bearded dragon blind? 8 Causes

do you want to know about how bearded dragon blind? is your pet suffering from any eye infections or vision problems? are your bearded dragons blind?

In this article, you will get complete information related to your bearded dragon blindness or other problems in eyes with color blindness As well. After completing the research, I will share a brief knowledge and suggestion with you. it will surely be beneficial for you.

bearded dragon blind

bearded dragons can be blind by birth but this is not the exact reason for blindness. They can be blind by eye injury or eye infections like parasites, reptile mites, and cataracts. A proper examination by a vet can determine the cause of blindness in bearded dragons.

mostly they pretend they can’t see things but in reality, they just ignore them. we can check them by using any object or food in front of their eyes. if they move their eyes or follow the object they can see everything.

is bearded dragon color-blind?

most people have the misconception that they cannot see some colors. but this is not correct. They can see all colors and have good vision. bearded dragons can better see things than humans because they have one more color receptor as compared to humans. The fourth receptor (tetra chromatic)helps them to see UV lights. UV lights mean Ultraviolet light. The fourth receptor helps them to see ultraviolet light. for humans, this is not easy to see. So this is totally wrong that they cannot see colors.

But bearded dragons can’t see in the dark they need some light to perceive things so you have to be careful and provide them with proper light at night time especially.

Eye infection causes in the blindness of bearded dragon :

Tumor:

tumor means the abnormal growth of cells in any part of the body. it can happen in the eye as well. you can see them easily because the shape of the eye will not look normal. they can also occur in bearded dragons but they can be treated by surgery of the eye. if they are not treated on time it will lead to loss of vision.

Cataracts:

it can also reason for blindness. in this situation cloudiness, and blurred vision occurs. especially difficult to see in the night time and need more light to see things. but this is not complete blindness. it’s just a blurry vision depending upon the level of cataracts. with proper medication or treatment, it can heal but if left untreated it leads to complete blindness.

Parasites and Mites:

parasites are widespread in bearded dragons and many other reptiles. they can also cause infection in the eye. with oral medication or injection, the disease can be treated. Mites can also be visible easily on the skin. Mites are very dangerous for them. They can also disturb their lifecycle. Warm water or medicated sprays can be used to remove the mites.

Age factor:

Age is also a factor in the loss of vision. Just like humans, they can’t see things quickly when they get old. The same affects animals and pets, too, but this is not complete bearded dragon blindness. It’s a long-term process; in the beginning, they face a little bit of difficulty in seeing things. But with the passage of time, they will not be able to see the nearest things. This can lead to partial or complete blindness. But it cannot occur quickly. So it would be best if you considered age as a factor in blindness in them. So it would be best if you considered age as a factor in blindness in them.

Genetics:

Sometimes it’s a genetic problem, and in this situation, a bearded dragon is born blind by birth, but this is a very rare case. If they carry blindness genes from their parents, then there is no possibility of curing it. This kind of bearded dragon needs special care and attention from its owners. Further, a vet can tell us how we can train our bearded dragon to live a better life with blindness. But we can prevent to happen this again before mating the bearded dragon. A gene test should perform to ensure that there is no blindness history in their parents. So this can be a reason for blindness in them.

Overuse of light:

They can go blind using overheating or light. We know they love to live in warm temperatures and feel safe, but it can be life-threatening. Bearded dragon needs a sufficient amount of light and heat, but if they stare at the light for a long time, it can lead to bearded dragon blindness because overuse of light completely ruins the soft tissues of the eyes. We should set up lights or heat according to their need. They never tell us if they feel uncomfortable.

Foreign object:

This includes anything outside the body, especially substrate. Sometimes the particle of the substrate is stuck in bearded dragon eyes and causes short-term blindness. It can be treated easily using eye drops.

Try to clean the tank regularly because sometimes pieces of food mix in the substrate and cause irritation in the eyes.

Injury:

Injury in the face or eyes can also be a reason for bearded dragon blindness. Sometimes they fight with other pets and cause accidents or injuries. They can fall from a height and loss their vision.

Signs of Eye infection in bearded dragon

Some common signs of eye infection include droopy eyes, cloudy eyes, swollen eyes, and closed eyes. And the most important sign is smelly discharge from the eye and this needs an immediate checkup by a reptile’s vet.

How to care for a blind pet?

Any blind pet needs proper attention and helps to do the things like eating, moving, sleeping, and other activities.

Eating:

You have to help them in eating and provide them with a certain amount of food required by their body. Sometimes they need spoon-feeding because they can’t eat quickly. the second problem is that if they can’t see the food they will not try to eat by themselves. but you have to train them and touch the food with their mouth. once they start smelling they will try to eat without your help and this is good to make them independent feeding.

Moving:

A blind pet cannot move around. So you have to take care of them when they try to move or play.

Sleeping:

They need light in the dark, especially. After losing vision, they need extra care to sleep. so try to turn on the light. Then maybe they can see things slightly and sleep well.

Conclusion

I hope this article helps you understand the reasons for blindness in bearded dragons and how to treat them if your bearded dragon is suffering. By birth, blindness is very rare. There are so many other reasons for the loss of vision in them like genetic issues, old age, infections, overheating, and many others.

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