Keeps Closing One Eye

[shorthome]

Hi,

Worried about bob, he keeps closing his left eye. He has his eye predominantly shut, but he does open it now an gain, I can't see any swelling or weeping, or anything that would indicate it was harmed/hurting him in anyway, but it seems unusual he keeps closing it. Is this normal behaviour?

 

[zebraflavencs]

It could be your uvb... what are you using ? Got a bright white light to go with it ?
Also, it is normal for dragons to close an eye now and again. Constant and it's a problem.
Janie.

 

[renich]

It can be normal. Sometimes it is done to focus.

If you don't see any trauma to the eye (oozing, swollen, etc.) then it is probably not a big deal.

What lighting do you have?
Where is Bob when he does this, i.e. near basking light, cool side, etc.

 

[shorthome]

We are using a 75w sun glo basking light and reptisun 10 flo tube as lighting.

There seems to be no trauma to the eye, but he does seem to do it most of the time, mostly basking and feeding times.

 

[renich]

I would say feeding times, he is trying to focus on the quick moving prey.

Basking, you may have his location too close to the light. How far away is it?

 

[shorthome]

His uvb and basking light is about 6" away from his basking spot

 

[renich]

Well, that all checks out. Basking and UVB should be about 6-8 inches from your dragon.

What is your lights on/off cycle?

 

[shorthome]

we turn it off between 9pm and back on between 8 and 9 am.

Have move his basking area from the back of the viv, directly below the uvb lamp to the front, thought it might give a little more space from the uvb lamp.

 

[TheWolfmanTom]

Just throwing this out there, but that just may be how He relaxes.

 

[shorthome]

Could be, he doesn't seem distressed in anyway and there are no signs of it being an injury. So as long as it seems we are not causing it with the lighting we'll see how it goes. Its just weird!

Thanks

 

[athena]

So as long as it seems we are not causing it with the lighting we'll see how it goes. Its just weird!
Thanks

i'm just going to jump in and confirm what Renee said about it not being weird but being the way they can focus on what they're seeing out of the other eye. Their eyes don't work together the way ours do -- which is why they often miss catching a cricket that's right in front of their noses. Again, if it's swollen around the eye or if the eye is tearing more than the other eye or if the third eyelid looks irritated, there may be a problem. Otherwise, just watch for whether the closed eye is closer to or farther from what a dragon ought to be paying attention to [food or potential threats] -- for example, mine has always closed the eye facing downward when he tilts his head up to look at birds flying overhead.
athena