My beardie keeps gulping. Is he okay?!?

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I have a juvenile beardie and he is very healthy, but lately he has randomly gulped like he is trying to swallow something. He has a Reptisun 10.0 UVB and sun spot and infrared heat lights. He is typically very active but does enjoy laying down and basking or napping. I’m not sure if the humidity has anything to do with it, because it’s around 40% since it has been cold where I live, and it normally stays above 80 degrees Fahrenheit and above during the day, and above 60 at night. He still mostly eats proteins like mealworms and crickets. He is about to shed around his head, maybe this has something to do with it? I don’t want to lose my beardie! He’s a gorgeous citrusy orange color and has a great personality. Please help!
 

StarWarsBeardies

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One more thing, sometimes if I leave him alone and he hides he will turn darker and get stress lines. I’m super worried about him. Please help!
 

Drache613

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Hello,

He is very beautiful, indeed!
The Reptisun 10, is it a long fluorescent tube bulb or a small compact/coil light? How close
to him is it & is it mounted directly beside the basking light?
The infrared lights don't need to be used as they don't do well with red lights. If you do need
nighttime heating, it's best to use ceramic heat emitters instead.
It's best to avoid mealworms if possible because they have too hard of a shell & can lead to
impaction issues. Be sure the crickets are smaller than the space between the eyes also, to
avoid impaction problems. You can try phoenix/calcium worms for another alternative to be
fed, along with crickets.
Are you using a temp gun or digital probe to measure the temperatures?
Shedding can cause all sorts of behavioral changes in them sometimes! Are his nostrils plugged
up possibly to where it affects his breathing?

Tracie
 

StarWarsBeardies

Member
Original Poster
I have the ReptiSun long tube (white pole looking thing) he has nothing in his nose, and he breathes pretty lightly. Can you tell me a good brand for heat emitters? He is shedding close to his beard so it may be correct that he's just speeding up the process. Thank you so much! Oh he has the Zoo med dual thermometer and humidity gauge. Should I be using a probe or heat gun? His ReptiSun is close to the heat lights, about an inch apart, should this be moved? Sorry about all the questions, I'm normally very knowledgeable about beardies. My sister has a beardie too and her uvb is one with four oval like shapes, is this the coil one? Should that be changed? And her beardie eats nothing but mealworms, what kind of worms should she switch to (hers is still very small)
 

Gormagon

Extreme Poster
Yes the probe thermometers or the IR heat gun are the only trustworthy ways to actually know. Those stick on ones can be off 20°+/-.
Yes they will expand their beards to get the skin loose.
 

Drache613

BD.org Sicko
Staff member
Moderator
Hello,

Yes, that could most definitely be what is going on since he is shedding his beard!
That would be a good idea to get a new thermometer too, for more accurate readings
on the temperatures for him.
Let us know how he is doing.

Tracie
 

StarWarsBeardies

Member
Original Poster
Thanks for your help! I will have this knowledge for the future. He has stopped, most likely because the skin has been falling off. Thanks again for all your help!
 
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