Reptile & Amphibian Forums

Alright well I have had my argusXflavi for around 6 month now. He was in a 30g tank for awhile while I was building a large cage for him... I just picked up some new dirt mix yesterday for the new cage and he spent his first night in it last night.

-I just have a few questions about the dirt. First of all and most important is his eye. When I came home from work today his eye looks like the skin that when they blink was kind of open over his eye a little. I cant see any dirt in his eye but somthing has to be making it like that. I know they love to dig and I want to keep him on the soil but I dont want him to get all kinds of crap in his eye all the time from it. Do you think I should take him to a vet and see what they say? Or should at wait a few days as see if goes away? Also When he goes for cricket he gets some dirt in his mouth. I know a little dirt isnt going to kill him but i dont want it to get him all impacted from eating alot of it. Should I feed him out of the dirt?

My main concern right now is the eye, has anyone else ever seen anything like that... sorry I can't explain it better but I think you can get what I mean. Not his eye lid that he closes when he goes to sleep but the thing that they just blink with (I wish I knew what it was called so I dont sound stupid). I can try to get a picture if anyone might think they would know what is going on.

Thanks... Chris.
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0.1.0 BCI, 3 yr old
0.0.1 Ridge Tail Monitor
0.0.1 ArgusXflavi Cross monitor
0.0.1 Leoperd Gecko, Juvi (My girlfriends)

Well, I can't answer your monitor questions... but I just thought I'd let you know that that extra eye lid is called the nictitating membrane. Good luck with your monitor!
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1.1.0 Leopard Geckos (Booger & Gimp)
1.0.0 Veiled Chameleon (Lucutis)

Update your post- is it still occurring? I wouldn't want to upset anyone on this forum, but I had the same concerns about dirt (impactions). The sandier it is, the more likely the problem. I've switched to mulch for my moist burrowing area, and alfalfa pellets for the dry feeding area. My savannas eat prekilled mice and rats almost exclusively, so their food doesn't readily migrate into the mulch My personal opinion would lead you to opt for a substrate switch if the problem continues. Monitors don't shed their corneas like snakes do!! LOL Hope this helps, but perhaps someone else has other ideas. I'd hoped you would get more replies (maybe you will) -this is a very valid thread topic.

PS the alfalfa pellets act as a very mild laxative if they are accidentally ingested -keeps impaction risk at a MINIMUM (after losing one sav to soil-induced impaction, i vowed not to let happen again. Fort Worth Zoo Vets reccommended the alfalfa.

It seems to have cleared up... I did not know about the alfalfa pellets, I was thinking about making a part of the cage not dirt. Thanks for all the info man. take care.
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0.1.0 BCI, 3 yr old
0.0.1 Ridge Tail Monitor
0.0.1 ArgusXflavi Cross monitor
0.0.1 Leoperd Gecko, Juvi (My girlfriends)

I don't worry about keeping my guys on dirt. I had an Argus once that was very badly bitten by another Argus. After asking for advice on this forum I did nothing but clean the wound. The deep cut on its thigh healed in no time. I was shocked at how fast it healed. The monitor still burrowed, basked, and did it's usual thing and the dirt never seemed to be an issue.

I have kept a few different types of monitors and a tegu on dirt and never had a problem with dirt in their eyes.
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Ed

my argus got some dirt stuck in his eye .. it was a nightmare as i left it for a few days expecting that it come out of its own .. the monitor spent increasing amounts of time in water, the eye swelled a bit by the 4th day and then it went off food (unheard of for arnie) ... anyway I had a look and tried to get as much out as I could, but found that there was actually a bit of wood stuck that I could not get on my own .. I got a friend to help and with a pair of tweezers and a plastic spatula we got the gunk out ... the lizard was feeding the following day and eye completely normal with 3 days !!!

He constantly digs and burrows and i've not had any problems since

carl