Hi, my bearded dragon rick has been developing a swollen eye. It all started with a watery eye, I immediately brought him to the vet and they gave me antibiotic shots and pain meds. When his eye started to the water I did notice what had looked like a small shed stuck in his eye, I took it out carefully but his eye was still watering. This was April 28th, I gave all meds as instructed and then brought him back on May 19th for a check-up. His eye had gotten more swollen and it started to shed. I was (and still am) doing warm eye compressions daily to help his eye shed and get out the mucus.
Once he got the vet though, all the shed was off, the vet took notice of how swollen it had actually gotten and said an eye infection was ruled out and now it's either a tumor or aneurysm... She also stated that where the " could be" tumor is, would involve scooping all the eyes and part of the brain out, and if it was an aneurysm nothing could be done. She told me to continue doing warm eye compressions and if he seemed in pain to bring him back in. As of now and before he still acts normal, this includes eating, sleeping, roaming, etc.
He lives in a 75 gallon tank by himself, two hides, tiled (a small area has paper towels since he prefers to use the bathroom on paper towels), his temps are 95 in hot and 80 in cool, humidity is 35%. He eats collard greens with pollen (bc hes picky), superworms, crickets, and on occassions hornworms.
Even though I brought him to a vet, I would like to seek others' opinions on whats my next options. The only options that were given to me were surgery if it is a tumor. I hate to see him like this and I wanna do anything possible to help. I'm willing to get the surgery done but will having part of his brain and one left leave him in pain/ to struggle for the rest of his life? I don't want to be selfish and do everything possible to keep him alive but cause more pain in the end. The pics I attached where in the beginning where it was shedding in the middle of the process, and today (before I did the daily warm compressions and after in the middle you can kind of see the thick discharge/mucus). I can still feel his eye move under neath but he can't open it anymore.
Once he got the vet though, all the shed was off, the vet took notice of how swollen it had actually gotten and said an eye infection was ruled out and now it's either a tumor or aneurysm... She also stated that where the " could be" tumor is, would involve scooping all the eyes and part of the brain out, and if it was an aneurysm nothing could be done. She told me to continue doing warm eye compressions and if he seemed in pain to bring him back in. As of now and before he still acts normal, this includes eating, sleeping, roaming, etc.
He lives in a 75 gallon tank by himself, two hides, tiled (a small area has paper towels since he prefers to use the bathroom on paper towels), his temps are 95 in hot and 80 in cool, humidity is 35%. He eats collard greens with pollen (bc hes picky), superworms, crickets, and on occassions hornworms.
Even though I brought him to a vet, I would like to seek others' opinions on whats my next options. The only options that were given to me were surgery if it is a tumor. I hate to see him like this and I wanna do anything possible to help. I'm willing to get the surgery done but will having part of his brain and one left leave him in pain/ to struggle for the rest of his life? I don't want to be selfish and do everything possible to keep him alive but cause more pain in the end. The pics I attached where in the beginning where it was shedding in the middle of the process, and today (before I did the daily warm compressions and after in the middle you can kind of see the thick discharge/mucus). I can still feel his eye move under neath but he can't open it anymore.