Reptile & Amphibian Forums

I adopted a beardie about 2 months ago. All has been goin well its a 15 inch male, eats well, and everything but the last week or so he has not opened his eyes much. It started as one eye kinda off and on, and has slowly progressed to both eyes almost never open and hes started getting kinda lethargic in the last few days, still eats, still basks, just no more head bobbin or arm wavin like normal. I keep him on play sand, I rinse it well before I put it in. He was on calci-sand for a few days after the problem had started and it got worse so he is back to play sand. I dunno, the only thing I could find was that something is in his eye and is buggin him. ???

If you feel it's something in his eye you could flush it with saline solution. However, I am skeptical that that is the problem. Just seems odd that he would have something in both eyes.

Is his enclosure excessively dry? Or could he be dehydrated? How bright is the enclosure? What lighting are you using? Is he able to get 8 - 10 hours of uninterupted sleep? All these things may be something to consider.

Another poster, B22, once mentioned that he had a dragon or dragons that were sensitive to the UVB 10.0. Maybe this is something to consider. How far away is he from the UVB?

A vet visit to check his eyesite might not be a bad idea either.

I second everything BDLvr suggests. It is also possible dust from either the calci-sand or even washed play sand could have gotten into both eyes, rare but it could happen.

Infections in one or both eyes need to be treated by a vet. Are the eyes just closed or are they gummed up and thus look like the dragon can't open them if he tried?

Need to know more information of your set up as well. what have you been feeding him, how old is your dragon (15" could mean he is anywhere between 8 months to a few years old, if he didn't grow as much as a normal dragon would). What are your temps? What type and strength of UVB light (as BDLvr pointed out). Anything else you can think of that may have changed since you started to notice the problem with his eyes. Also, are there any crickets left in his cage over night?
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PHLdyPayne

His eyes aren't gummy and he opens them if I pick him up and move him around or when his lights turn on. He is under one of those zoo med halogen lamps the basking sight is 102-110ish, cool end is inthe 80's. He has a zoo med 10.0 bulb, one of the curly screw in ones not a long tube one. Eats superworms, crickets beans, collard greens, occasional baby food and pinkie. I soak him once a week in RO water and the beans he eats are soaked first so they are full of water. I don't know how old he is, but he is still growin it seems, he was dropped of at a pet store and adopted along with another male... he was supoosed to be a female...

oh and I don't notice any crickets but the is alot of rock work in his cage so they could not be noticed it they didn't want to be....

One of my beardeds has this very same issue. Alot of times though one of his eyes will be open, while the other is closed, then he'll switch. The other one I have in the cage, his eyes are fine, no issues whatsoever. I guess I'm going to need a vet because I don't know enough about these animals to determine the prognosis. I don't this one dying on me, he's my favorite. Good luck with yours.
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1.0 "Goini" King
0.1 Hypo. Floridana King
1.1 Bearded Dragons

I'm suspect of that compact UVB. They are 26 Watts in a very small area. A fluorescent tube is 10 watts per foot and has a much larger diameter. 26 Watts is about the same light output as a 100 watt incandescent bulb. This spring I replaced a 100 watt incandescent with a 26 watt regular compact fluorescent in one of my enclosures so that I could keep the light without all the heat. Looking at the bulb, bothered my eyes and the dragon tended to shy away from it. I replaced it right away.

I would try taking it away for a few days and see if you notice any difference.

The UV bulb has been off for three days now and although not back to normal, there is HUGE improvement so far..... Have to go back to a straight bulb I guess.