Reptile & Amphibian Forums

Hey Guys & Gals ,

My younger Chuck is showing what appears to be a problem with one of his eyes. There is visually nothing wrong... discharge, swelling etc... He tends to just keep it shut. He will open it then rapidly blinks as if there is something stuck in it. He seems to focus fine, and his behavior is normal. I am pretty sure that this is not a Vitamin A issue as his diet is really spot on. This has been going on with him for about 2 weeks or so.

Does anyone here have any ideas. Is there a product available that I could use to "flush" the eye.. Ointment / eye drops in case there is something lodged in the socket? Are there any eye specific parasites that may be causing this?

Any other thoughts are also welcome.

Thanks,
-Kory

I would soak the eyelid with a warm wet soft cloth and then apply some stye ointment. If you can insert the tip of the applicator between the lids, do so, then kind of mush it around and see if that gets results. Be gentle, just in case there is something in there. What substrata are you using in the cage??

In case there is actually something in there, you could also initially try just flushing the eye with some saline solution (it's with the contact lens solutions). I'd also remove fine particulate substrates like sand until you figure out what's going on.

-Alice

Thanks for the help. However, I think the issue is related to UV lighting. I recently changed the lights from two 2ft long tubes to two screw in UV lights. I noticed that there is a very intense ultraviolet glow around everything.. That purplish blue colored aura... I read that these lights throw out much more UV which they seem to be doing.

The location that the Chuck basks at, positions him so that the eye he keeps closed is facing the UV 10.0 light. He is maybe 8 inches away from the bulb.

When I turn that light off he will open his eye, but only for a short period. I think he may have a bit of "flash" from the UV light.

A note on contact solution... The saline cleaning solutions like Renew multi-purpose lens cleaner contain high amount of protein which can cause damage to the human eye. I would think that this might apply to reptiles as well. Always use rewetting drops as they do not contain the protein. However, that type of solution also has a short shelf life. It is safe to use the cleaning solutions once or twice a day, and only a few drops at a time.

A product that I use is called Refresh PM. It is an oily ointment that helps flush debris and mucous from the eye. It also promotes healthy tear production. I put a bit of this into my little Chucks eye last night and he kept it open most of the night. (My dad is a welder, and he used this stuff by the gallon to ease welding flash!!)

Anyway, thanks for the input, and as far as the substrate... I scooped up some of the dirt, silica sand, and granite bits from the area that I caught the little guy. It is due to be changed, and I will probably go with calci sand mixed with some 1/2" sized pieces of granite gravel. He has a ton of rocks to climb on, and spends almost no time on the ground.

-Kory

I guess I should have been clearer. I was talking about straight saline not the stuff used for storing / cleaning contacts.

I'd stay away from calcisand. It can clump together in the digestive tract and cause impactions. Real sand is safer.

-Alice

That's okay regarding the saline solution... For years I used it to clean contacts and my eyes many times during the day. I simply wanted to point out that there is a difference incase someone else decides to use it.

I've heard so many mixed things about calcium sand vs. regular silica or plaster sand.. I've used it on and off for years without any issues, however it is a bit expensive, and the dust drives my allergies insane! Maybe it's time for a change.

Thanks,
-Kory