Reptile & Amphibian Forums

Has anyone ever noticed eye problems beginning in dragons aged 6 or so?

I had a normal who seemed to lack the ability to catch live food that started around age 8. He passed away this year at age 11 and I spent a great deal of time hand feeding him crickets or putting insects in a bowl for him to eat. I have his son who is 6 and seems to be developing the same tendency.

I don't know if it is eyesight related (the older missed the target) or lack of interest. He seems eager to eat when hand fed but basically hangs out on his log otherwise and just watches the crickets run by. Also, their eyes develop a saggy almost backwards facing look. He has a big, bulky head in general.

I have the daughter from that same clutch and she does not have any of those tendencies and has a beautiful face. The offspring ended up being a normal x sandfire cross. Otherwise the male looks fine and has a nice, thick tail.

Old age can cause all kinds of eye problems... however there are also many other things that can cause eye problems as well. Exposure to too high UV Index producing bulbs (ie the older compact UVB bulbs) or just being too close to the uvb producing bulb (even the straight tubes can produce high UV index if the dragon is within a few inches of the bulb itself). Abscesses behind the eyes, in the sinuses, or other areas around the eye. Foreign material in the eye, blocked or infected tear ducts, cataracts etc.

Best thing to do is take your dragon to a qualified reptile vet for an examination. They can get a better idea on what is happening with your droopy eyed dragon than we can by guess work.

Also keep in mind that older dragons don't have the same vigor as their younger counterparts, which could explain lack of accuracy in catching prey. Also, if the prey is too close, it is harder for dragons to focus on them, I think...they also have blind points (not sure exactly the field of view for a dragon...but many animals with eyes set more to the side of their heads than infront, tend to not be able to see anything very close to their snouts.)
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PHLdyPayne