Leopard Gecko: Eye problem

[jstites1983]

I just got two full grown female leopard geckos. One has had her eye shut for a week now. I thought it was sand so I did what I read online, which was spray some water on her. I watched her lick her eye when she opened it and I noticed she has a white spot on her eye. What do I do now?

Jessy

 

[Elizabeth Freer]

I just got two full grown female leopard geckos. One has had her eye shut for a week now. I thought it was sand so I did what I read online, which was spray some water on her. I watched her lick her eye when she opened it and I noticed she has a white spot on her eye. What do I do now?

Jessy

Jessy ~

Please post some pictures of your ailing leo and, if possible, a close-up of her eye.

Tell us more about this white spot you see. Is this right on her eyeball?

If it was only stuck shed, you could rinse the eye with a normal saline solution just like the kind people use to moisten, NOT CLEAN, their contact lenses. You could saturate gauze with this saline solution and hold that over her eye.

You probably should see a vet who specializes in reptiles very soon. Eyes are not something that can wait!

 

[Yoshi'smom]

I agree. Your leo needs to go to a vet. This is something that shouldn't wait and may take some time to clear up with proper antibiotics if it's infected.
I have a good set of experience with leos and eye problems and feel that this white spot may indeed be an infected scratch like what happened with one of my leos. If you can get a picture of the eye to help us too that would be great.
Please take her to the vet and get back to us.

 

[jstites1983]

I called a vet in the area. I do not have funds until Monday and won't be home from work in time. I do have her schedualed for 10 a.m. on Tuesday however. What can I do in the mean time to help her? I tried posting the photo here once but it did not seem to take. So if it does not work again here is the web address http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?f...4962754.109204.100000119627994&type=3&theater

 

[jstites1983]

I've been looking around and seeing some people who say to put triple antibiotic Neosporin on the leo's eyeball. Is that a good idea?

 

[Yoshi'smom]

It's almost certainly an infection. That's what one of my leos eyes looked like when he had an eye infection. Don't use Neosporin. Just use a plain saline eye drop on the eye I would say twice a day untill you can get her to the vet. Make sure it's just saline and not contact cleaning solution. Also, make sure she is housed separately for now so that nothing gets spread. Keep us posted.

 

[Elizabeth Freer]

Jessy ~

Thanks for posting a picture of her eye. Please follow Kelly's advice ^.

Excellent to hear that she will be seeing a vet this coming Tuesday.

How about couple more photos showing the left anr right head shots from profile angles. The left side of her head seems indented?

(The reason why Neosporin is NOT used is because geckos, licking like they do to clean themselves, have a high chance of ingesting the Neosporin ingredients...not good......)

 

[jstites1983]

Thanks so much for the help. I gave her some saline drops two hours ago and her eye looks ALOT clearer. I couldn't see her iris before. Her eye just looked black and she would not open it, except when I put the drops in. Now she is opening her eye and you can see the color and the iris. The infection looks a lot smaller too. I created an album on my face book with the pictures you asked for. They are mostly of her unaffected side. I didn't want to bother her too much and most the time she was walking with that side facing me. But I did get two pictures of her affected side in there. Facebook

 

[Elizabeth Freer]

Thanks so much for the help. I gave her some saline drops two hours ago and her eye looks ALOT clearer. I couldn't see her iris before. Her eye just looked black and she would not open it, except when I put the drops in. Now she is opening her eye and you can see the color and the iris. The infection looks a lot smaller too. I created an album on my face book with the pictures you asked for. They are mostly of her unaffected side. I didn't want to bother her too much and most the time she was walking with that side facing me. But I did get two pictures of her affected side in there. Facebook

Thanks for creating this album, Jessy...most helpful! Not sure whether it is just the angle of the first picture on this thread about Cruiser's left side of his head? Nice leo !

Continue the normal saline solution over the weekend till you visit the vet. Keep her eye very clean and dry, except for the saline.

Cruiser has an excellent body weight, so chances seem good that she will be able to beat her eye problem with the proper meds and your good care.

 

[jstites1983]

So I took Cruiser in this morning to the vet. Poor thing, the doctor totally pissed her off the way he was handeling her. . He said she has a deep bacterial eye infection centered in her iris. He says he doesn't know if it can be treated but he gave me some eye drops to put in one drop twice a day. I took her home and pulled her out of the carrier and she was still pissed off, had her mouth open at me and was doing her best to get away. I got the drop in her eye though, as mad as she was it was still an easy task. Set her back in her tank and will check her out tonight when I get home from work.

 

[Elizabeth Freer]

~~

So I took Cruiser in this morning to the vet. Poor thing, the doctor totally pissed her off the way he was handeling her. . He said she has a deep bacterial eye infection centered in her iris. He says he doesn't know if it can be treated but he gave me some eye drops to put in one drop twice a day. I took her home and pulled her out of the carrier and she was still pissed off, had her mouth open at me and was doing her best to get away. I got the drop in her eye though, as mad as she was it was still an easy task. Set her back in her tank and will check her out tonight when I get home from work.

Hi Jessy ~

Sorry your vet was not more careful holding Cruiser. Three cheers to you for taking her in :banana: :banana: :banana:! Hope that she has settled down by now.

Just curious: What type of eye drops did he give you?

Kelly (Yoshi'smom) has much experience treating an eye infection in one of her leos who ultimately/finally was cured!!! Perhaps the infection was similar to Cruiser's? Kelly will probably be checking this thread soon.

Hope Cruiser gets a little better with each passing day. Be sure to keep GU posted on this same thread.

 

[Yoshi'smom]

Good to hear that you got your leo to the vet. I'm curious as to the eye drops that were given to you. Also, they didn't prescribe any other oral antibiotics or pain relievers? Did the vet at least flush the eye for you? How has the eye been looking since you started treating it?

 

[jstites1983]

The vet prescribed Ciprofloxacin, .3%. One eye drop twice a day. It doesn't say how long though. I will have to call and ask, but I figure in the mean time apply it until the white spot is gone. He said the bacteria is not contagious. Which is VERY good. She has a sister, Bruiser, and before they came here they were at my Dad's house with his Leos for a week.

As far as how well her eye is doing, I honestly don't know. I had a very busy day yesterday so I could not really look at it. I brought her home put the drops in and went to work. Had to go to my Boyfriend's house to fill out an application for the housing authority which opened up at midnight today. But as soon as I got off of work I came home put the drop in her eye and then went to my Bf's. Came home early this morning and put another drop in her eye. Yesterday when I returned her to the tank she promptly began to rub her eye on the tank. So today I held her until she had her eye open for awhile and it looked like the medicine had absorbed into her eye ball. Then I put her back in. At first her eye looked black with that white spot. Before I put her back in though the color came back into her eye and I could see all the specks and the iris.

As far as what the vet did he did not say. He examined her in the room we were in, then he took her into a different room where I am sure he prodded at her some more. He did not prescribe anything accept the antibiotic however. I do have to pull her eye lid apart though to get the medicine in. I can not do it by myself so I hold her and hold her lids open and then I have my Grandmother put a drop in. Which my Father and I find hilarious because she said she wanted no part in the lizards. At least she is helpful. I will keep you posted and let you know how her eye is doing. I will take a picture at the end of this week and post it to the Facebook album which I have included a link to previously in this album.

I hope her eye heels over and does not fall out. My Father thinks it would be funny to have "Cruiser the Pirate." Or call her "Snake Pliskin." I can see his humor and having to look on the bright side by I REALLY don't want a one eyed leo. I would be very sad if this happened. So praying that the eye drops will work.

Thanks again for everyone's help.

Sincerely,

Jessy

 

[Elizabeth Freer]

Jessy ~

Good that you are holding Cruiser till her eye absorbs the medicine. Would not want her to rub off that drop!

Nice to hear that your grandmother is pinching in! "It takes a village to cure a leo!"

 

[jstites1983]

So this morning my Grandma had to watch my baby cousin and couldn't help with the medicine. So I asked my eight year old daughter to help. I held Cruiser's eye open and told her not to put it in until I said to and only put in ONE drop. She did exactly that. She did a good job. So from now on it is her job to help. She is very happy.

 

[jstites1983]

Posted pictures to the facebook link I posted here previously before. Looking at the pictures which were taken last Saturday and the pictures taken today. I do not think it has gotten better, if anything it looks worse.

 

[Yoshi'smom]

I would suggest that you take the little one into the vet again. I had my boy on 3 oral anitbiotics, one oral pain killer, and one eye drop antibiotic for several months before it cleared up. It sounds like the vet may need to prescribe something different.
Good luck and keep us posted.

 

[Elizabeth Freer]

Posted pictures to the facebook link I posted here previously before. Looking at the pictures which were taken last Saturday and the pictures taken today. I do not think it has gotten better, if anything it looks worse.

Please follow Kelly's advice and take Cruiser back to the vets. With conscientious care over several months Kelly's Yoshi made a full recovery.

You may wish to share Kelly's experience with your vet and a picture of Yoshi before recovery?