Spike's left eye is swollen.

[Theresa20]

One of his eyes is fine, the other is swollen to the point that he doesn't want to open it. Could this be because of the sand in his tank? What else could cause this? Will it go away on it's own??

 

[diamc]

Hi Theresa, it is very possible that he has sand in his eyes so what you could do is pick up some saline solution and flush his eyes out and I suggest you remove the sand.

Just to be safe, you're not using a compact or coil UVB are you? Or the Repti-Glo 10.0 fluorescent?

 

[Theresa20]

Yeah, actually, I am using a Repti-Glo 10.0. Is that what's causing the problem? I bought some shelf liner to replace the sand but haven't gotten around to it yet. Why is the Repti-Glo bad? Is it better to remove it now and leave him without a UVB bulb?

 

[diamc]

Those Repti-Glo 10.0 fluorescents are strong and are causing eye issues and other health problems. The safest way to use it until you can get a Repti-Sun 10.0 fluorescent or a mercury vapor bulb (if your tank is 40 gallons or more) is to have the Repti-Glo 10" from your beardie and to make sure that it is right alongside a bright white basking bulb. What has the distance been up to now? It would be a good idea to flush his eyes out, remove the sand and turn the UVB off for about a wk until you can get the replacement. How long has his eye been swollen?

 

[Theresa20]

I noticed last night that he wasn't opening his one eye and it looked a bit puffy. I can't move the bulb, so I'm just going to have to leave it off for a few days I suppose. Will this cause problems with his digestion though?

 

[diamc]

A wk or so without the UVB won't cause any problems but leaving it on will continue to affect him. Did you flush his eyes out and remove the sand? What was the distance that bulb had been to him, how many inches? How long had he been under that bulb roughly? Any idea when you can replace with the Repti-Sun 10.0 fluorescent?

 

[Theresa20]

I've been at work all day and haven't had time to flush his eye out yet, but I'm home for lunch now and it's already looking better! I think it must be the light causing the problem. How do I flush his eye out? I don't have an eye dropper or anything. The sand is coming out this afternoon. The bulb is sort of near the back of his tank about eight or nine inches above ground level, maybe a foot and a half from his basking spot where he spends most of his time. He has been under that bulb for over a week, but not much longer than that. Two weeks at the most.I have yet to find a Repti-Sun bulb in town, but I'll do some more searching and hopefully I'll be able to get one within a couple of days.