Reccuring bearded dragon eye infection and growth?

[Bibi3403]

My beardie had an eye infection a while ago, so i got some terramycin and cleaned it up it seemed to work, then it came back again. Im not so sure if it is just an eye infection or more serious. He has goop in his eye and they seem alittle bruised around it and he has them shut. Terramycin seems to help but idk why it keeps coming back. I use a 10.0 reptisun uvb by the way and a 100 basking bulb. He also hasnt grown very much since ive gotten him and ive been doing everything right. I have another bearded dragon that i got when he was just a few weeks and hes doing great and is almost full grown! So i have no idea whats going on.

 

[AHBD]

Hi Bibi, just wondering if the dragons are housed together ? If so they need to be separated ASAP. Can you post pics of ypur sick one, a few close ups of his eye and also his set up ?

One thing that works very well for infection is raw, unpasteurized honey such as from a health store or directly from a beekeeper. It's powerful antimicrobial and can be used directly in the eye. I used it for my own dragon's eye infection years ago + it worked quickly. You can dilute some with a tiny bit of warm [ never hot or heated ] water and apply 3X a day with a Q-tip. That may do the trick. If you have loose substrate in the tank get rid of it and also be 100% sure there are no loose bugs in the tank. Here's how to post pics :
https://www.beardeddragon.org/useruploads/ Then use the XIMG to upload them

 

[kingofnobbys]

1) a vet needs to examine this asap.
2) raw honey is worth a try BUT is no substitute for a vet or for proper pathology testing of what ever is causing this infection.
3) most forms of conjunctivitis are highly infectious and very good hygiene practices are needed to help prevent reinfection.
4) if the dragons are cohabiting in the same viv, they MUST BE SEPARATED ASAP. (Constant stress due to domination / fear of the "companion" can result in a poor immune system as well as malnutrition of the smaller dominated dragon.

 

[AHBD]

Some vets are helpful, more often than not they waste money + even make the dragon worse. There have been so many cases lately of wrong diagnoses and treatment that it's unreal, have caused lots of problems for the dragons. If you choose a vet , they must be experienced with reptiles, otherwise you may waste money + make your dragon worse. I'd try the honey first, it may work very well.

But please post pics, it will help to see his condition.

 

[Drache613]

Hello,

Did he ever injure his eye previously?
That can sometimes cause eye infections, or an infected tear duct or gland in that area may
cause recurring issues if it doesn't completely clear up.
PIctures would be great. Is it swollen at all?
Are you using a bright white light along with the UVB light, too?

Tracie

 

[Bibi3403]

No the dragons are not together. I dont know how to use the honey exactly. I dont know how to post pictures yet but I'll figure it out.

 

[EllenD]

Is your Reptisun 10.0 UVB light a long, 18" tube inside a long tube fixture, or is it a compact (regular lightbulb shaped) or a coil UVB bulb? If it's the compact or coil version they are known to cause photoconjunctivitis, which is an eye Infection caused by harmful light rays. Plus, the compact and coil versions of the Reptisun 10.0 UVB light are only 13 watts and very inadequate for a dragon, especially if it's obstructed by a mesh lid, which is blocking up to 40% of the already too weak UVB bulb. This would also explain his stunted growth.

If the Terramycin helps but then the infection comes back, that's an indication that you're not using it for a long enough time period to fully clear the Infection, just like you can't stop taking an oral antibiotic when you feel better, you have to take the entire round or the Infection comes back.

 

[AHBD]

Hi again, I know it's been a few weeks. How is the eye ? I posted a link in my other reply on how to upload pics. To use the honey, just put a small amount in a clean plastic lid and add a very small amount of warm water. I use 1 part honey to 2 parts water, it doesn't need to be exact. Then use a Q-tip to dip it in + gently dab it on the eye. You could use a syringe as well, just be very careful.

https://www.beardeddragon.org/media/30041/full

https://www.beardeddragon.org/media/30012/full