My iguana's eye is swollen and weeping. What can I do at home?

If she will allow, try rinsing it gently with some sterile saline. This may wash any irritating debris away. If symptoms persist or worsen, have her examined by your veterinarian or a vet experienced in treating reptiles.

Hello Daniel, thank you for using Boop by Petco. Don't use hot water! That could damage his eye and it is unnecessary. Room temperature eye wash is recommended like this one: ( https://www.walmart.com/ip/Ocusoft-eye-wash-irrigating-solution-sterile-isotonic-buffered-4oz/460517670 ) Rinse the eye 2-3 times per day. You can use a moisten Q-tip to gently rub the lower eye lid after rinsing to see if you can remove any of the sand. Be gentle so you don't damage the cornea. I actually don't recommend sand or wood chips for a substrate. Newspaper, pea gravel, artificial turf, flat stones or no floor covering are best. Hope this helps. Best wishes!

The swelling may be due to an abscess, foreign body or stomatitis (mouth rot). Ideally, Charlie should be physically examined by your veterinarian or a vet experienced in treating reptiles to diagnose and treat the underlying cause. If antibiotics are needed, your veterinarian can dispense or administer them. In the meantime, confirm proper environmental parameters and diet. Keep him warm and as stress free as possible until he sees the doctor.

That is likely to be due to a mild to moderate conjunctivitis, probably secondary to an allergy or infection. A check up would be needed as appropriate treatment would include antibiotics and anti-inflammatory eye drops. Corneal injuries must be ruled out as well (even if a bilateral injury is unlikely). Please do not hesitate to contact us again on the forum or by requesting a consultation if you have any more questions or to discuss it any further.

I am so sorry to hear that this is happening to you and Chicken Nugget! Between now and your veterinary visit, the most important thing that you can do is to keep his eyes moist. I am not sure what is in the reptile eye drops that you purchased, so due to this I would recommend that you discontinue their use. This is just in case there is something in the drops that may make the situation worse. I would recommend continuing the saline eye drops, and you can also purchase an over-the-counter eye lubricant. The brand(s) that I recommend are either Optixcare or GenTeal. When you purchase them, please ensure they are the original formulation of both of them, and are not allergy relief or anything else, as these often will have additives that may be irritating to Chicken Nugget's eyes. You can also soak Chicken Nugget on a daily basis - this will help to keep him hydrated. You can put him a lukewarm water bath that is to the level of his chin, but please monitor him to ensure he does not d

Any small nick or scratch can become infected. He could have scratched himself in or out or the enclosure. If he is behaving normally, you can treat it topically with a diluted Betadine cleanse followed by a dab of triple antibiotic ointment daily until it resolves. See your veterinarian or an experienced herp veterinarian if he becomes lethargic, loses his appetite or if the area doesn't heal, becomes swollen or has discharge.

The symptoms may be a result of middle ear issue, trauma, infection (bacterial, fungal, viral) or nerve damage. Vestibular disease has also been reported in iguanas. A physical exam with your veterinarian or an experienced herp vet would be recommended to diagnose illness or injury. Treatment will depend on the diagnosis. In the meantime, maintain proper environmental parameters, make sure she continues to eat and remain hydrated. Remove or lower high branches or perches to avoid injury from falls. Keep stress at a minimum until she sees the vet.

A swollen jaw,in an iguana is usually typical of metabolic bone disease. This comes about due to a lack of Calcium and or a lack of vitamin D to absorb the calcium. You will need to take him to a reptile vet to see if he needs calcium injections and vitamin D substitution. In future to avoid this problem you need to feed calcium rich greens, which you can sprinkle calcium from a cuttle bone onto. Then you need to make sure he has a uvb light that he can bask under at least 12 hours a day to get the vitamin D. Then of course everything else such as temperature, humidity and ventilation need to be correct.

Thanks for reaching out about Boomer and including pictures. It does appear as if the tissue under the eye is swollen, the eye itself red and possible air bubbles inside the eye. Possible causes are trauma to the eye (scratch, perforation) or an infection. Glad to hear he is still eating and acting well, but it is recommended to have a veterinarian examine 'Boomer and the eye to evaluate the condition and generate a treatment plan. Try and keep it clean with a warm wet washcloth for now.

Keeping the area clean is the best option. Some dilute Betadine solution can be used to clean it initially. If it doesn't appear to be healing or if your iguana be ones lethargic or stops eating then a visit to your veterinarian or a vet experienced in treating reptiles is recommended. If he is consistently going to the top of the cage, you may need a larger cage or you may need to rearrange cage furniture to prevent this. An additional hide may keep him down. More exercise and supervised roaming may also help.