# baby water dragon eyes stuck shut



## Maj0rsnatch (Jul 16, 2010)

Hi i have a baby Chinese water dragon, got him about a week ago, hes tiny and in an exo terra 18x18x18 tank, all temps are fine. For some reason his eyes are always stuck shut, also had breathing problems since i got him . Ive heard that coil uva/uvb bulbs could cause the eyes to be stuck closed, is this true?
cheers


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## Jgilbert (Jan 31, 2009)

yes they can. are you using a compact uvb bulb rather than a strip? the compact ones create an intense localised ammount of uvb around the bulb as opposed to a strip which spreads it more evenly. if you are my advise would be to take the bulb out for the day, it will be fine without uvb for the day and see if it helps. if you notice it start to open its eyes then change up for a strip. there could be many other factors. check for things like mites. these can accumulate in the folds around the eye lids and cause irritation. also check fo gunkyness in the eye itself. also are the temps correct or is the basking light to big or bright? if there is nothing visible irritating the eye, or if there is and there is no problem with the uvb or temps take it to the vets.


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## Maj0rsnatch (Jul 16, 2010)

Jgilbert said:


> yes they can. are you using a compact uvb bulb rather than a strip? the compact ones create an intense localised ammount of uvb around the bulb as opposed to a strip which spreads it more evenly. if you are my advise would be to take the bulb out for the day, it will be fine without uvb for the day and see if it helps. if you notice it start to open its eyes then change up for a strip. there could be many other factors. check for things like mites. these can accumulate in the folds around the eye lids and cause irritation. also check fo gunkyness in the eye itself. also are the temps correct or is the basking light to big or bright? if there is nothing visible irritating the eye, or if there is and there is no problem with the uvb or temps take it to the vets.


cheers, yeah ive unplugged the bulb so it doesnt come back on tomorrow, i would of got a tube light like i use on my beardy but the shop supplied this as a package, is their any other kind of bulb i can put in the top of the exo terra bulb holder thing?
Exo Terra Desert Habitat Terrarium Small 30x30x30cm

its the same as that, the box on top has a screw in socket for a bulb :/


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## Jgilbert (Jan 31, 2009)

the shop should not have supplied you with that tank for a water dragon. a tank like that dosnt have enough room for a temperature gradient which reptiles need to thermoregulate. also a full glass terrarium is a big no no for water dragons too as water dragons cannot see glass and they constantly rub there noses up against it which causes damage to there flesh on there snout. unfortunatly they never learn that the glass is there and contunually do it. I would take that up with the shop, they have given bad advice and sold you a tank thats unsuitable for the animal. for a baby i would recomend something around 2.5-3 ft. and for an adult 3-4 ft wide, 2 ft deep and 5 ft high. water dragons need a lot of space to thrive. other than that a screw fixture can be used to house a basking lamp. always use a strip lamp though. there are very few animals you should use a compact bulb with.


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## Maj0rsnatch (Jul 16, 2010)

Im not asking about the tank size or material, hes 3 inches long, i have a 4x4x2.5 tank here and a 3x2x2 tank here both wooden and unused, they have full setups


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## Jgilbert (Jan 31, 2009)

well if you dont want to keep the poor animal properly then dont take my advice. your obviously doing something wrong for its eyes to be stuck shut so any advice you can get i think you should apreciate. and if you cant be bothered to keep the animal properly then you dont deserve to keep it at all and i feel very sorry for it


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## Jeffers_56 (Jun 13, 2009)

Maj0rsnatch said:


> Im not asking about the tank size or material, hes 3 inches long, i have a 4x4x2.5 tank here and a 3x2x2 tank here both wooden and unused, they have full setups


put it in the 3x2x2 now with a strip light and a 150w ceramic heater. then it can upgrade to the 4x4x2.5.
the package the shop gave is not right and if thats what they are selling to people they should have their license revoked. its not on at all that.

anyways. are you sure they are stuck shut and its not just playing dead around you. baby water dragons are notorious for this and can be very skittish. especially in a small enclosure with nowhere to hide. also the humidity can be very hard to keep right in an all glass enclosure which is why wooden ones with glass doors only are reccommended. not to mention the problem with snout damage as mentioned earlier. they just don't get glass at all. 

check out tricias water dragon page mate. its a website that will let you know what these fantastic lizards require.

not all shops know what they are talking about and you should always do your own research before buying. 

good luck and i hope the little guy is alright


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## Maj0rsnatch (Jul 16, 2010)

ive done research for about 6 months, i got him ill from a shop their was 2 of them ill, the one i didnt take is already dead, mine is going back on friday


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## Maj0rsnatch (Jul 16, 2010)




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## Maj0rsnatch (Jul 16, 2010)

Jgilbert said:


> well if you dont want to keep the poor animal properly then dont take my advice. your obviously doing something wrong for its eyes to be stuck shut so any advice you can get i think you should apreciate. and if you cant be bothered to keep the animal properly then you dont deserve to keep it at all and i feel very sorry for it


I feel sorry for it too, if i didnt then i would of bought one of the older healthy ones, not the one sitting in the dark with his mouth open gasping for air!


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## Jgilbert (Jan 31, 2009)

then take peoples advice. no one is having a go, people are just trying to help. obviously youre an inexperienced herp keeper so if i were you i would take all the advice i could get. i consider myself fairly knowledgable but there are many many things that i dont know, so i ask for advice.


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## Maj0rsnatch (Jul 16, 2010)

ive had reptiles for a very long time, milk snakes, bearded dragons and spiders, i asked advice about my water dragon, and the bulb, not the tank and for you to mug me off, this is a temp tank, i already said i have 2 other tanks, i cant put a water dragon in a big tank in the state i bought him in, ive seen the questions you have asked people in threads, no offence but i dont really wanna take advice off some1 that doesnt really know


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## Jim2109 (Mar 30, 2009)

Maj0rsnatch said:


> i cant put a water dragon in a big tank in the state i bought him in


yes you can. if its eyes are stuck closed as a result of over-exposure to UV then in fact moving it to a bigger tank is the absolute best thing you can do! not that this is the reason, but if youve got a spare viv available then use it anyway.

the rainforests of south east asia are a gigantic place. im sure your water dragon can cope with a 4 foot viv. just make sure there is plenty of furniture in there so it can hide if it wants to.

and if its eyes are stuck shut, a trip to the vet is in order.


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## Maj0rsnatch (Jul 16, 2010)

The vets already been, hes doing fine the vet said, eyes are open today, its not the bulb, its just the respiratory infection from when i bought him, been using baytrill, apple and pear baby food, temps up and humidity down


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