Ursula Again =P

Question
QUESTION: Hi again . . . it said that I had too many follow-up questions on the last post so here's a new one.

I got her a Zilla Tropical UVB light (http://www.petco.com/product/108454/Zilla-Tropical-25-UVB-Fluorescent-13-Watt-Co).   and I put it inside a Fluker's Clamp Lamp (http://www.petco.com/product/9469/Fluker-s-Clamp-Lamps.aspx?CoreCat=LN_Shopping_).  I did a bit more research on photo-kerato-conjuntivitis and a Zilla Desert 50 bulb was one of the possible culprits.  I completely turned off her UVB light last evening and today she holds her eyes open slightly longer.  I think that the light was the problem.  I also have a UVA bulb for her basking light called "Repti-Glo" 10 (they were on sale).  I have that on her still, for heat, but not as close to her and I'm covering it with a light t-shirt so the rays aren't as strong.  

I'm planning on not turning the UVB light back on until her eyes have healed . . . but how is she going to get the UVB light she needs to digest calcium?  Should I put her in her 10gal in the sun and cover her face for an hour or so?  

She looks much sicker today and yesterday she wouldn't eat a thing (the day before last she scarfed all but three leaves and I was thrilled! . . . now she wont eat anything).  I had to make her a slurry mix and force-feed.  What else can I do for her?

ANSWER: Hello Jess,

Yeah, it limits the number of times you respond on one question then you have to start a new one.  :-))

OH NO!  That is why I had asked about the lighting.
Did you turn the light off?  
You will need to get a new UVB light, as the Zilla Tropical UVB light is horrible as you have read.  The compacts & coils are awful, & that is why she is not doing well.  
I would get a Reptisun 10 flourescent tube bulb instead & just write the Zilla light off, it is worthless.  You can get the Reptisun 10 from www.petmountain.com     for around $20 or so.

The other light the Reptiglo 10, is it a long tube light, or a basking light?  If you have a long flourescent tube bulb called the Reptiglo 10, then I hate to tell you but it is not a good light either.  If you have the Exo terra Sun Glo, then that is a basking light & perfectly fine.

I know that it is annoying there are so many bad lights, that is just how it is.  I keep up on it & talk regularly on the UVB boards.  

What you will need to do is get her rehydrated with oral fluids since she has been overexposed with the low wavelength UVB lighting.  Those lights are very hazardous.  

I hope she is doing better soon!

Tracie

---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------

QUESTION: The reptiglo is a 100 watt basking light.  I thought that might be a problem too, so I covered it with a thin white t-shirt so the rays weren't so strong.  A friend is bringing an red desert basking light that she had for her geckos (no idea what brand).  I've heard that's better for their eyes.  

The Zilla has been off for the past 32 hours and her eyes are much better!  She's also eating great again, and she's getting pretty spunky . . . she tail-whipped me this morning when I was done giving her the mouth-drops!!  I was so proud, lol =P.  

Oh, another strange thing associated with her mouth . . . today the sore that I first noticed on the outside of her mouth came off after I gave her the mouth-drops the vet prescribed.  It was much larger than I could see from the outside and when I looked more closely at it I found 2 of her teeth inside!! D=  Poor thing!  Are the two missing teeth something I need to worry about?  

That Zilla thing was SOOOO expensive D8!! Is there any way that I can just put it up really high off her and it still be effective? or maybe only leave it on for three hours a day?  If I have to replace it I will . . . but I'd love to make the best of all that money I spent on it.  Petco wont take it back and they told me that if I just keep 2 feet off her then she will be fine?? I'm skeptical. =/

Thanks so much, again, for all your help, Tracie!!

ANSWER: Hello Jess,

Ok, so the Exo terra is it a Solar glo or a Sun glo?  Is it a mercury vapor bulb?   Is it a UVB light, correct?  Or just a basking light?  If it is just a basking light, then that light wont hurt her eyes at all.  She needs bright light.
Unfortunately, the Zilla has terrible low wavelength emissions which are not favorable for D3 synthesis & are harmful.  There are no long term studies with reptiles to see what the effects of radiation are on them but my guess is that it is not a good idea.  Plus, if she is left underneath it the emissions could cause more harm than good.  You want a UVB light that has the proper UVB wavelengths.  That would be either the Reptisun 10 or the Arcadia D3 12% tube lights.
Great that she tail whipped you!  LOL  She must be starting to feel better now.  
Oh geez, 2 of her teeth had come out with a scab?  She doesn't have mouth rot does she?  She will be fine without those two, & should still be able to chew fine too.

Let me know how she is doing.

Tracie

---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------

QUESTION: Howdy again.

The Exo terra is a Sun glo.  It is not UVB, it's just a basking light.  A friend gave me a red-wavelength basking light from ZooMed that's made to produce heat for nocturnal lizards.  I've been using that instead of the sun glo.  

I went back to Petco and the Reptisun 10 was $49.95 WITH the Pal's card D8!!!!!!!!!!!!!!  So I got a Slimline Reptile Fixture with Desert 7% UVB Lamp (I didn't know it was also a Zilla product since the brand name was not on the box - http://www.petco.com/product/14564/Zilla-Slimline-Reptile-Fixture-with-Desert-7- ).  It had an acrylic "protective cover" over the light and I removed it so the UVA/B rays can actually escape.  I also put it on top of a screen mesh to lessen its intensity (although I know 7% UVB is not that intense anyway).  I'm only leaving it on for 3 hours a day right now.  I figure, at least now I have a tube light fixture that I can use over and over and replace the tube with more decent tube lights in the future(instead of worrying about good and bad bulbs).

Aww, yeah!  B-) Ursula tail-whipped me really good this weekend.  She's looking much better!  She's even exploring her cage more than she's ever done before.  

The vet told me that she has stomatitis and he gave me some blue mouth drops that I give her twice a day. With the diagnosis and meds he prescribed, I assume that she does have mouth rot.  It must not be bothering her because she ate all her food yesterday and I even had to put more in for her!!!  I'm hoping that her mouth is healed completely . . . but some of the scales on the outside of her mouth look a bit discolored - much darker green, but not black like this one was right before she lost the teeth.  If she loses more teeth will she grow them back, or will she be without them forever?

Thanks again!

Answer
Hello Jess,

Well, while the ESU slimline is safe, it emits no UVB, it is so weak that it basically is only emitting UVA.  Here are a couple of charts for you to see the comparisons between the tube lights via UVB meter testing:

(this one includes the ESU slimline 7%)
http://www.reptilesdownunder.com/reptile/reptilesAsPets/enclosure/uv/uvSA

(this one includes the Reptisun 10, & the Arcadia 5, but not the 10 as that was a newer one)
http://www.uvguide.co.uk/fluorescenttuberesults.htm

That is why I had said that the only 2 that were good were the Reptisun 10 or the Arcadia D3 12%.  ESU had merged with Zilla.  NONE of their lights are good, they are just crap.   So, really it is not doing her any good at all, except for just giving brightness to the tank.  There are not very many good tube lights right now.  

You can get the Reptisun 10 flourescent tube light for around $20 online here:

http://www.petmountain.com/product/reptile-fluorescent-bulbs/504983/zoo-med-rept

Petstores charge way too much for the lights, & rip people off with cheap lights that are not worth anything.  So if a UVB light is "cheap" then that is all you get is a "cheap" light most of the time.
At least you have a tube light fixture to use now.  

Great Ursula tail whipped you again, she must be starting to feel much better now.  She should start improving now.  The stomatitis does not surprise me at all.  She most likely injured her mouth or was kept at subpar conditions which put her at risk for a simple infection if her mouth was injured previously.  At least she is eating good now.  If the scales are discolored, she is probably going to start shedding that area soon around.  Or, sometimes after an injury, their scales grow back a little differently.  

Unfortunately she wont replace her teeth, they do not grow back.  That is too bad she has lost a few teeth, I hope she doesn't lose more of them.

Keep me posted on her.

Tracie