Reptile & Amphibian Forums

I have a friend that purchased a Water Dragon recently that is now sick and we need to see if there is anything that can be done for it. It was purchased about a month ago from the PetStore that both she and my wife work at. It has an eye infection that has swollen up one eye so bad that my friend can't get the eyedrops in it and is oozing brownish black mucas from it. Its tall has also partly dropped off (it went from 7 inches of tail to 3). The store said that she can exchange it but she declined since they don't have another one and also that she really wants to make sure that everything is done to try to save it instead of having it put into a sick room to just die (not that they don't care about the animals there, she just bonded with it quickly). On of the vets that works in the store (who knows reptiles very well and has treated our reptiles on many occasions) gave her some drops to put into her eyes but said it does not look too good. Other than that it is very lathargic and not eating. Is there anything that anyone can think of that might help? Thanks!
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Bryan, Atlanta GA

1-0-0 Ball Python - Apep
0-1-0 Mountain Horned Dragon - Ki
1-1-0 Rats... no wait... ROTTEN Little Cats - Ra, Bastet
0-1-0 Little Angelic Kitten - Isis
1-0-0 Horse... whoops... BIG Golden Retriever - Jake
0-1-0 Wife
2-0-0 Kids

Take it to a vet! If i were you, I would speak to the owner of the petstore, and insist that they pay half of the Vet bill. When you talk to the owner bring some photos of the lizard and tell him/her that you will be taking your story and the pictures to the press. Other then that if you insist on treating him yourself, take a small sugar spoon heat it up until it is hot enough to burn and dig out the eye. It'll hurt like hell, but it will remove the infected eye and cotorize the wound. A vet would take a flap of skin from the eye lid keeping the blood supply attached and use it to patch the rupture. and give you antibiotics and steroids. If the eye isn't ruptured the antibiotics and steroids will do the trick.

What I used to use on my son when he was a baby was a thin boric acid solution. A pharmacist could tell you how to mix it for a baby (or a lizard). Use a soft rag and wet the rag in the solution and gently brush it over his eye. It will seep into it where drops can't. And it's very good for eye infections. As for the tail, use neosporin on it, not much else you can do. It should heal up and some grow part of it back. I don't like to force feed but it may come down to it. I use baby food, meat flavored. Good luck and I hope that helps you.

Thank you both for your help. Unfortunitely she died over the weekend. Our friend knew from the beginning that it didn't look good but wanted to at least try to helper her.
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Bryan, Atlanta GA

1-0-0 Ball Python - Apep
0-1-0 Mountain Horned Dragon - Ki
1-1-0 Rats... no wait... ROTTEN Little Cats - Ra, Bastet
0-1-0 Little Angelic Kitten - Isis
1-0-0 Horse... whoops... BIG Golden Retriever - Jake
0-1-0 Wife
2-0-0 Kids

I am sorry to hear the news, I also apologize if my response seemed angry, but the symptoms you were describing were life threatening and needed imediate action. In all likely hood it was probably too late for you to have done anything.

Rick,

In no way did I think that your response seemed angry! I truly appriciate the reply that you sent. Forums and message boards in general make it difficult to post a sense of urgency in a reply without it sounding angry. Sometimes it can be difficult to tell them apart, however in your posting it clearly reflected concern and urgency. Thanks!
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Bryan, Atlanta GA

1-0-0 Ball Python - Apep
0-1-0 Mountain Horned Dragon - Ki
1-1-0 Rats... no wait... ROTTEN Little Cats - Ra, Bastet
0-1-0 Little Angelic Kitten - Isis
1-0-0 Horse... whoops... BIG Golden Retriever - Jake
0-1-0 Wife
2-0-0 Kids