Abnormal breathing after eating and taking a bath.

BeardieSmaug · Feb 7, 2018

Hello,

My brother got a beardie, probably nto more than 3 months old, from petco. I was with him at the store and he seemed completely fine, even after taking him home, he was fine and ate some phoenix worms and a few crickets, and after that we bathe him, but the bath seemed to have literally stunned him!

Right now, 25 min after bath, still on his basking spot not moving one inch, breathing pretty rapidly and sometimes will pause, look at me and dont breath for a bit, then breath fast again. Did he eat too much maybe? or the food and the bath was too much? He seemed very social, I even hand fed him 2 crickets. But now he just seems paralyzed. He's eyes are open and he is alert, but twists his body a bit to look at me and stays that way

I have all the right equipment too. T8 uvb and basking spot 108F right now. He seemed fine until he ate and then took a bath. help!

AHBD · Feb 7, 2018

Is he gaping or wheezing at all ? It's best to only soak them if they have not eaten recently, and if it stresses them don't do it unless they're dirty. At the store he would never had been soaked and the breeder may not have done it either so it probably upset him. He should be O.K but in case he aspirated some water, pick him up gently and tilt him with his head down just for a few seconds to let any water come out. Then put him back. He'll probably be fine but keep an eye on him.

BeardieSmaug · Feb 7, 2018

AHBD":233l95jr said:
Is he gaping or wheezing at all ? It's best to only soak them if they have not eaten recently, and if it stresses them don't do it unless they're dirty. At the store he would never had been soaked and the breeder may not have done it either so it probably upset him. He should be O.K but in case he aspirated some water, pick him up gently and tilt him with his head down just for a few seconds to let any water come out. Then put him back. He'll probably be fine but keep an eye on him.

no gaping or wheezing. I did the tilt, even opened his mouth to see if water came out, but nothing came out so i put him back. When I pick him up he seems a little better, grasps to my fingers well, is alert, and stares at me A LOT.

But in his viv he just wont move once inch still.

i just laid him there like 10 minutes ago and only twisted his body to stare at me

idk i think i should take him to the vet

i dont think he drank any water either during the bath, and i only filled sink up his legs

CooperDragon · Feb 7, 2018

He looks OK. As mentioned he probably didn't like the bath. I'd hold off on giving baths for a while and let him settle into his new home.

BeardieSmaug · Feb 7, 2018

Edited as per OP's request due to double post.

Tracie

BeardieSmaug · Feb 7, 2018

he looks better now, makes me feel better he is gaping from basking. Now he is just sitting around looking around.
Thank you so much for the help, hopefully he recovers quick.
So no baths, least for a while. How should I approach training him to take baths? All of my beardies iv owned in the past all took baths just fine, well most of them xD

AHBD · Feb 7, 2018

Poor guy, some dragons are really traumatized by a bath but it's all rolled up with the stress from going to a new home so he's doubly stressed. If he exhibits any seeming wobbliness or " drunken" behavior then he may have gotten water in his ear. This can cause ear infection + then he'd need antibiotics. But it's too soon to tell so don't jump to that conclusion, just be patient and see. He'll probably be fine.

They actually don't need regular baths, some people get in to the habit of treating them like a human baby. We don't even bathe puppies every night, do we ?

BeardieSmaug · Feb 7, 2018

AHBD":tki61k0h said:
Poor guy, some dragons are really traumatized by a bath but it's all rolled up with the stress from going to a new home so he's doubly stressed. If he exhibits any seeming wobbliness or " drunken" behavior then he may have gotten water in his ear. This can cause ear infection + then he'd need antibiotics. But it's too soon to tell so don't jump to that conclusion, just be patient and see. He'll probably be fine.

They actually don't need regular baths, some people get in to the habit of treating them like a human baby. We don't even bathe puppies every night, do we ?

He appears to be a lot better, now resting in his hide. But moves around now

from basking, to log, to hide. Gonna give the guy the rest he deserves.

Just to know, what would be the symptoms of an ear infection? How could i tell?

EllenD · Feb 8, 2018

I think he's fine, he just had never had a bath before and it scared and stressed him. I suggest if that continues after the next bath too (I'd wait a couple of weeks to give him another bath, as he is probably going through some relocation stress anyway, so the bath was too much for him at one time), then I'd only give him a bath when he gets dirty/stinky, at most once a week. Some dragons absolutely love baths, some hate them, and most won't drink water from a bath through their mouths, which is the only way they get any hydration from a bath, they absorb little to no hydration through just soaking in a bath through their vents or skin, so they don't ever "need" a bath unless they become dirty. Wait and see how he does with another short bath in a couple of weeks. Make sure the water is warm, but never hot, in the 90's...

By the way, just to make sure, you mentioned you have a T8 strength UVB tube, which I'm sure you know is the weaker of the 2 available strengths of UVB tubes for them (T5 being the much stronger available tube strength)...Have you made sure that:

#1) Your tube fixture does not have ANY type of clear, plastic cover on it's bottom that is covering the UVB tube inside it? If it does have one, you must remove it immediately, as no strength of UVB light can penetrate any type of glass or plastic.

#2) You have your T8 strength UVB tube mounted INSIDE the tank and UNDERNEATH any type of mesh lid to the tank? T8 UVB tubes are not strong enough (most are only a max of 15 watts) to deliver adequate UVB light on the other side of a mesh lid, as they usually block about 40% of the UVB light emitted by any UVB tube, and the T8 just can't get adequate UVB light to your dragon on the other side of the mesh. It's very easy and quick to do, you just need to get some long, plastic zip/cable ties, wire, twine, etc. and put them through the mesh lid holes and around the tube fixture, and strap the entire tube fixture to the underside of the mesh lid over the Hot Side of the tank, so that it is right alongside the bright-white colored Basking Bulb, so that both lights are "sharing" the top of the Hot Side of the tank, then position his basking spot/platform directly under both lights within the Hot Side of the tank, so that he gets both lights while basking; This is replicating natural sunlight for him.

#3) Once you get the T8 strength UVB tube strapped to the underside of the mesh lid (if it wasn't already), ensure that it is at least within 6" of his basking spot/platform, as that is about the max distance a T8 tube can be from your dragon to deliver adequate UVB light to him while basking.

#4) Be sure to always replace the T8 UVB tube once EVERY 6 MONTHS AT THE MAXIMUM TIME PERIOD. The T8 tubes have a very fast UVB decay rate, and after about 6 months of being on every day for at least 13 hours a day (minimum you should have both the UVB tube and the basking bulb on every day) the T8 UVB tubes stop emitting any adequate UVB light at all; they will still turn on/light up, but will only be delivering some UVA light, that's it, no UVB.

BeardieSmaug · Feb 8, 2018

EllenD":1ds8b99c said:
I think he's fine, he just had never had a bath before and it scared and stressed him. I suggest if that continues after the next bath too (I'd wait a couple of weeks to give him another bath, as he is probably going through some relocation stress anyway, so the bath was too much for him at one time), then I'd only give him a bath when he gets dirty/stinky, at most once a week. Some dragons absolutely love baths, some hate them, and most won't drink water from a bath through their mouths, which is the only way they get any hydration from a bath, they absorb little to no hydration through just soaking in a bath through their vents or skin, so they don't ever "need" a bath unless they become dirty. Wait and see how he does with another short bath in a couple of weeks. Make sure the water is warm, but never hot, in the 90's...

By the way, just to make sure, you mentioned you have a T8 strength UVB tube, which I'm sure you know is the weaker of the 2 available strengths of UVB tubes for them (T5 being the much stronger available tube strength)...Have you made sure that:

#1) Your tube fixture does not have ANY type of clear, plastic cover on it's bottom that is covering the UVB tube inside it? If it does have one, you must remove it immediately, as no strength of UVB light can penetrate any type of glass or plastic.

#2) You have your T8 strength UVB tube mounted INSIDE the tank and UNDERNEATH any type of mesh lid to the tank? T8 UVB tubes are not strong enough (most are only a max of 15 watts) to deliver adequate UVB light on the other side of a mesh lid, as they usually block about 40% of the UVB light emitted by any UVB tube, and the T8 just can't get adequate UVB light to your dragon on the other side of the mesh. It's very easy and quick to do, you just need to get some long, plastic zip/cable ties, wire, twine, etc. and put them through the mesh lid holes and around the tube fixture, and strap the entire tube fixture to the underside of the mesh lid over the Hot Side of the tank, so that it is right alongside the bright-white colored Basking Bulb, so that both lights are "sharing" the top of the Hot Side of the tank, then position his basking spot/platform directly under both lights within the Hot Side of the tank, so that he gets both lights while basking; This is replicating natural sunlight for him.

#3) Once you get the T8 strength UVB tube strapped to the underside of the mesh lid (if it wasn't already), ensure that it is at least within 6" of his basking spot/platform, as that is about the max distance a T8 tube can be from your dragon to deliver adequate UVB light to him while basking.

#4) Be sure to always replace the T8 UVB tube once EVERY 6 MONTHS AT THE MAXIMUM TIME PERIOD. The T8 tubes have a very fast UVB decay rate, and after about 6 months of being on every day for at least 13 hours a day (minimum you should have both the UVB tube and the basking bulb on every day) the T8 UVB tubes stop emitting any adequate UVB light at all; they will still turn on/light up, but will only be delivering some UVA light, that's it, no UVB.

Theres no plastic or cover over the uvb tube, and I dont use a mesh lid, its mounted just on top of the tank pointing down. Whenever I use the mesh lid, when feeding crickets mostly, I already cut holes in it so it wont block the light. So all is good

He is doing better, he pooped this morning, ate some mustard greens and squash (I think he only ate a few pieces) and is basking calmly. Whenever I approach him, slowly, he doesnt freak out, run or anything like that, he instead just sits VERY still, almost not breathing. He gets very tense and stiff. I guess this is just relocation stress so give him a few weeks or more? Cant seem to hand feed him anymore, so I laid out around 4 crickets in his viv and some phoenix worms in a dish see if he eats, hopefully.
Saw him eat at least 1 so far

Abnormal breathing after eating and taking a bath.

BeardieSmaug

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AHBD

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BeardieSmaug

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CooperDragon

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BeardieSmaug

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BeardieSmaug

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AHBD

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EllenD

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