photo-kerato-conjunctivitis

[Atreyuhero4]

I was just wondering if anyone has had a pet with this. This is whats been wrong with my beardie and if this is happening to anyone else out there i want them to know about it. This is fatal! http://www.uvguide.co.uk/phototherapyphosphor.htm

 

[halfwaynowhere]

thanks for the heads up. The UVB bulbs I use are listed as being dangerous. I wouldn't want anything bad happening to my babies! Time to go shopping for new bulbs!

 

[RoachGirlRen]

I believe, if my memory serves me, modifications & additional studies were made to some brands of compact UVB bulbs in response to this problem. That being said, it's definitely very important to have an appropriate intensity of UVB, a suitable distance between the bulb and the animal, and of course monitor closely for signs of this condition! It seems to be a problem more often with the compact bulbs than the tubes, and though the old fashioned tubes are expensive they have their merits - including a lower intensity spread over a greater area.
Anyways, thanks for the warning! Many people aren't aware of this and I cringe when I see herps in pet stores clearly suffering this condition.

 

[halfwaynowhere]

eep. my little tortoise seems to be having this problem, i'm so glad I checked on him when I got home from work, after seeing this thread... Thats what I get for buying the cheap UVB bulbs. At least I was recently given a fixture for a tube light, so I can buy a UVB tube, instead of the compact bulb. I feel like a bad mommy for not knowing about this sooner, but at least I'm fixing it now, before its too late!

 

[Atreyuhero4]

Hey guys im glad I was already to help someone out. I know from experience how scary this can be if I might make a suggestion. People on the forum i was on gave me this link to the best kind of uvb bulb out there and its not crazy expensive here is the link http://www.petmountain.com/category/466/1/uva-uvb-bulbs.html I have been told the Reptisun 10.0 are the best and I personaly ordered one myself tonight also if your interested here is a link for a thread on a different website where it has people giving me information that was greatly needed and you guys might also benefit from this information http://www.beardeddragon.org/bjive/viewtopic.php?f=45&t=96509&st=0&sk=t&sd=a once again thanks for checking this out guys and im glad i was able to help you halfwaynowhere

EDIT: If your reading this and you think your pet has photo-kerato-conjunctivitis please unplug your UVB bulb immediatly as your pets life could depend on it. Also you should take you pet to the vet and let them know whats going on as stated somwhere in the link this is fairly new and some vets might not know about it and you can fill them in so they know if they get anyother pets with this problem what to do.

 

[Craig]

I've been seeing this a lot at work lately over the past few months. I think it has been going on a lot longer but it took a while for the scientific community to put 2 and 2 together.

In addition to seeing it from those compact (crap) bulbs I have been seeing it happen from the UV source being too close to the reptile.

Also this usually occurs with a whole host of typical reptile problems. I believe sometimes the symptoms are over looked.

 

[Atreyuhero4]

I do agree also this happens a lot more with coil bulbs! If you can please switch over to flourescent bulbs.

 

[Brad Ramsey]

This has been a HUGE problem recently within the chameleon keeping community.
Stay away from compact fluorescent bulbs!

-Brad

 

[LeilaNami]

I personally have had no problem whatsoever with the compact bulbs however I create a gradient of the uv rays and place it away from my uro's basking area.

 

[Brad Ramsey]

I personally have had no problem whatsoever with the compact bulbs however I create a gradient of the uv rays and place it away from my uro's basking area.

Having the basking area separate from the UVB light is common practice with chameleons, as this allows them to choose between warming up or being under the UVB.
It doesn't seem to solve the issue with compact bulbs, however.

-Brad

 

[LeilaNami]

I see. So are the florescent strips lights with UVB safer than the compacts? It's a little confusing since some are referring to florescent for both types of bulbs.

EDIT: I also read that they focused on the ZooMed and R-Zilla brands. Are they also assuming this applies to the Exoterra compacts?

 

[Atreyuhero4]

I have been told florescent bulbs are the way to go, but I think a lot has to do with who make it. I personaly ordered a uvb flourescent tube myself.

 

[Brad Ramsey]

I have been told florescent bulbs are the way to go, but I think a lot has to do with who make it. I personaly ordered a uvb flourescent tube myself.

I would only feel safe using a linear tube fluorescent UVB light.
NO COMPACT!
I order Repti-Sun 5.0 tubes from LLL reptile. Any size is $13.99 (even the 48") and they ship fast!
You won't find them cheaper than this.

-Brad

*Moderators: sorry - if this post is considered commercial (LLL plug?) please delete it.

 

[Atreyuhero4]

Yeah, I ordered a Reptisun 10.0

 

[LeilaNami]

Okay I did some thinking and I'm a little concerned with this. I know this is a respected society posting this information and it is disturbing that the effect of the bulbs is dangerous for our herps. However, is the data proven as a fact? Is the experimentation publish in a peer-reviewed scientific journal? Have the results been duplicated multiple times? Not to my knowledge. Now I think all of us should keep the information in the back of our minds when buying bulbs and probably be better safe than sorry but I don't think we should all be jumping the gun here and assuming this is fact. That's my opinion anyway...

 

[Atreyuhero4]

Okay I did some thinking and I'm a little concerned with this. I know this is a respected society posting this information and it is disturbing that the effect of the bulbs is dangerous for our herps. However, is the data proven as a fact? Is the experimentation publish in a peer-reviewed scientific journal? Have the results been duplicated multiple times? Not to my knowledge. Now I think all of us should keep the information in the back of our minds when buying bulbs and probably be better safe than sorry but I don't think we should all be jumping the gun here and assuming this is fact. That's my opinion anyway...

http://www.uvguide.co.uk/phototherapyphosphor.htm

 

[Brad Ramsey]

Okay I did some thinking and I'm a little concerned with this. I know this is a respected society posting this information and it is disturbing that the effect of the bulbs is dangerous for our herps. However, is the data proven as a fact? Is the experimentation publish in a peer-reviewed scientific journal? Have the results been duplicated multiple times? Not to my knowledge. Now I think all of us should keep the information in the back of our minds when buying bulbs and probably be better safe than sorry but I don't think we should all be jumping the gun here and assuming this is fact. That's my opinion anyway...

Have you read the recommendations and responses from the companies page on the website?
The people producing the product are taking this very seriously.
I don't get the sense that you have actually read through all of the information, or are familiar with the people involved.
Regardless, why would you take a chance with a light that may harm your animal?

-Brad Ramsey

 

[JayzunBoget]

This all sounds very suspicious. Upon reading the studies, you will see that the UVB output of these various bulbs are shadows compared to those put out by typical sunlight.
Add to that diffusion by a screen cover and fall off in distance and it's a damn wonder that ANY UVB reaches these reptiles.
My concern is, as is mentioned only briefly, the photo destructive aspect of certain wavelengths within the UVB spectrum. At one end it is conducive to the synthesis of PreD3 and at the other end it breaks down this precursor to D3.
And this is not even bringing up the whole issue of UVC!
I did see, first hand, the damage that the Zilla bulbs caused when they first came out. We had a batch of anoles show the damage to the eyes and skin. The statement on the recall that they issued had to do with dipping into the UVC spectrum.
In the end, when this is sorted out, I think that you will be surprised at the ignorance under which the manufacturers of the products that we use function.

 

[LeilaNami]

Ah ok. I did miss those statements. Thank you for pointing them out. Now what I really would like to know is if all the newly distributed bulbs are reformulated already. I work in a pet store and I would really like to know what to tell my customers.

 

[Brad Ramsey]

Ah ok. I did miss those statements. Thank you for pointing them out. Now what I really would like to know is if all the newly distributed bulbs are reformulated already. I work in a pet store and I would really like to know what to tell my customers.

At this point, if I were in your position, I would steer people away from cfl uvb lights.

-Brad