cannot aim her tongue at all, when this happens I always have to wait till she ‘untwists’ And really help her eat. I think her tongue is also a bit weak as she struggles to pick up food by herself( foods normally grated or cut into the space in between eyes) unless it’s leaves of veggies. I do not mind hand feeding her but I’m just worried somethings wrong but she’s 21/22” 550grams when I last weighed her so she’s not a bad weight.

 

[EllenD]

Can you please post some photos of her (close-up of the eye in question as well), and a photo of her entire enclosure and her lighting? This will help us to help you...

What UVB light does she currently have (brand, model/wattage, and type, meaning is it a long tube, a compact or a coil bulb, or a mercury vapor all-in-one bulb)? How old is her UVB bulb? How far away in inches in her main Basking Spot/Platform from the UVB light? Is the UVB light obstructed by any type of mesh tank lid, or a clear plastic cover on the fixture over the tubes (only applies to long UVB tubes)? How many hours a day are her UVB and Basking lights on?

Was she displaying these actions, like not being able to judge her food distance, when you first got her, or did this not start happening until after you got her? Sometimes it's difficult to know what type of lights and husbandry they were in prior to you getting them when you get them as a 3 year old adult. The symptoms you list are indicative of either a Calcium deficiency and disease like MBD, or a Vitamin B1 (Thiamine) deficiency. Once we know what type of UVB light and how it's been set up, we'll know which one it is.

The eye issue can also be related to her lighting for sure...did she come to you with the eye issue, or did that start after you got her?

 

[AHBD]

I agree with Elle, some type of calcium and/or vitamin deficiency. It's important to list the exact supplements you use as well as the lighting.

You say her eye has been watery since you got her ? You can use raw [ unpasteurized ] honey diluted with a tiny bit of warm water in it, directly in the eye. Use 1 part honey to 2 parts warm water [ makes it easier to apply ] using a small eyedropper, syringe or a Q-tip. Raw honey is a fast working natural antimicrobial.

 

[Beardeddragon2016]

I’m using some previous pictures as her lights are off now and I don’t want to disturb her

This isn’t as clear as it would be and it seems to looks more ‘leaking’ In real life

(Half of her vivarium the other half is a hammock and empty space) Her vivarium is 4ftx2ftx2ft, hot end=41degrees cooler=25degrees

The lights are both Arcadia and are on 14hrs a day, she didn’t have a uvb light at all in her old home and the uva was weaker than it should of been and since I have gotten her new lights colour has brightened drastically. Her basking light is 100w, and I replaced it today as her old one was 6months and wasn’t as bright as it should be. I’ll send the links of both lights:

http://www.petsathome.com/shop/en/pets/arcadia-reptile-solar-basking-spot-lamp-100-watt

http://www.petsathome.com/shop/en/pets/arcadia-10%25-uvb-eurorange-desert-reptile-lamp-%28online-only%29

I think my tube light may be 15% output, this light I no more than 6month old

Neither are obstructed by anything, the tube lights up on the roof

She has always been like this, she seems to twist when she misses the food too much

She had this really bad bedding that was wood chippings/shavings that I think was mean for snakes and she had some in her eye and took some cleaning to get out

(Some of the chippings in her eye) this is a picture from the day i took her home

http://www.petsathome.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/en/pets/nutrobal-reptile-50gm?CAWELAID=120267720000003016&cm_mmc=&ito=GAG45310392718&itc=GAC206869065741&itkw=nil&itaexid=&itawnw=search&itawmt=&itadvc=m&gclid=EAIaIQobChMIsofvx7Ha1wIVqrDtCh1yCA1KEAQYBiABEgKzcvD_BwE&gclsrc=aw.ds

I will try the honey tomorrow, thank you! I have organic honey from my grandparents bees

I have to hide the supplements in her food without her being able to see it me putting it in otherwise she refuses to eat the food

 

[AHBD]

Her eye looks O.K there, it's good that you got rid of the wood chips. Are you in the U.K ? I've not seen the Nutrobal here in the U.S, but U.K posters usually have it....it looks like good stuff. Keep offering it regularly. It seems that the neurological damage was done prior to your owning her if the other owners did not have proper lighting during her first 3 years. You have good lights now so hopefully she'll do well with the supplement given regularly as well as good uva/uvb exposure. Keep her hydrated as well.

 

[Beardeddragon2016]

Yes I’m in the UK, my local pet store has recommended all of these lights and supplements and I also checked online reviews incase it was just to make me buy their products. When it’s hot enough, around 30degrees, in the uk (extremely rare) I have a mesh dog playpen she goes in for natural sunlight.

I keep a bowl of water in her vivarium is this ok? She loves to sit in the water so that’s why I’ve kept it in there. Is this enough to keep her hydrated as well as occasionally spraying vegetables with water?

She was really unhappy on the wood chippings, and has dug them to the side, they also damaged some of her stomach scales.

Thank you for the help! She doesn’t have trouble putting on weight so atleast there’s that. And that she still likes humans and cuddles despite the neglect! I’m hoping the hand feeding and patience will help her improve also

 

[MissT]

Is her eye actually leaking or does it just look like it Is- i have a girl who I have similar experiences with... when I got her she had eye issues- either photokerato conjunctivitis due to improper pet store lighting OR a reaction to the bark substrate she was kept on (vet was unsure which).... since then (almost 8 years ago) One of her eyes has pretty much permanently looked like it was 'leaking' when she opens it but it actually isn't! She also has TERRIBLE aim but over time, we have developed strategies to deal with this and feeding time has become a whole lot easier... I guess she has learned to slowly reach for the food and we have learned to move the food to where we think she is aiming.... it has resulted in a few finger nips over the years but I'l take a bleeding finger if my baby is still eating!!!

 

[Beardeddragon2016]

It normally looks ok but it looks like it’s leaking once she wakes up! I think the same has happened with my beardie as she was kept on chippings and had improper lighting! So far it’s going well feeding her with tweezers, Hoping to weigh tomorrow to see how well she’s doing! Thank you for all of the help

 

[Jax]

Hello I have a Bearded dragon that I am worried about and I don't know what to do can some one help me his eyes have a bunch of crust and I was told to get a saline solution made just for bearded dragons and it helps make it were he can open his eyes but not fix the problem I give it to him 2 times a day so that he can eat and move around because the crust seams to seal the eye kind of

 

[AHBD]

Hi Jax, if you start your own thread you'll be able to post pics + get answers specific to your dragon's problem. For now you can put raw [ unpasteurized ] honey on it [ yes, directly on the eye ] Mix it with 2-3 parts water to 1 part honey and apply with a Q-tip. It's a wonderful antibimicrobial.

 

[Jax]

Thanks I will try this

 

[Drache613]

Hello,

How is the eye looking now, were you able to get some honey to treat it, to see if that helps
out any?
Has he been eating some also? I hope he is feeling better. It can't be any fun to have a
watery eye.

Tracie

 

[EllenD]

Well your setup looks great, if she had no UVb light at all for the first 3 years of her life, or at least for some of that time period, then this is why she looks to be a bit stunted in size for an adult, and the abnormal motions/twisting etc. is most likely a combination of Metabolic Bone Disease (MBD) and Vitamin B1 (Thiamine) Deficiency, but I'm guessing that most of it is the MBD and the Calcium Deficiency.

Besides being a bit on the small size she actually looks pretty good, not a lot of bony-deformities in her skull like we often see with MBD, so that's a good thing. You are doing everything right and everything you can to try to reverse as much of the MBD as possible. She will not ever be rid of all of the MBD symptoms, like the twisting and moving oddly, any unsteady walking she may do, any issues she may have with judging distances, etc. That being said, the main thing that you can totally reverse and improve is her Bone Density (which was probably very, very weak until you started caring for her), so that the MBD will stop progressing and her Bone Density will eventually normalize, and her blood Calcium levels will also normalize. This will prevent any bone fractures or injuries that otherwise would not happen to a dragon with normal, healthy bone density.

So she's on the right track, and your lighting is excellent, temperature gradient excellent, etc. Be sure to keep her on a high-quality calcium supplement, as well as a high-quality Reptile Multivitamin, as she may also very well be suffering from several different vitamin deficiencies, the main ones that cause issues are the Vitamin B1 (Thiamine) Deficiency, which displays outward signs and symptoms that are very similar to those of MBD, and then also Vitamin A Deficiency, which effects vision. I think most of her eye issues were caused by #1) The wood chips or whatever the loose substrate was, it most likely caused not only physical damage to her eye by getting into her eyes, but also bacterial and/or fungal infections in her eyes, as loose substrates harbor and breed multiple strains of bacteria, fungi, viruses, parasites, protozoa, etc.

Try to find a Reptile Multi-Vitamin that does not contain synthetic vitamin sources, but rather contains natural sources of it's vitamins and minerals, for example you want Vitamin A to come from natural Beta Carotene rather than synthetic Vitamin A made in a laboratory. I know you live in the UK, so I'm not very familiar with what Vitamin brands are available over there, but I do know that there are several high-quality reptile multivitamins and phosphorous-free calcium supplements.