Ranger87
Member
Hey all!
So...
Piper-George, my four year old female, is displaying a peculiar "symptom" I can't seem to find an answer to. So, before I drop another $70 for a checkup and antibiotics I wanted to get everyone's opinion.
She is "gasping", making this large rasping inhale periodically at night only. And only when my partner and I are sitting within view of her in the living room.
I suspect she's getting ready to lay eggs as she is a chronic layer and has become very active after her brummation cycle. She's eating all her salads and bugs with her normal enthusiasm, pooping regularly, normal no-smell breath, and being her normal Piper self. Aside from this weird gasping.
She is in a 40 gal, tile substrate, Reptisun 10 UVB, and her high temp have been averaging in the 90s. I'm not overly thrilled with that and have been working to adjust her home to get the temps in the lower 100s and they should be there now. She's got a rock to get to her heat and a tree from Petsmart to get closer to her UV if she needs to.
Her diet consists mainly of mustard greens powdered with a calcium/multi-vit supplement. She gets this everyday with the supplement maybe every other day. Right now we also have turnip and collard greens in the diet along with Fluker's reptile "junk-food" (those red pellets with meal worms -- she ADORES her "potato chips", the little trash can). Now and again I'll add some rehydrated dehydrated food for some variety.
For bugs she gets an average of 5 superworms 2-3 times a week, a little more than 5 right now due to her potential egg cycle.
Also of note, Riza (who's roughly around 10-12) had a recent sort of similar experience when she was laying her first clutch of the season. But unlike Piper who's only gasping at night when we're present, Riza was gasping as if she were at a loss of breath. After a rush to the vet, a round of antibiotics, and about a week later an induction of her labour, her breathing issued stopped. Hers was a scary experience for all involved.
As silly as it may sound, my partner and I can't help but wonder if Piper is making this noise for the attention. We have two male cats who will cry out for attention and we always verbally respond (one of the boys picked it up from the other) and we joke that Piper must be picking it up, too.
The only thing making me feel it's more serious than a dragon trying to make noise is that she does have a bit of a wheezing/rattling in her chest when I listen closely.
I am willing and about ready to rush her to the vet. The only thing stopping me is that she's otherwise acting completely normal.
I know this post is insanely long and I thank anyone who took the time to read it!
If anyone has any thoughts on the matter, they would be deeply appreciated before I visit the vet yet again (between 5 cats and 4 Dragons, our new vet and the receptionists are starting to know us a little too well over the last three months...).
And if I left any information out that may be needed, please let me know!
So...
Piper-George, my four year old female, is displaying a peculiar "symptom" I can't seem to find an answer to. So, before I drop another $70 for a checkup and antibiotics I wanted to get everyone's opinion.
She is "gasping", making this large rasping inhale periodically at night only. And only when my partner and I are sitting within view of her in the living room.
I suspect she's getting ready to lay eggs as she is a chronic layer and has become very active after her brummation cycle. She's eating all her salads and bugs with her normal enthusiasm, pooping regularly, normal no-smell breath, and being her normal Piper self. Aside from this weird gasping.
She is in a 40 gal, tile substrate, Reptisun 10 UVB, and her high temp have been averaging in the 90s. I'm not overly thrilled with that and have been working to adjust her home to get the temps in the lower 100s and they should be there now. She's got a rock to get to her heat and a tree from Petsmart to get closer to her UV if she needs to.
Her diet consists mainly of mustard greens powdered with a calcium/multi-vit supplement. She gets this everyday with the supplement maybe every other day. Right now we also have turnip and collard greens in the diet along with Fluker's reptile "junk-food" (those red pellets with meal worms -- she ADORES her "potato chips", the little trash can). Now and again I'll add some rehydrated dehydrated food for some variety.
For bugs she gets an average of 5 superworms 2-3 times a week, a little more than 5 right now due to her potential egg cycle.
Also of note, Riza (who's roughly around 10-12) had a recent sort of similar experience when she was laying her first clutch of the season. But unlike Piper who's only gasping at night when we're present, Riza was gasping as if she were at a loss of breath. After a rush to the vet, a round of antibiotics, and about a week later an induction of her labour, her breathing issued stopped. Hers was a scary experience for all involved.
As silly as it may sound, my partner and I can't help but wonder if Piper is making this noise for the attention. We have two male cats who will cry out for attention and we always verbally respond (one of the boys picked it up from the other) and we joke that Piper must be picking it up, too.
The only thing making me feel it's more serious than a dragon trying to make noise is that she does have a bit of a wheezing/rattling in her chest when I listen closely.
I am willing and about ready to rush her to the vet. The only thing stopping me is that she's otherwise acting completely normal.
I know this post is insanely long and I thank anyone who took the time to read it!
If anyone has any thoughts on the matter, they would be deeply appreciated before I visit the vet yet again (between 5 cats and 4 Dragons, our new vet and the receptionists are starting to know us a little too well over the last three months...).
And if I left any information out that may be needed, please let me know!