Reptile & Amphibian Forums

One of my favorite dragons has an eye problem that started about a week ago. His eye seems to run, and every day it is crusted shut with bran (the substrate). I have been cleaning it up gently with a q-tip and water. I get it clean, he seems to be using it fine after that, however next day it is crusted shut again with bran. I would like to know how I should treat this issue? His one eye is slightly swolen, the other is not affected. He is eating his greens like normal but I want to help treat his eye. His eye is not oozing any puss or white matter, just runny with clear fluid and always crusting itself shut. Any help on an eye treatment available would be very helpful. I searched the forums about eye infections and found some turtle owners saying that they use a over the counter ointment available at farm stores to treat eye infections. Good idea or not? I will go to my vet if I have to but that can cost much more $ for the same treatment possibly. Please give any and all or your experiences with eye swelling, oozing, crusting shut, eye infections, and of course treatments. Thank you very much for your help it is much appreciated.
Bearded Dragon Breeder

I would probably change the substrate first off. It certainly is not helping the condition. Maybe change to just paper towels for now.

Here is a web site that may be some help.

http://www.anapsid.org/eyebulge.html

I would also recommend you take your Dragon to the Vet. Guessing and using a product that may cause more harm doesn't seem like a good decision.

Hello .. i would change substrate asap ..

i would also asap recomment a reptile vet .. not a normal vet

i had a young beared dragon who had got a eye infection last year we had her in sad at a young age .. and a peice of pebble ( we asume got into her eye ) and she got infected .. we took her to two normal vet's and they gave us this like anoitment for her eye
but the eye was still worse ... and her eye started to built up a crust on it
so we took her to the vet and they really could not say anything

so my mom took her to the best reptile doctor in towwn and finally .. he could help us .. she was dehidrated and gave us something to give to her in her leg and a otment for her eye

unfortenly ... zabu just got worse and she pasted away while i was at camp .. we waited to long ..

i suggest seeing a vet as soon as possible
( we only use paper towels for baby's now and sand for adult's )

i hope this is some what helpful in you choosing a choice to make ..

good luck with your beardie .

Christina ( that was a frist bearded dragon .. we have 8 helthy ones now though )

Eye watering happens only for a few reasons. One, some irritant is in the eye (dust or small particles of substrate could easily be the cause), infection or inflamation of the eye, eye lid or tear duct can cause watering. External parasites could be lodged near or under the eye lids can also cause tearing. If the eye is swollen or bulging out constantly the problem could be an abscess behind the eye, the sinuses etc.

As many have already suggested, I would get rid of the bran (never felt that was a good substrate to begin with, as it clumps, molds, harbors bran mites, parasites and is way to shifty (ie hard to get traction or even stand on without sinking to their armpits, depending on the depth) but people have used it with no problems. But as it keeps getting stuck on the eye lid and forming a hard crust, swap it out completely and use paper towels. At least this prevents the substrate from making the problem worse.

Next, take your dragon to the vet, especially if the eye doesn't get better after a couple days off the bran. A vet can do blood work on your dragon to detect signs of infection. Even if no puss is oozing out of the eye, doesn't mean there isn't an infection. A high white blood cell count will. He can also flush the eye to make sure there isn't any particle lodged under the eye lid which isn't being washed out by the tearing. He can also check for external parasites (though engorged ticks or mites may be visible on a close examination with a magnifying glass yourself. However, if your dragon did have external parasites, there would be other signs, such as moving bugs on the dragon, or left in bath water after you give him a soak).

Having pets of any type, be they reptiles or cats and dogs, does require responsibilities, which include taking them to a qualified vet when they are not well. Just like if our children are sick, we take them to see a doctor, we are responsible to do that for our pets. We can give advice here on the forums, but the truth is, none of us are qualified reptile vets. And the few that may be, recommend taking your animal to see a vet as it is very difficult to diagnose a problem without actually examining the animal directly. We definitely can give advice on proper husbandry, food, etc. but when something is wrong that doesn't involve increasing basking temps, UVB exposure, feeding proper foods etc, there is very little we can recommend that would work, other than bringing your pet to a qualified vet.

Thus, using an ointment for an eye infection or recommending you do that, may not work at all. If the cause of the tearing isn't an infection, then the ointment isn't going to help. In fact, in some cases, it may just make things worse. So a proper diagnosis is very important.

It may seem I am really emphasizing in your case, but in truth, I am addressing all who have sick or unhealthy dragons to see a vet, whatever their money situation. There are ways to pay for doctor's bills. Most vets will treat the animal first, then get payment from you, be it in monthly installments or up front. Call the vet, ask if have monthly payment plans for big bills. Express that your animal is sick and you do want to get it properly cared for. Most will let you pay in monthly installments. Some may even charge you less knowing you are short on cash. The examination and treatment may also not be as much as you fear. A basic examination may only be $45, a fecal $20 and bloodwork, maybe $100. As the editor of Reptile Magazine put in his comments to a letter he recieved in the recent issue, 'Cost of pet $10, Cost of cage and accessories $40. Cost of Vet bills, $150. Knowing your pet was taking cared of and now healthy: Priceless.' I found this such a good point had to paraphrase it here.
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PHLdyPayne

If you are having trouble locating a vet we will also be very willing to pull all our resources together to try to help you locate one. I am not going to go over what i suggest only because it has totally been said already...