Beardie gas?

[dreshany]

Ok, I have a post on here about my baby being ill. I have been force feeding him with a syringe for about 2 weeks. He has been doing fairly well with it, although is getting more and more stubborn. Something happened today though and I am not sure if I should be scared or not..... His tummy has been really bloated today, like puffed up like a balloon. It almost feels like there is a bunch of air in there. It's not from over feeding because I have only gotten about 3 ccs into him today, plus his daily doses of calcium. He has also been pooping fine. He just came of antibiotics two days ago and I have been supplementing with acidophillus and have been feeding him carnivore care mixed with squash baby food. Do beardies get gas? or do they bloat out their tummys? Also when I was feeding him tonight, it seemed like he would swallow become a little limp then open his mouth wide like he was gasping for a breath. Different than when he is showing me he is mad or hissing. I was scared for a while that he had aspirated some of the food into his lungs. I soaked him in some warm water and he just laid there totally limp but when I put him back in his cage he perked up and has been running around like nothing happened. He would do this after I fed him a few days ago, but he was really ill then and I think it wore him out. Could he be just playing stubborn?

 

[Tatty]

My beardies sometime gulp air when they want to be defensive or get nervous. Sometimes when you put them in water for a bath they do this and it allows mine to float and swim. I don't know of any reason they couldn't get gas especially if your are assist feeding them. I know they can't vomit and I don't think they can burp so it apparently has to work its way out the only way possible. I wonder if anyone else has any experience with this.

Tatty :roll:

 

[dreshany]

Thanks Tatty, I have just been beside myself. I am so overprotective right now because poor Perry has been so ill and I am very nervous about him rebounding.

Just to make sure, they do sometimes bloat their tummys when they are mad? Does it feel like a balloon? If they do, I am positive that is what it is then. PHEW!! Thanks!

 

[Tatty]

All of mine have done this. For them, it is a defensive/nervous behavior. They swell up like a balloon. Then they finally exhale and relax. At first it scared me, but I learned that this is a part of normal behavior for mine. This seems to be a natural reaction to a bath.

Good Luck!
Tatty

 

[dreshany]

Thanks again Tatty, I feel so much better. (((happy dance))) I thought I had almost killed my baby!

 

[Tatty]

I and my beardie family are very happy for you.

Tatty

 

[dreshany]

It's been three days and his tummy is still bloated

 

[Tatty]

This isn't normal. Get a vet appointment with a good reptile vet ASAP.

Tatty