Possible RI?

Okay so, first, I know everyone is going to ask about husbandry so lets get this all out of the way now.

I am using the Reptisun 10.0 tube, and they are only two months old. I have it on my calendar to switch out in Feb.

I am using just a standard basking bulb with no extra bells or whistles for light and heat.

Then I have two extra non heat emitting LED bulbs for extra light.

Nighttime temps never drop below 75F.

Basking temp is 100-105F

Cool side is about 80-85F

Humility is 10%

Using a temp gun for temps, and stick on humidity gauges for humidity. I have several of them posted around the tank so I can get a good read on how the grid is looking.

He is about a year and a half.




Okay, so since winter hit, he stopped eating live food. I just shrugged it off as possible partial brumation symptoms since he never went into full sleep mode.

So we have been doing a slurry diet mix of Rapashy Veggie Burger, Grub Pie, Bannana Cream Pie, and some others that have been approved for beardies.

I have also been adding a dose of Repashy Calcium Plus to the slurry mix to ensure he is getting his vitamins.

We have been doing this twice a day for 15 minute sessions, however much he will take in before he advises he is done. He is usually a good boy and eats at least a teaspoon's worth before he quits.

So he is at least getting some nutrition. There are no changes to his weight whatsoever. His colors look good. He is in the middle of a partial shed so there is definitely some irritation.

Usually he gets baths 1-2 a week for 10 minutes, but when he sheds, I increase it to daily until he stops. I feel like it eases the itchy, gotta rub my face on everything, feeling for him.

So that's where we are at....


So yesterday he was laying on my stomach, and all of a sudden I heard a cough out of nowhere. Just like a silent hiss cough. He wasn't agitated, and never hissed before, and we were just chilling. So I said, WTF was that little man?! Then he ran up to my shoulder and kind of cuddled me and went to sleep there.

This morning during his feeding, after he was done and I rinsed his face off since slurries get a little messy, he coughed again.

The coughing is not like consistent, its just like once a day. I have been watching him closely.

I called my vet but he is on vacation this week. I was planning on talking his ear off about this.

But, before I bring him in to see the vet when its like 20F outside, and possibly getting him sicker, I thought I would ask the group about a few things.



First - I read about a nebulizer treatment with some stuff called F10SC. However, humidity is bad for dragons, so I feel like putting him in a plastic box and boxing it out with fog is counter intuitive. But people say it works for RI's in beadies. But I figured I would ask the group about that. Is it worth attempting?

Second - Should I increase his hot baths to try and loosen up any mucus in his system?

Third - Is there anything other than what I am doing that you would recommend?


Thank you in advance. If this doesn't clear up in the next couple of days, I will bring him to the vet.

Hello,

Your tank setup sounds fine to me, no problems there. The temperatures should be good,
since you are using a temp gun for him. How far is the Reptisun 10 tube from him? I don't
think that is the issue though.
Could he have ingested any food or fluids down the wrong way, to have caused the cough?
Or did he get worked up over anything that could have made him upset to where he had a
temper tantrum?
Did his beard turn black, or not?
If you wanted to start a few nebulizer treatments, there isn't any harm in doing so right now.
The F10 is becoming a little more commonly used now, for nebulizer treatments. You could
do a 15-20 minute treatment, daily for a week or so, to see if that helps him out any.
Since he's shedding, perhaps his nose is plugged up? Has he ever brumated before?
I wouldn't do many baths right now though since it's cold & if he does have a slight respiratory
infection, he could get chilled.


Tracie

Drache613":b4kpt9l1 said:

Hello,

Your tank setup sounds fine to me, no problems there. The temperatures should be good,
since you are using a temp gun for him. How far is the Reptisun 10 tube from him? I don't
think that is the issue though.
Could he have ingested any food or fluids down the wrong way, to have caused the cough?
Or did he get worked up over anything that could have made him upset to where he had a
temper tantrum?
Did his beard turn black, or not?
If you wanted to start a few nebulizer treatments, there isn't any harm in doing so right now.
The F10 is becoming a little more commonly used now, for nebulizer treatments. You could
do a 15-20 minute treatment, daily for a week or so, to see if that helps him out any.
Since he's shedding, perhaps his nose is plugged up? Has he ever brumated before?
I wouldn't do many baths right now though since it's cold & if he does have a slight respiratory
infection, he could get chilled.


Tracie

Click to expand...

Hey Tracie, thanks for your response. He only goes black when he is throwing a temper tantrum. But the few coughs I heard/saw weren't during a temper tantrum. He is shedding parts of his face, its possible it could be plugging up his nose somehow for the time being? I know the skin sheds pretty far down the nostril. It's been 3 days and he hasn't gotten any worse, and I didn't hear any coughs today from him.

I know high humidity causes RI, but what about really low humidity? Like less than 10%. Its really dry in the house since the heat is on and its winter. His gauges are reading around 10%. Even I am a little nasally. I thought about plugging in a humidifier in my room to help myself breathe, but I didn't because I was worried about how it would effect him. I know that they can have any humidity under 40% but I didn't want to chance it and make him more sick.

And no, he hasn't brumated before, I have only had him a year now, and to be fair, I never really gave him a chance to brumate because I wake him up in the morning so I can feed him before work, then he just lays on his hammock all day. Then he goes to sleep in his little cat bed next to my pillow with a heating pad on one side and a blankie. He sleeps like a baby. I have hides and caves for him in the tank but he never uses them. He does occasionally hide in the blanket like a cave.

Hello,

I had to laugh when you wrote only when he is throwing a temper tantrum! LOL It is so
hilarious when they do that, but they do it to gain more love or attention. As if it's possible
to love them anymore, they are so precious.
It is possible that his nose plugs are bothering him. That's good you didn't hear him cough any
today so that is positive.
Well, that is actually a good point. Too low of humidity can cause shedding issues as well. Try
to strike a balance, say, 30% or so. They do need some humidity. If the humidity is way too
low, then you could plug in a humidifier for a few hours each day, to try & increase it by just a
little bit.
It sounds like he is a spoiled & pampered little boy. So, he sleeps next to you on his own pillow
so you wont roll over on him?
They normally brumate, but usually after they have hit a year or so, but sometimes sooner. They
do love blankies, since they are so soft & warm.

Let us know how he is doing.
Tracie