Bearded dragon sick?

Question
QUESTION: Hello, at first, my bearded dragon had kind of a goo buildup coming form his eyes. The "goo" would harden below the eye and i have to take it all off with Q Tips. Now, the small two pouch like spots on his head (which usually look like they are in flated) have just gone down completely. He is having much trouble opening his eyes. He is still eating and is still basking. Also, there seems to be a small amount of crust around his mouth line or the lips. Ther is some old blood also on the mouth line. Do you have any idea what is wrong?

ANSWER: Hello Joe,

Did you have any pictures of him for me to view?
How old is your bearded dragon?
What type & brand of UVB light are you using?  A fluorescent tube bulb or a compact/coil light?  
Are you using a bright white basking bulb?  
What are the basking temperatures for him & what type of thermometer do you use?  A digital probe, a temp gun or a stick on type of thermometer?
The fat pads on top of his head, since they are sunken in, he has lost fluids & fat.  
What do you feed him?  
It sounds like a respiratory infection, possibly.  Does he have any trouble breathing right now?  
Try to keep him warm at night, around 80 in his tank, with a ceramic heat emitter or an undertank heating pad, but with a towel in between him & the heater.

Tracie

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

QUESTION: He is 6 years, I was using Sun glo but i had heard of that brand causing eye problems so i had to shut it off. I feed him Romaine lettuce, crickets, occasional hornworms and only some veggies. He is breathing just fine. I have a basking bulb for the night that keeps him nice and warm. His day temps usually are above 90, while his night temp drops just around 80. It has been extra hot here and i have been giving him and my other dragon (who has no problems) more water. I spray them with water, provide fresh water in the enclosures, and give them daily baths.

ANSWER: Hello Joe,

The SunGlo was not the light causing the eye trouble, though it is made by Exoterra or Hagen, yes.  It is the Reptiglo 10 that was causing the problems.  
What are your day & night cycles consisting of?  He needs a 12 hour daylight cycle & a 12 hour night cycle with it being dark for him to sleep at night.
You can let his nighttime temperatures drop to the 65-75 range.  If you feel you need nighttime heating, you can use a ceramic heat emitter which doesn't put out any light, just heat.

Do you use a UVB light at all?  If not, I would highly recommend getting the Reptisun 10 tube bulb for him.  They are not able to go long term without UVB exposure as it will put them at risk for developing metabolic bone disease & other illnesses.
Romaine lettuce, while it has some nutrition, needs to be mixed with some darker greens such as mustard greens, collard greens, dandelion greens, endive & or escarole for better nutritional value.  
How is he doing today?

Tracie


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

QUESTION: He is doing ok today, his eyes are just bothering him a bit. I'm sorry for the mixup. I have the repti glo 10.0 13W compact flourescent bulb for UVB. I have fed him a few times today. I have provided him with more water and have soaked him in water twice today. He has been basking most of the time with some "breaks".

Answer
Hello Joe,

I would go ahead and turn the Reptiglo 10 compact/coil light off.  These lights are somewhat hazardous & emit low wavelength UVB which is very hard on the eyes.
For now, just use a bright white basking bulb.  There is a better UVB light that you need to order for him.  The Zoomed Reptisun 10 tube bulb.  You can get it from  www.petmountain.com  for a good price.
Continue to bathe him & give him oral fluids.  If he is not eating, you can try to get some chicken or turkey baby food & use a plastic dropper or plastic syringe to feed him.
Let me know how he is doing.

Tracie