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Can bearded dragon eyesight be restored? (self.herpetology)

submitted 1 year ago by SharkEatingBreakfast to c/[email protected]

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I took in a silkback/scaleless bearded dragons some years ago after all my fosters were adopted, as I wanted to get some experience with such a misunderstood species.

I learned an absolute ton and have been educating about silkbacks on R×ddit for some years now, dispelling myths, discouraging ownership / breeding, and swapping advice with the fellow silkback owners.

One thing I've noticed is that silkbacks seem to be prone to blindness / vision loss. We suspect that their eyes may be much more sensitive to UVB, resulting in eyesight deterioration. My own has lost most of his vision and now struggles to find food on his own.

tl;dr: Is vision restoration even possible? Surgery? I'd love for my guy to be able to see again. It really hurts me to him struggle to even feel comfortable roaming my house now. The world can be scary for a little lizard when they can no longer see what's around them.

Thank you.

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[–] [email protected] 1 points 1 year ago (1 children)

Consider your possible "cures" in the same way humans "cure" their blindness. If your dragon has cataracts, surgery could be an option if you could find a vet willing, able, and trained to do it. But if this is a natural degredation from age, there is no "cure."

[–] SharkEatingBreakfast 1 points 1 year ago

From the post:

One thing I've noticed is that silkbacks seem to be prone to blindness / vision loss. We suspect that their eyes may be much more sensitive to UVB, resulting in eyesight deterioration.

Because we're assuming their predisposition to vision loss may be because of their mutation, we're wondering if it could be reversible.

He's not even 4 years old yet, so it's definitely not an age thing.