Reptile & Amphibian Forums

I just picked up a bearded dragon about a week ago and so far he's doing awsome...eating well and active. However i noticed today that he keeps his right eye closed alot...only opening it when he hears something or is picked up. Any idea wut this might be. The temps are right in the cage and he has reptisun 10.0's so i dont think that its his enclosure. Any ideas as to what this could possibly be?

Are you using the compact flourescent? If you are that's the problem and you need to replace it with a straight fluorescent tube.

no I'm using the straight tubes...im thinking he might just have something bothering his eye...because its just the one he is closing.

how close is his basking spot to the UVB tube? Also, what sort of substrate?

Dust or too bright lights can cause dragons to close their eye or eyes....Check carefully to see if there is anything in the eye, though if its something that can't easily be removed, probably best to take him to a vet where they can take a closer look, possibly flush the eye with saline...or something similar, if its just particulate matter that needs to be flushed out.

When he has the one eye closed, is he always facing the same direction? (maybe its glare off something which bothers him so he closes that eye, but it may be open fine when he's facing another direction and then his other eye closes...if the source of the glare is still there.
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PHLdyPayne

I'm using a zoo med basking bulb for lighting and i would say at the closest point its about 6 inches away from the light. When he basks he is not exposed to his uvb lights. I'm using Repti-sand for subsrate...the really fine red one that i belive is calcium based. Its always left eye that he is keeping closed...so i dont think its because of the glare. I already have his lights off and hes sleeping tonight...do you think soaking him in the morning would help anything?. Also should i move his basking spot further away from the light?

sorry i know i said earlier it was his right eye....but it is for sure his left.

I definitely say get rid of the calcium sand, that stuff isn't good for bearded dragons at all. Also, if your dragon is less than 14" much higher risk of impaction from ingested sand. If you really want a sand substrate, once he is 14" you can switch him to washed and sifted children's playsand. It is safer by far than any calcium based sands.

Dust from the sand, or the sand itself certainly could be causing the problem with his eye. Get rid of the calcium sand, switch to just plain paper towel. If you don't notice an improvement in the eye..in a few days, take it to a vet to flush out the sand or whatever else may be causing it. Waiting too long could mean damage to the eye and/or infection.

The basking spot is rather close to the bulb..6" doesn't give much room and you don't want your dragon to get in contact with the hot bulb at all. (unless there is a screen or something between the dragon and the hot bulb). Are you sure the basking temps are good? Sometimes it is easier to just use a higher watt bulb and move the basking spot lower, than having the dragon dangerously close to the bulb. You can just use regular household bulbs for basking lights, don't need to get the more expensive petstore ones. I don't find any difference between using a $.50 house hold 75 watt bulb to the $5 pet store one. The cheaper one may burn out a bit faster...but I rather spend $.50 a year then $5 every two years...(assuming the pet store bulbs actually do last two years...never used them at all).
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PHLdyPayne

see if you can check in his eye lids for build up of sand, we rescued a water dragon and it had some of it's coconut husk substrate that it's previous owners had packed into both it's eyes, it would try to keep both eye's closed and hunted its crickets by sound. we didn't even notice it for 2 days, just thought he was going blind but a couple days after we got him we noticed the dirt in his eye and went to clean it out an found a ton packed into both eye lids. the next day he looked around just fine with both eyes. we used the calcisand stuff with our beardies for a little bit but they kept getting it into their eye's and nose, plus we've heard word of impaction from the sand. beardies are from austrailia, not from a sand like place but a red clay type place, they haven't learned to deal with sand per say, some beardies seem to have no problem with it but most, seem to get it gunked into all sorts of places... just somethin to consider.. we've been using newspaper and had no problems, keeps the humidity down and easy clean up. just somethin to consider. and the "digestable" walnut shell substrate, will digest... eventually, after shredding your beardies insides so i would recommend avoiding that. I know one pet store that uses newspaper with it's baby beardies and once they're big enough he switches to millet for the substrate, pretty much bird food, perfectly digestable and no real problems, we put our German giant in his cage with their male an she got some of it caught in her wind pipe at first but figured out how to cough it up pretty quick an didn't do it again in a week of being there.

hey...thanks for responding. To the questions about the heat bulb i do use a screen mesh so theres no way he can come into cantact with the bulb. I check the temps frequently and where he basks is around 110. Also i will try using the paper towel...hopefully that makes a difference. He is still doing fine...he ate around 10 crix today and picked at some kale. Also he is able to open the eye if he wants to...thats what makes me thinks its probbaly is just irritated with sand or dust. I think im going to change him to newspaper and soak him in some warm water. If the problem presists im going to look into a vet. Thanks for the help.

10 crickets? this is a baby right? My baby beardies eat 40-50 crix a salad easilly.