Coil UVB Bulb

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dk1234

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Hi everyone,

So for some reason I knew that coil UVB bulbs were bad and could cause redness in their eyes and possibly blindness and possibly death, but for some reason I thought "coil" meant the CFL type ones that twist (like a soft serve ice cream cone) and I had one where the tube was straight and so I thought it was okay because it didn't "coil." I hope that makes sense.

Well, either way, after reading threads it seems like they're all the same. Damn.

So now I'm worried I've led to my tortoise Wesley's becoming blind. He is a little over a year old and I used the UVB quite extensively during his first 9 months. Quite extensively being every day for at least 4 hours. For the last 3 or 4 months I've been exposing him to the UVB bulb about 20 mins a few times a week, just while he eats dinner.

The bulb shone diagonally down into his enclosure, but it hung rather low, probably about 8-10 inches away from the ground. He never once got any kind of eye affliction or swelling or anything. He seems to not be blind currently.

I guess what I am wondering is:
1. What are the odds his exposure thus far will affect him further on down the line?
2. Is there any way a vet can tell if there has been damage done? If so, is there anything the vet can do for him?

I hope someone has some experience with this. Thanks!


pPETS-5957561dt.jpg


To clarify, this is the bulb I have.
 

Tom

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Not all tortoises have problems with these bulbs. Many times they work fine. The problem is that far too often these bulbs DO cause problems. I don't know what the percentage is, but it is too high for me to ever want to use one. If they sold a million bulbs and only one percent have the problem, that's ten thousand tortoises with damaged eyes! If you've been using you bulb that long and your tortoise is fine, you are probably okay. I would not go buy a new one and risk it again, but you may have been one of the lucky ones.
 

dk1234

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5 Year Member
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Apr 7, 2013
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Thanks for the reply Tom. Yeah, I'm definitely discontinuing use of the bulb. I should have made that clear in my original post haha. I just was curious what the odds are that I have injured my tortoise even though he has not manifested any physical symptoms.
 
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