Leopard Gecko Forum
Would you like to react to this message? Create an account in a few clicks or log in to continue.

Leopard Gecko Eye Concerns

2 posters

Go down

Leopard Gecko Eye Concerns Empty Leopard Gecko Eye Concerns

Post by LVMikal Wed Feb 15, 2012 7:00 am

Just wanted to post my current (and ongoing) experience with leopard gecko eye problems. Upon researching, it appears to be a commong problem, but one without much information or resolve. Thought I'd add my trials.

I recently picked up a group of five leopard geckos. All of them came with shed problems, two of them with an eye condition, and one of those was in pretty bad shape, very thin, and no appetite. Lots of reading proved to only make it more confusing, so I won't try to explain the various possible causes being that I don't necessarily understand them all.

Long story short (kinda), my female has a healthy weight and her eyes aren't so bad, but I'm putting her through the same treatment as the other just to make sure she maintains health. The male on the other hand is much worse off, thin, frail, eyes swollen shut, and when I was able get him to open them, it appeared that there was a large clear globe over the actual eyeball. This is where the several misconceptions that I found exist as far as what that globe actually is. As far as I was concerned, he was already on his way out.

Anyways, I decided I'd try to best use the verious methods to try and coach this guy back to health. I started with a warm soak in a small dish with a lid on it to help loosen any possible contaminants that might be in the eye. Afterwards, I'd use a Q-Tip with saline, and an old perscription of eye drops I had containing Polymyxin B Sulfate to try and gently dislodge any sediments still in his eyes. I ordered Terramycin online, but continued my eyedrops in the mean time. To keep his weight up, I've been syringe feeding him a couple different insectivore mixed diets in the meantime until he can begin eating on his own.

On the third night, the welling had finally resided in his eyelids enough that I was able to detect a fairly good sized piece of shed way up in the corner of the eye. Q-Tip and saline after a warm soak proved effective in assisting removal of the skin. Received my terramycin yesterday and gave the first application and only two days after the shed removal, the swelling is substantially less, and his confidence seems to be greatly increased. He still isn't eating on his own, but he's freely moving about his enclosure. He still maintains to keep his eyes closed almost all the time except while in the soak and for about 30 minutes after, and while I'm holding him, so there is obviously still some discomfort.

I'm going to keep on the feeding plan, and the terramycin and will continue to post results.



LVMikal
Member

Status Status : No status yet...
Posts : 17
Join date : 2012-02-15
Location : Las Vegas, NV
LGF Points LGF Points : 59

Back to top Go down

Leopard Gecko Eye Concerns Empty Re: Leopard Gecko Eye Concerns

Post by Kermit Wed Feb 15, 2012 9:18 am

Be careful using the teramycin because if he has a corneal abrasion from the stuck shed eye treatment with an antibiotic opthamolic ointment is usually not recommended. You might just want to continue with the plain saline flush with out the qtip or you could scratch his eye worse. Just flush it right from the bottle. Reduce his light exposure will help remove any further stress and squinting as I'm sure his eye is likely light sensitive after his ordeal and id keep him in a hospital set up. Paper towel substrait, humid, hot, and cool hide, minimal decor and temps a bit higher around 96*f.

If you feel like filling out our care questionaire we can help see if there's any other husbandry problems that might be hindering your groups recovery. Its a sticky in the health section.
Kermit
Kermit
Forum Staff

  Forum Staff

Status Status : Local Housing Authority :)
Posts : 2632
Join date : 2011-02-24
Location : North West Pa. USA
LGF Points LGF Points : 3307

http://www.RollOverRover.webs.com

Back to top Go down

Leopard Gecko Eye Concerns Empty Re: Leopard Gecko Eye Concerns

Post by LVMikal Thu Feb 16, 2012 4:15 am

Pictures as promised. Keep in mind, these are much improved that what I started with, so if anyone's gecko has bad eyes, don't be overly discouraged, but do seek treatment immediately and thouroughly.
Here are the males eyes
Leopard Gecko Eye Concerns IMG_3367
Leopard Gecko Eye Concerns IMG_2848
And the males body showing his thin tale and frame
Leopard Gecko Eye Concerns IMG_2799

LVMikal
Member

Status Status : No status yet...
Posts : 17
Join date : 2012-02-15
Location : Las Vegas, NV
LGF Points LGF Points : 59

Back to top Go down

Leopard Gecko Eye Concerns Empty Re: Leopard Gecko Eye Concerns

Post by LVMikal Thu Feb 16, 2012 4:16 am

The female on the other hand has continued nice improvement and maintains decent weight.
Leopard Gecko Eye Concerns IMG_5736
Leopard Gecko Eye Concerns IMG_3781
Leopard Gecko Eye Concerns IMG_0287

LVMikal
Member

Status Status : No status yet...
Posts : 17
Join date : 2012-02-15
Location : Las Vegas, NV
LGF Points LGF Points : 59

Back to top Go down

Leopard Gecko Eye Concerns Empty Re: Leopard Gecko Eye Concerns

Post by Kermit Thu Feb 16, 2012 11:39 am

That third picture of the male concerns me. is that the viv he's in now? The floor looks covered in cricket poo... Def. Not good for a sick leo, I'm sure you know he needs a hospital set up, sanitary and cleaned often. The first pix, it's hard to see clearly but it almost looks like he might still have some shed in his eyes.in the second pic of him along the bottom rim of that left eye. Can't see the right eye too well to comment aside of it looking really swollen. Id continue with the flushing with saline solution every day, it isn't recommended to use human opthamolic drops on animals, it could be toxic. I wouldn't coat them with any ointment as it will just trap crud to his eye surface. When treating eyes with out veterinary council a minimalist philosophy is best, do as little as you have to. You may want to try some cool compresses across his eyes for about 10-15 minutes a day to see if that helps bring down the swelling, then later in the day a warm compress to see if you can exress any infection that may be in there. He may not like it too much but try the best you can to keep it on for 10-15 minutes and keep it warm not hot. If you do get oozing from the warm compresses you're going to need a vet to prescribe meds as an infection can travel from the eye to the sinus to the mouth and throat very easliy then before you know it you could have mouth rot, or a respatory infection, don't want that. With all the soaks absolutelt try to keep him at 96*F and his humidity around 50%. His weight doesn't look terribly dreadful, his tail is thin but his body isn't emaciated. Get that vitamin A into him like we discussed, id be dusting him with a good all in 1 suppliment like repashy calcium plus or t-rex complete leopard gecko dust icb by sandfire foods every other feeding. Try to see if he'll eat on his own aside of the syringe feeding, let it go for a day or 2 with no food then offer live active prey appropriately sized first, at least see if he has visual perception, if he fails or doesn't go for it, try tickling his lip with it on tweezers, this should make him open up then you can stick it in his mouth. Hopefully he eats it. If that fails go back to the syringe feeding. Hopefully you see more positive with the continues flushing and he compresses. Keep us updated thumbs up 2
Kermit
Kermit
Forum Staff

  Forum Staff

Status Status : Local Housing Authority :)
Posts : 2632
Join date : 2011-02-24
Location : North West Pa. USA
LGF Points LGF Points : 3307

http://www.RollOverRover.webs.com

Back to top Go down

Leopard Gecko Eye Concerns Empty Re: Leopard Gecko Eye Concerns

Post by Kermit Thu Feb 16, 2012 11:41 am

The female looks pretty good keep up the good work.
Kermit
Kermit
Forum Staff

  Forum Staff

Status Status : Local Housing Authority :)
Posts : 2632
Join date : 2011-02-24
Location : North West Pa. USA
LGF Points LGF Points : 3307

http://www.RollOverRover.webs.com

Back to top Go down

Leopard Gecko Eye Concerns Empty Re: Leopard Gecko Eye Concerns

Post by LVMikal Thu Feb 16, 2012 11:47 am

Not Cricket poo. This is the mats I mentioned in chat, and in the other post. Sanitary sealed and finished with walnut shells with excess loose material removed. This is what I was asking thoughts on.

The skin in the eye you refer to I believe is a glare, but I will double check again.

Weight in his body seems to be increasing with syringe feeting, as too is his strength slightly, and his activity. I'll keep updates posted as his condition changes.

I'll add the supplemented bugs into the mash as discussed, and try to work the compresses into the schedule. I'll check into live feeding, but so far what I've offered, he's refused and avoided.

Also, I will pick up the heat tonight as we discussed and see if this doesn't help spark some additional appetite. Updates to follow. Thanks for all the advice!

LVMikal
Member

Status Status : No status yet...
Posts : 17
Join date : 2012-02-15
Location : Las Vegas, NV
LGF Points LGF Points : 59

Back to top Go down

Leopard Gecko Eye Concerns Empty Re: Leopard Gecko Eye Concerns

Post by Sponsored content


Sponsored content


Back to top Go down

Back to top

- Similar topics

 
Permissions in this forum:
You cannot reply to topics in this forum