Hi all,
My current dragon (Khonshu) just turned one. When I first rescued him as a baby, he was sick. He had to have a piece of his tail amputated and needed to be treated for a respiratory infection… Since then, he has been fantastic!
That may have started to change in the last month or so…
The first thing I noticed was him gaping (keeping his mouth open) more and more frequently. At first, I figured he was just thermoregulating, but he’s been doing it on the cool side of the tank and at night (when the lights are off). Additionally, he’s hiding in his cave more and more (with his mouth gaping). He will still eat, though he is randomly being more picky… Maybe that is natural as he is transitioning into a sub adult dragon?
Ultimately, a couple weeks ago, I ended up taking him to the vet to be on the safe side as the frequent gaping was really worrying me. They did a fecal test and checked his mouth for issues. They said his saliva was a little on the thick side, but he overall looked good. As a precaution (since he did have a respiratory infection as a baby and responded well to Baytril way back then), they put him on Baytril. After the treatment, nothing has changed!
After contacting the vet again, they are stumped. When he had a respiratory infection as a baby, his symptoms were textbook (coughing, heavy breathing, not eating, lethargic, eyes always closed). He doesn’t really have that this go around. He breathes normal (i.e. no strain), but just wants to keep his mouth open. For the record, he is capable of closing his mouth and breathing. I have seen him do this in his sleep and on random occasions. That said, I would say it is open 80-90 percent of the time.
I’m just trying to see if I’m missing something… Maybe this is behavioral? Mating season? Brumation?
Ultimately, gaping all the time doesn’t seem to go with anything I have seen other than RI or overheating. To address the latter, I have messed with the temperatures, but that doesn’t have an impact.
Below is some general info on his setup (which he had been thriving in since I got him):
120 gallon tank (Zen Habitat)
100 Watt MVB and 100W standard Basking bulb
10.0 Reptisun UVB HO uvb (he can get within 10 inches of)
Basking surface temperatures range from 95 F – 105F
Cool side surface temperatures are around 80 F
Ambient air on warm side is 90 F
Ambient air on cool side is 78 F
Diet:
Greens: Collards, mustard greens, turnip greens, bell peppers, cactus, carrots (occasionally blueberry, banana, kale, and other fruits/veggies that I have found on pre-approved lists)
Bugs: Phoenix worms, dubia roaches, crickets, hornworms (occasionally super worms and wax worms, though not many)
Dust bugs with calcium 3 or 4 times a week (1 of those times is usually with D3)
Dust bugs with multivitamins 1 or 2 times a week
Attached are a few pictures:
(1) Him with his setup (notice him on the hammock/cool side with his mouth open)
(2) Him sitting normally with his mouth shut (showing he is capable)
(3) Him in the morning (before the lights come on) keeping his mouth open
I’m curious to get folks oppions on this.
Chris
My current dragon (Khonshu) just turned one. When I first rescued him as a baby, he was sick. He had to have a piece of his tail amputated and needed to be treated for a respiratory infection… Since then, he has been fantastic!
That may have started to change in the last month or so…
The first thing I noticed was him gaping (keeping his mouth open) more and more frequently. At first, I figured he was just thermoregulating, but he’s been doing it on the cool side of the tank and at night (when the lights are off). Additionally, he’s hiding in his cave more and more (with his mouth gaping). He will still eat, though he is randomly being more picky… Maybe that is natural as he is transitioning into a sub adult dragon?
Ultimately, a couple weeks ago, I ended up taking him to the vet to be on the safe side as the frequent gaping was really worrying me. They did a fecal test and checked his mouth for issues. They said his saliva was a little on the thick side, but he overall looked good. As a precaution (since he did have a respiratory infection as a baby and responded well to Baytril way back then), they put him on Baytril. After the treatment, nothing has changed!
After contacting the vet again, they are stumped. When he had a respiratory infection as a baby, his symptoms were textbook (coughing, heavy breathing, not eating, lethargic, eyes always closed). He doesn’t really have that this go around. He breathes normal (i.e. no strain), but just wants to keep his mouth open. For the record, he is capable of closing his mouth and breathing. I have seen him do this in his sleep and on random occasions. That said, I would say it is open 80-90 percent of the time.
I’m just trying to see if I’m missing something… Maybe this is behavioral? Mating season? Brumation?
Ultimately, gaping all the time doesn’t seem to go with anything I have seen other than RI or overheating. To address the latter, I have messed with the temperatures, but that doesn’t have an impact.
Below is some general info on his setup (which he had been thriving in since I got him):
120 gallon tank (Zen Habitat)
100 Watt MVB and 100W standard Basking bulb
10.0 Reptisun UVB HO uvb (he can get within 10 inches of)
Basking surface temperatures range from 95 F – 105F
Cool side surface temperatures are around 80 F
Ambient air on warm side is 90 F
Ambient air on cool side is 78 F
Diet:
Greens: Collards, mustard greens, turnip greens, bell peppers, cactus, carrots (occasionally blueberry, banana, kale, and other fruits/veggies that I have found on pre-approved lists)
Bugs: Phoenix worms, dubia roaches, crickets, hornworms (occasionally super worms and wax worms, though not many)
Dust bugs with calcium 3 or 4 times a week (1 of those times is usually with D3)
Dust bugs with multivitamins 1 or 2 times a week
Attached are a few pictures:
(1) Him with his setup (notice him on the hammock/cool side with his mouth open)
(2) Him sitting normally with his mouth shut (showing he is capable)
(3) Him in the morning (before the lights come on) keeping his mouth open
I’m curious to get folks oppions on this.
Chris
