Beardie Gurgling and in Distress

Please help me find the solution that will help my friend's beardie. I'm learning and trying to raise my own 10 week or so old Smaug. You've helped so much, so here's hoping you can be a help with my friend's little girl.

Here's what I know about Spikey. She is 7 years old and is a class pet for a kindergarten class. Spikey is currently being loved by her second owner and teacher. She lives in a 40 gallon breeder with a compact style UVB and a heat rock. She has a colored heat lamp but avoids it so the owner isn't currently using it. Substrate is crushed walnut. She has a diet of mostly meal worms and occasional salad. While we are discussing the living arrangements further, we are also encountering a possible health crisis.

She was acting lethargic and moving slowly to catch crickets (I brought them as they were too big for my own beardie) today so we misted her and took her out for a little extra sunshine. During the time we were outside, it was discussed that Spikey hadn't pooped for about a week, (or very much less than usual). We noticed one of her back legs twitching. I suggested a bath and tummy rub to help with the bowel movements.

During Spikey's bath she kept closing her eyes, allowed her head to go under the water several times, and once she gulped the water for a few minutes. When we took her out of the bath she had a small bowel movement, mostly white. After this her beard went black and she began to puff her body and make gurgling sounds.

I searched here on the forum and found a listing that said that if she had aspirated during the bath we might be able to help her by wrapping her in a towel and tipping her head downwards to drain. This yielded quite a bit of fluid. We did the process several times and waiting for nothing to run from her nose before stopping each time. Thing is, more fluid is coming from somewhere.

Please help. Thank you in advance.

I'm including a link to a video of how she looks now.

https://youtu.be/iHk-Gsr-CXs

Hi there, poor girl is really not well after that episode. Next time be sure her head doesn't go under, she may or may not get over this, but hopefully she will. She really DOES need a heat bulb, but not a colored one. Tell the teacher to get a par 38 halogen flood bulb [ or similar ] to give her a basking area. Heat rocks can be dangerous if the y malfunction and can burn the beardie quite badly. For night, try to keep the temps. around 80 since she's sick now, it will help her to stay warm just like we need to be warm when wer'e sick with a cough or cold. If she doesn't improve in a few days she should be seen by a qualified reptile vet for antibiotics. Best wishes ! Oh, and I'm sure someone else may advise about the dangers of walnut sand and the coil uvb not being a good uvb source.

So far feeling pretty scared after this first response. I'm wondering if there are more thoughts that might help us understand. Did she breath in water while she was gulping? Letting her head go under? Did it happen bc she was misted or had a bath, or because we did both? Also, why do we keep getting liquid? It's a little slimy so it's not just water. Thank you already for what you've provided.

Didn't mean to scare you, but I'm sure you can see she has a problem now. And it would have been caused by the head going under and then she aspirated water. You did the right thing to tip her over + let the water pour out. The slimy mucous is her body now reacting to having a respiratory infection. Just keep her warm, don't let her go without a heat bulb. They need heat during the day, a basking temp. of about 100 -105 for an adult [ the other cooler side of the tank can be about 80] and at night 70 would be fine BUT since she's sick you'll want to have it around 80.

Hello,

Oh dear, she definitely doesn't feel well.
She most likely was dehydrated so she probably ingested too much water while she was trying to take a breath & aspirated too much. The initial water you got out when tipping her downwards was a good amount of it. There may be more in her lungs & if it is a little slimy it is likely mixed with saliva & or mucous from her mouth & or lung areas. I agree, it is her body's natural reaction to being ill & trying to kick it out of her lungs.
Is there any way that you can keep her at home, in a warm stable environment right now? I feel like that she shouldn't be left alone overnight at the school & consider this type of incident a critical time. She needs to be kept at around 80 overnight, wrapped in a blanket to keep her from getting more chilled.
She absolutely needs a basking bulb for the daytime. As suggested the Par 38 bulbs are good & any bright halogen should do just fine. Which UVB is being used, what brand is the coil?
I would definitely consider removing the walnut too. Non adhesive shelf liner, or paper towels are good & very easy to keep clean.

Let us know how she is doing.
Tracie

Thank you, thank you for your help. I think we've made good progress since the water inhalation, but are maybe still in situation critical.

I've brought Spikey to my house and she is now on paper towel substrate. We've added the par 38 bulb as heat source and I don't have the heat rock. The bulb that is being used is the Reptisun 5.0 compact. The floor temp is about 90 and the basking log near 100. I should mention that I watched her try to get on the log today and she's not really able to do this well, so she opts to stay on the ground (where it's cooler) most of the time. How can we get that temp up higher? Do I need to be concerned about this? My plan for night is to put one of those purple "night" heat lights on her as I don't have a CHE. Ambient temp of my house is 70 so we'll need some help to get it up there.

The problem at hand seems to be dehydration and possible impaction. Signs I'm seeing are hard and infrequent all black poop, straining (raising up body, squirming a good while, and turning black to poop). I've also rubbed her tummy, especially her right side. Felt hard marble like lumps after her ribs on the side and middle.

Today I gave her a bath in 90 degree water for 10 minutes (I wanted to do 20, but she wanted out). Rubbed the tummy in small circles over the lumps during the bath. Is the temp and rubbing right? I've also read that pedialyte can be used and bought some for my baby beardie about a month ago and didn't use it. Would that help Spikey? Remember, she's a bath water drinker (gulper). Today, I held her head out of the water during the bath so she wouldn't dip her head in or gulp. She did take a tiny couple of drinks, but I stopped her before she got too excited bc of last time.

As far as diet, she's been on almost exclusive meal worms. I have her meal worms here, but I also have mustard and collard greens, as well as crickets, on hand. What should I feed her now during this time of apparent impaction.

Thank you again for your help. Oh, and I've tried the wrapping in a blanket and as little energy as she has, she's opposed and crawls right out.

I very much hope it isn't impacted on walnut shells. pureed pumpkin and honey perhaps along with warm baths keeping her head up. definitely needs to have her night temps at 80 it will make a HUGE difference

Good to hear that she's doing a little better. Sometimes they get over the initial bad effects of aspiration and clear it all out . To help raise the temps. in the tank a bit, get another fixture for $8 -$10 at walmart/Home Depot and add another low watt bulb. If you can't get another bulb, put a blanket over half the tank [ not on the lights though, don't start a fire ] To help her poo get any of these or a combo of... baby food squash and prunes, unsweetened applesauce, blueberries and add about 1/4 teaspoon of veg.oil and/or raw honey. All are natural laxatives and most beardies like most of those and will lick it up. That will help her as well as the warmer temps. and extra hydration. Cut out the mealworms and offer veggies and crickets. Disable the crickets a bit so they're wobbly + easy to catch. If you can take her out in the sun but never in a glass tank, set her in the grass if it's hot or on your lap if it's below 70. Hopefully she'll do better with your care.

Okay. Going to try that. Am I adding that quarter teaspoon of vegetable oil or honey to the entire jar of baby food or to a spoonful?

Hello,

It sounds like she has gotten a little bit better so far. Definitely keep her warmer overnight that will help boost her immune system.
I hope she isn't impacted also! As suggested, the warmer baths & softer foods should help her out.
Try to let her swim also, if she has the energy or wants to with her head out of the water that is.
Is her beard better in color now?
The purple night light should be alright, just keep her head covered so it wont disturb her sleeping.
I am glad you have her at home, too she will improve with more love & attention paid towards her.
I hope she continues to improve! Keep us posted on her.

Tracie

To a spoonful, and you don't have to measure it,it can be a bit less.

Okay, and the Pedialyte and the tummy rubbing for bath time. Are those good? Should I always try to keep her from drinking bath water bc of what happened last time? (I'm feeling like that was mostly head dipping) I just need confirmation that I'm doing things right.

She likes the squash, though I had to put it on her nose to get her to start eating it. Only had about 1/2 teaspoon so far. She closed her eyes after that and decided to go back to sleep. Sweet baby girl feels rotten .

Her owner loves her very much but wasn't given much to go on when she got her. I sent her a link so she can follow the strand. She says she learning so much and sends her thanks to all of you.

Oh! And what am I looking for as an appropriate activity level for a beardie of 7 years of age? Right now, we've got nothing on the energy of my 10 week old beardie.

Wer'e all glad to help if we can. Her activity level won't improve very quickly and some dragons are more active, others are couch potatoes. But you eventually want to see her looking alert most part of the day and looking around/moving at different times. Pedialyte is O.K orally, mixed with the other stuff and a light belly rub is O.K. And yes, let her drink but you are right to catch her before she dunks her head or drinks so much that she chokes. And a little sunshine for her may help her perk up as well.

Hi. Glad she is better. I just wanted to say the 5.0 compact uvb light is not putting out very good uvb. You definitely want to replace that with a reptisun 10.0 tube light either the t8 or the t5. The t8 needs to be mounted in the tank. The t5 is stronger and can be placed on the top of the screen.

This morning she had some greens (a couple inches in total), a tiny bit of baby food squash, and 1 small cricket. Then she closed her eyes again. After a little while found her straining, puffed up like a balloon, and black. She only got out a little liquid. Please give me my next steps. How often can a bath be given?