Blind Mertens?

[aoife]

Hi everyone,
As some of you know I have a juvie Mertens, and lately he hasn't been opening his eyes. This is really worring me, I gave him a warm bath last night because he has a retained shed on his tail and when we put him in he just swam around with his eyes shut. I am really scared that he may go blind. Sometimes he will only open 1 eye and then shut it within seconds.

I need to get him to a vet but there are none near me at all.

Any ideas?

Thanks

 

[Kirby]

what uv light are you using? ....sounds like photo-kerato-conjunctivitis.

 

[aoife]

he has a repti-sun 10.0, it goes on around 7am-8pm.

 

[Kirby]

how close can he get to it, and do you use an extra regular flourescent or bright white basking globe?

 

[gillsy]

Also is it a bulb or a compact.

 

[Kirby]

Also is it a bulb or a compact.

ah, didnt pick up on that..

 

[gillsy]

Compacts are seen to be the worse offenders because of something from memory to do with the phosphorus.

They shouldn't be able to get within 20cm of a tube and a compact should not be used at all.

I woudln't worry to much in generaly about monitors and UV, especially if your feeding whole mice.

 

[Kirby]

Compacts are seen to be the worse offenders because of something from memory to do with the phosphorus.

They shouldn't be able to get within 20cm of a tube and a compact should not be used at all.

I woudln't worry to much in generaly about monitors and UV, especially if your feeding whole mice.

the wavelengths given off by compacts stray into uvc (dangerous). and their uvb aint that good in the first place (they dont last)

with reptisun tubes.. CLOSER then 20cm, no closer then 10cm. else there isnt much use.. (FAR worse with cheap dodgy brands)

they still need vitamin D3 to absorb calcium in the first place. any chance you get use natural sun, suppliment with Cal. D3 and get your uv sorted out..

 

[aoife]

he can get pretty close, the globe is the baton form that runs the lenght of the tank. he has a ceramic heating globe . also the walls in the tank are just bare white, as we havn't made a background yet.

 

[Kirby]

i would REALLY suggest getting an extra flouro tube (a regular bright white) and using a bright white globe.

i what i think is happening, his retina's arent tightening like they should be for the amount of uv light, its seems very dull to him so too much uvb is entering and damaging his eyes.

this is why its important to have a bright enclosure. so he doesnt burn his eyes with artificial uv.

 

[gillsy]

I agree with kirby atm, get rid of the UV for now.

And see if he can get natural UV until he recovers.

I'm not sure if they recover themselves or need medical intervention.

check the chameleon forums they suffer alot from it.

 

[Kirby]

no no no.. leave the batten in.. he just needs a brighter viv. his retinas aren't tightening because the enclosure seems dull to him..

all the vet could really do is give eye drops to try help help and moisten his eyes.

he needs it brighter, battons and bulbs!

give him natural sun when you can. if you take out the batten he will need between 2-3 hours of full natural sunlight a day.

 

[aoife]

i just did some research on "photo-kerato-conjunctivitis" and i think i'll turn off the uv light when i get home. i'll leave it off for a couple of days and see if he improves.
he is in a room near to the window, should i open the blinds for him so he can get some light, or leave them shut?

thanks for your quick replies.

umm..ok then, so should i just put in a normal bright light?

 

[Kirby]

yeh, and an extra batten if possible.. it will really help.

ive had the same problem before..

 

[Chimera]

I think you guys here are on the right track, either swap the light out for something with a lower UV percentage or increase the brightness in the enclosure. This affliction is more common then you think and is one of the risks associated with overprovisioning UV light (you're not the first and won't be the last ).

I'd get a decent vet to cast his eye over your Mertens, and I would probably say that a few days of dim light (no UV) through the healing process wouldn't go astray. After this you could look to adjust the lighting setup. One option to increase the light in your setup would be to use a clear spot globe rather than a ceramic. Depending on the size of your enclosure you could go for a lower wattage and not use a thermostat (great for getting a 40 degree basking site).

 

[aoife]

so you guys think he isn't getting enough light?

kirby- another uv battern or just a normal one?

he is in a 5 1/2ft enclosure & he is 30-35cm long. he'll be 1yr old in a couple of months.

 

[Kirby]

yes, a regular flourescent (not another uv) just lights to brighten the enclosure..

you know how retina tighten and relax due to brightness etc. his retina are wide open as its very dull to him (the uv is a dull light to them) ts letting in too much uv to his eyes. thus burning them. they shut their eyes because it hurts. if it was brighter, his retinas would simply tighten to allow less us into his eyes. being normal them..

it may take a while to recover tho..

 

[aoife]

ok, thanks. I will put another light in tonight and let you guys know how it goes.

Thanks again for all the advice. he was my first monitor and he has been having a stroke of bad luck lately. Would this also affect shedding?

 

[Kirby]

if he isnt eaten etc. yes, it would probably effect his shedding..

 

[cris]

I would chuck out the UV to be safe, have you got a good basking spot and heated water?