update!!

Update! PROS:Still no mucus from the mouth or nose, still no clicking noise, still not lethargic, no labored breathing in the lungs
CONS: She's mouth breathing almost constantly. she's barely eating anything. She's eaten 7 super and 3 dubias in 5 days and she feels so much lighter.

That's when I thought maybe she had something stuck in her throat. So I dig her out and start snapping photos of her throat. There's a lot of saliva(or mucus not sure) built up in the back of her throat. Also it's like the top of the back of her throat is dark/black. Idk if dragon anatomy is that coloring in the throat or if something is stuck? I've called around today for more vets and still no one close by.

(Even my mom who LOATHES reptiles is googling home remedies)

Also, does anyone have any experience with Banfield vet services inside of Petsmart?

Zombiepanda":33uqe8gv said:

Also, does anyone have any experience with Banfield vet services inside of Petsmart?

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I bring my dog there and they are pretty good. They can be a little pricey if you dont have the savings plan though. I pay about $40.00 a month and I get unlimited checkups, 1 dental cleaning, 1 xrays, 2 urine testing and some other things a year. Im not sure on how good they are in the reptile area though.

I was reading this on the web about inside of the mouth being black but not sure if this is what you are talking about. I never looked into Ryders mouth yet....

Inside of Mouth is Blacked or Discolored
A discolored, or blackened mouth could be the symptoms of mouth rot. Mouth rot is a bacterial infection that affects the mouth and gums of bearded dragons. It is typically caused by unsanitary conditions and low temperatures, and must be treated by a veterinarian.

Her mouth looks healthy so I don't think there is mouth rot present. I haven't heard many good things about Banfield and if you use them I'd be sure to see a vet who has experience with bearded dragons. A vet may be able to get a swab of the mucous at the back of her mouth and grow a culture to see what's going on and then prescribe appropriate meds if necessary.

Sorry ive had family visiting all day. So I got hold of the local Banfield and their reptile vet is on maternity leave until end of March. I contacted a bearded dragon rescue about an hour away for referrals so I have about 4 more vets to contact tomorrow.

So last night I lightly suctioned the snot out and she's breathing sooo much better today. Still mouth breathing, but maybe half as much and visibly more comfortable. And her beard area is back completely light with no black, hopefully this is a mild case and we've caught it early enough to treat easily.

The inside of her mouth is completely pink with a black palate behind the chloanal(I think that's what it's called). So that's normal coloring right? My new CHE should be here tomorrow, but in the meantime I've been warming up a hand towel and bundling her up and tilting her head downwards.

Have your dragons ever had RI? How well do the meds work? Anything I should be prepared for? Her humidity is low so I'm assuming this is due to the inconsistent weather with random temp drops in the middle of the night

Dundee was treated for an RI. I'd just be careful not to throw general antibiotics at her because they may do more harm than good. I'd get a culture and see which bacteria you're dealing with and if there is an infection strong enough to warrant treatment. If so, you can target it with a specific antibiotic. If it isn't severe though, and you keep her warm and well hydrated she should be able to fight it off on her own.

It's so nice to hear someone say this!! I know with people antibiotics are kind of overdone which can cause resistance when something serious comes up. But with dragons all I've read was Baytril was basically the ONLY option for them to even survive an RI... that's a lot of pressure. She's basically refusing to eat or drink anything, except a few worms a day. I've got a towel on the screen top of her tank to keep in the heat, but still monitoring humidity.

Another update: I've officially called over 30 vets offices. One will see her but they have never seen reptiles before. Another will see her two hours away but just talking to them on the phone was proof they had no clue what they were talking about, then even admitted they aren't exotic just willing to help out in a pinch.

I've kept her mouth/throats suctioned out, offered her water regularly for hydration, wrapped her up in a warm towel and keeping her rear elevated at night, and kept temps bumped up. She's eaten about 3-5 super worms per day. Still not lethargic, just not active.

Today she has only mouth breathed once or twice, but still gulping a bit. Anyone used any home remedies? I've read about people using Reptaid? F10 nebulizers? I need to get her to a vet but there's just no one around here... I'm at a loss

CooperDragon":2rhy54me said:

Her mouth looks healthy so I don't think there is mouth rot present. I haven't heard many good things about Banfield and if you use them I'd be sure to see a vet who has experience with bearded dragons. A vet may be able to get a swab of the mucous at the back of her mouth and grow a culture to see what's going on and then prescribe appropriate meds if necessary.

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I was thinking the same thing...I only bring my dog there and don't think I would trust them to see Ryder.

Do beardies get thick mucus when they drink alot of water? I remember someone telling me that if they drink to much water they regurgitate some and it can cause thick mucus.

Yeah Banfield was definitely my like worst case scenario vet. However, they don't even have a reptile vet in office until end of March. I'm just appalled at the lack of variety around here :/

I've heard about the regurgitation, but Maggie rarely drinks water. Her roaches are way more hydrated than I thought possible so she has no need for plain ole regular water lol but today when she drank it was maybe 1ml so I think I'm okay there. This is definitely respiratory.

On one hand I have a slight advantage because my daughter has a trachestomy so we have nebulizers and auction equipment in the house. So I can actively keep her clear of mucus, but I have no access to prescriptions :/ I'm so frustrated I'm ready to pull out my hair!!!

Zombiepanda":31rizc5i said:

Yeah Banfield was definitely my like worst case scenario vet. However, they don't even have a reptile vet in office until end of March. I'm just appalled at the lack of variety around here :/

I've heard about the regurgitation, but Maggie rarely drinks water. Her roaches are way more hydrated than I thought possible so she has no need for plain ole regular water lol but today when she drank it was maybe 1ml so I think I'm okay there. This is definitely respiratory.

On one hand I have a slight advantage because my daughter has a trachestomy so we have nebulizers and auction equipment in the house. So I can actively keep her clear of mucus, but I have no access to prescriptions :/ I'm so frustrated I'm ready to pull out my hair!!!

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I'm so sorry you are having such a hard time finding a vet. I could only imagine how you must feel. I wonder if beardies can get allergies...maybe she is having a allergic reaction to something???

I wonder if they can??? Only thing is that nothing has changed inside of her tank :/ only change has been the outside weather. Because there's no clicking or nasal discharge I've even wondered if maybe she scratched her throat.

I'm definitely stressing out.. I found another vet, but she's on vacation... she won't be back until next week. We're in farm country and there are like 10 vets who will see horses and chickens, but none who will see a reptile. I spoke to a lady today who had to take her rabbit to the south side of Atlanta just to get checked. I'm tempted to dress Maggie up like a dog and see if one of these butt faces will be willing to take care of her then ?

Zombiepanda":5sbpjxp7 said:

I wonder if they can??? Only thing is that nothing has changed inside of her tank :/ only change has been the outside weather. Because there's no clicking or nasal discharge I've even wondered if maybe she scratched her throat.

I'm definitely stressing out.. I found another vet, but she's on vacation... she won't be back until next week. We're in farm country and there are like 10 vets who will see horses and chickens, but none who will see a reptile. I spoke to a lady today who had to take her rabbit to the south side of Atlanta just to get checked. I'm tempted to dress Maggie up like a dog and see if one of these butt faces will be willing to take care of her then ?

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Lol! That would be a site too see! I live in Northern California so I have at least 2 vets in my area that see reptiles however they are only in 2 days out of the week. Im constantly worrying about Ryder so I could imagine how stressed you feel. I have a camera that i use to check on my dogs at home when im away and today when i logged in i noticed his basking bulb was knocked down. My first worry wasnt that it could of started a fire but the fact that he would be without heat. I rushed back home so fast so i could fix it. I would have never guessed that owning a beardie can be so rewarding, frustrating at times, crazy and loving all at once!

Finally found a reptile vet!!!! Dear lord was it rough!!! The vet is only in this office once or twice a month, but seems to be experienced. Got Maggie checked out, X-ray, cultured, etc. She had a scratch in her throat that was causing the excess saliva, but seemed mostly healed up. This combined with a shed that was clogging her nostrils completely on the inside caused the mouth breathing and saliva. No infection!!!!

Zombiepanda":1uiggpqk said:

Finally found a reptile vet!!!! Dear lord was it rough!!! The vet is only in this office once or twice a month, but seems to be experienced. Got Maggie checked out, X-ray, cultured, etc. She had a scratch in her throat that was causing the excess saliva, but seemed mostly healed up. This combined with a shed that was clogging her nostrils completely on the inside caused the mouth breathing and saliva. No infection!!!!

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YAY! I'm so happy to hear she's okay?