We noticed something severly wrong with Jimmety Cricket's eyes today. They are pink and look like there is a murky film around them. He keeps his eyes open like there is no problem, but when he blinks, I once saw bubbles on his eye. I dont have the money to take him to a vet, and I am scared for his life. I flushed them, but only one seemed to have improved before it went right back to its other state. He keeps his mouth open a lot, and he also smacks it. He wont eat, and has a possible eye infection. I keep them on paper towels, clean their water daily, I dont let them eat wild caught food. Jimmety Cricket doesnt even swim, so i have to wonder where he got it from. Please, I need some help on this!
Would it be possible to get pictures of the eyes? It doesn't sound very pleasant arises so rapidly, and by what you are describing it is likely something that will require antibiotics or veterinary treatment. You can try to continue flushing them with saline solution in case any foreign particles are logged in there and to help relieve the eyes, but pink coloration, film, and bubbles are all indicative of infection and innate immune response. You need to get him separated from the other pronto if they are not already separated - and I would strongly consider making a vet appointment. If he is not eating and behaving strangely, I'm seeing more and more red flags arise. Where he got it from? Who knows. The other CWD might have given it to him, but had a strong enough immune system to keep it at bay (opportunistic pathogen). Could have been from contact with contaminated feces or some other surface, a fluke, a feeder, contaminated water, or contact with the natural microfauna on another herp or animal that causes them no harm but may wreak havoc in the conjunctiva of a CWD... Every animal in the world is loaded with natural bacteria and protozoa on the skin, and within the bodies (we have billions inside of us, large varieties of species). They may cause us no harm personally, but can be dangerous to others. Just like the species of E. coli that lives within the gut of Cows that aids in their digestion... if we consume cow intestine that is contaminated we can become very ill while it does not harm the natural resevoir host.
My camera isnt working. Will turn on for a second then back off. I tried replacing the batteries but no luck. And he is in our spare. We flushed them out but it looks as if something is loged in on of his eye corners. But Candy's eyes are so clear, it doesnt even begin to compare with Jimmety Cricket's. Could he have gotten it from the pet store but it not arise until now? I will try to find the money, and suggestions for quick money?
Like I said, its hard to pinpoint exactly where it originated without actually owning the animal and knowing what all it was exposed to. I'm not exceptionally knowledgeable about specific species of pathogen that infect the eyes of CWD's either... hard to say exactly what it is... but given the symptoms it sounds like a Vet is needed. When the animal begins to have this kind of immune reaction and goes off feed (amongst other behavioral changes) there comes a point where even husbandry changes may not be enough. The first step to solving any illness is to look at the husbandry, ensure it is 100% perfect, correct flaws, and sometimes the animal can fight things off on their own. But when they start to decay, it is better to seek medical attention sooner than later while the animal is still capable of recovery. As for cash - I would seek aid from relatives or friends, and find ways to set up a payment plan of some sort to pay them back. Good friends and family should be understanding that this is a pet that means a lot to you, and because you are close to them you're not going to screw them over and will pay them back eventually.
Thanks, I will try to make an appointment with a vet as soon as possible. One of his eyes went bloody (it isnt dripping or nothing, just looks bloody), the other can be flushed out but after a couple of hours goes back to pink. Is it possible he has pink eye? Ok, I will ask some of them. I dont really feel comfortable having people loan me money, but I will still ask.
Pink eye (Conjunctivitis) is essentially an infection of the Conjunctiva, which is a basically a protective membrane over the eye, and deep to the eyelids. It could be an infection of the bulbar conjunctiva, but its hard to be certain. Assuming its an infection, the conjunctiva is the first thing a pathogen will encounter, but thats not to say it cannot infect other parts of the eyes. It could be an infection of the glands associated with the eye, or any tissue the eye is composed of. A vet would have to determine what it is... but antibiotics would likely be required regardless.
I managed to flush something out of his eye, it was covered in blood so it was hard to see what it was. That didnt work because he kept his eyes closed so I put in gentak and he is opening his eyes, and is eyes are CLEAR.
I'd still make it to that vet appointment just in case unless a rapid improvement of the eyes and behavior is seen. Gentak contains the antibibiotic "Gentamicin" in it - while it is farily broad spectrum there are plenty of species of pathogen that will remain blissfully unaffected by it. If it is a viral infection or protozoa, it will do virtually nothing. There are also resistant strains of bacteria, so there is really no telling for sure what is going on. I'm not a big fan of using antibiotics without knowing they are necessary, and I have no idea the safety of using it on a lizard. I'd stop the Gentak treatment and continue only rinsing with a saline solution until a vet can look into it... Furthermore, we have no idea what potential side effects are for a lizard when using these antibiotic for the eye.
I too am having eye issues with my water dragon Jade. She is about 5 years old and in good condition except for a cloudy film on her eyes. I went to my local reptile pet store and they claimed that she has cataracts! and she would go blind in about a year. they told me to squirt vitamin A from a syringe directly into her eyes to soothe her. They also said it cant be corrected. Is there anything else i can do for her?
Welcome to the boards WarPoet, I'm sorry this issue brought you here. I wish you and Jade the best and hope that this is something that can be resolved. What was the name of the pet store that you took her to? Some stores have experienced employees, but a good majority (particularly in large chains) have employees that really aren't trained adequately. We generally recommend taking anything a store employee says with a grain of salt unless you are trust their credentials or have done outside research that confirms what they've said. The best solution would be to take Jade to an experienced reptile vet - it may turn out that the pet stores's advice was correct, or it may turn out that there is some other solution or treatment that the vet may be able to carry out. Eyes are pretty serious organs, I'd much rather get a second opinion from a reputable source. To find an herp vet in your area, try this site: http://herpvetconnection.com
The pet store that told me the news is Pet Bazaar. A small business that makes reptiles there forte. I am currently looking for a vet and the website you sent me is helping. Thank you
