Do you think this is mouth rot?

[zooeymama]

I need to preface this with the fact that we got ducks about 6 weeks ago. We have been brooding them and it has been exhausting. It's a lot of work. We did the first batch of 12, then second batch of 8. So I have been VERY distracted and haven't been focused on my Nikka so much during this time. Every now and then there would be a day where I would miss her salad or forget to turn her lights on until 11am. And I cannot even come up with a more exact number but looking back she has been exhibiting little things that are UN Nikka like.

Her appetite is very poor. Gradual but eventual total refusal of her greens. (chard/kale occasionally but I have organic mustards and dandelion greens delivered on a weekly basis. one week dandelion, next week mustards but she's not eating them)
Stopped eating her dubias. But I recently figured out if I put them in a small bowl and pick up some small Dubias she will eat a few. But only sometimes.
She will eat a few butterworms. This is recent as I just bought some 10 days ago.
I think she was slightly dehydrated. I had to enlist the help of my 10 & 8 year olds to give her baths. I do not think- looking back that she had the appropriate length of time she should have to soak. I am giving her daily baths now (past few days) to make sure she stays hydrated at least. And I am doing it all myself to ensure I know exactly what is going on with her.
She seems a little lethargic. But she never has been a very 'active' lizard. She has always been a basker. Which brings to this...I rarely find her gaping anymore. She used to gape frequently. But now almost never.

Honest to goodness I thought her appetite decline was normal as she is getting closer to a year old (in July). A few weeks ago I did note that one side her mouth was slightly swollen. But not really seeing anything else wrong just kept an eye on it. Well a few days ago I realized both sides were now matching. It's very slight but I know my Nikka. This doesn't look normal.

I AM taking her to the vet tomorrow morning. I would like to go prepared. I do not have a lot to spend (I hate saying that it sounds like an excuse) but we really don't. And reading about tests, biopsies, repeated treatments, removal of the spots...ahh!

Ok so here are her stats:

Approx 10 months old
Last weight 2 days ago- 520 grams
Tank 40 gal breeder
Reptisun 10.0 only 2 months old. Was on Reptisun 10.0 before that for 7 months (I accidentally let too much time pass before putting new one in. EDA: she has always had one on her I just mean I replaced it at 7 months). Oh and there is NOTHING separating the light from her (no screen etc) and it's about 3-4 inches from her head when she sticks her nose up in the air in her basking position.
Humidity is 36%
Basking 109 F
Feeders: usually Dubias, sometimes Butter worms + greens offered almost daily (bad lizard mom when we got the ducks. i feel awful) We have offered fruit but she's never really been fond of any fruits.
Substrate: tile
Pooping- 1 to 2 times a week. Occasionally 3 to 4. Less now since her appetite is so poor.

She daily gets frantic rubbing all over the tank...for what I assume is out of the tank time. Because when she does that- we put her in the livingroom window on the back of the couch and she just LOVES being there. This is almost daily. She will also get time on the floor to run around. Someone is always with her.

I will be attaching pictures in a few minutes but I have to do it from my phone and I didn't want type all this from my phone. Whew. I will update with any details I might have missed.

Thank you in advance!
Cool side was upper 80s (brain spaced it will have to update this)

Both sides of her mouth look like this.

And I forgot to say the other night when I gave her a bath- AFTER the bath and she drank a bunch of water (literally she drank water, sipped it up!) I saw this gooey white on either side that I wiped off. It's the ONLY time I have seen it. Not before the bath and not after the baths she has had since.

Images:

 

[zooeymama]

Added pics and updated some info.

 

[kcarello]

I don't know what to tell you about the mouth situation, but are you sure she's not gravid? The decreased appetite, glass dancing, springtime...all adds up to she needs a lay box to me. Do you have one? If not, its pretty easy to fix one up. You said you are going to the vet in the morning and I bet that he or she will tell you to fix your girl a lay box. My girl is 10 months old and I have had to make her one and she has dug a tunnel and cave,,,but still no eggs. And in case you don't know, they can lay eggs even is not bred. I hope that is the worse you have to deal with and her mouth is fine. Let us know, and good luck.
Kelly

 

[zooeymama]

I don't know what to tell you about the mouth situation, but are you sure she's not gravid? The decreased appetite, glass dancing, springtime...all adds up to she needs a lay box to me. Do you have one? If not, its pretty easy to fix one up. You said you are going to the vet in the morning and I bet that he or she will tell you to fix your girl a lay box. My girl is 10 months old and I have had to make her one and she has dug a tunnel and cave,,,but still no eggs. And in case you don't know, they can lay eggs even is not bred. I hope that is the worse you have to deal with and her mouth is fine. Let us know, and good luck.
Kelly

WHAT??? Are you kidding me? She can lay eggs this young???

 

[kcarello]

Ha ha! Yep..going through this whole thing myself with my girl..lol. There is a thread in the breeding section that will tell you what to do.

 

[zooeymama]

Ha ha! Yep..going through this whole thing myself with my girl..lol. There is a thread in the breeding section that will tell you what to do.

That's SO insane! She has been doing a lot of odd laying positions, waving to my son (why him I'll never know), waving to her own reflection sometimes, dashing around her viv, rubbing her face on the window or her viv back and forth like she is trying to get out (a lot)...her mouth looks funny to me but it doesn't look like the horrible pictures I have seen online.(nightmares!) Going to still take her in tomorrow but I am so heading over to the breeding spot. LOL Thank you!

 

[Drache613]

Hello,

Yes, they can lay as young as 9 months, but most don't lay that young. Do you have a male in the house, or is she the only dragon you have?
I couldn't tell by the pictures regarding the mouth rot. Your tank setup looks fine & the temperatures are good if you are measuring them with a digital probe or temp gun. The whitish discharge could be spit from either being dehydrated or from food possibly. Mouth rot looks very bad, more like a pus type discharge inside of the mouth.
Let us know how she is doing.

Tracie

 

[zooeymama]

Back from the vet. He doesn't think it's mouth rot. He said there is no compromised bone/jaw/teeth. That actually looking inside she looks fantastic. There is no redness or sign of infection if you open her mouth. Just the slight swelling there. He doesn't want to intervene at this point. He wants me to get her hydrated (since I said I think she was slightly dehydrated) and she was not sickly skinny but you could tell she was too lean for her size. He gave her a multi vitamin shot since she hasn't been eating. And he wants me to re-eval her in a week to week and a half and see if her appetite is improved after the vitamins and the hydration efforts. If not, we can do a full blood panel and xray on her and hopefully by then I will have enough saved up since those 2 items run around $150 for both not to mention the exam fee. She was a good girl and he said overall appeared to be in excellent health. He was also impressed with how much I knew about her care (tanks stats, feeders etc) and I really have to give credit to this forum for the excellent education and help over her early months. <3

So fingers crossed and several baths a day and fresh organic leafy dandelion and mustard greens and let's see what happens!

 

[kcarello]

So he didn't think she could be gravid? Did she stop her glass dancing?
Hope she starts eating better for you.
Take care,
Kelly

 

[zooeymama]

So he didn't think she could be gravid? Did she stop her glass dancing?
Hope she starts eating better for you.
Take care,
Kelly

I've been outside most of the day cleaning the duck coop and getting it ready for more ducks so I haven't had a chance to watch her. I did get her to eat one single leaf of dandelion green. It was a trick (her mouth was cracked up from licking it to see what it was) and I slid a part in while her mouth was cracked. Once in she ate it up. hehe After all the excitement of the vet she seems pooped. The glass dancing/rubbing happens a few times a day nearly everyday but today...I think the vet trip and the shot in the tail stressed her out. I'm giving her a bath in a bit and tucking her in for the night. I am hoping tomorrow she'll be perkier.

 

[Terrbear903]

I'm not as experienced as Tracie but I never had my male over 104°in his basking spot. At 10 months he went down to 100°. You said the cool side was upper 80's. I don't let my cool side get over 82° because a bd cannot cool itself below ambient temperature. I have 2 years experience. Tracie has lots of experience. That's why I wonder if she noticed the cool side temps. If the hot side is toi hot they can move away from it. If the cool side is too hot they have no way to cool off.

 

[kcarello]

After re-reading your post, I think Terrbear might have a good ideal. You should tryo lowering the basking temp to around 100 instead of 109..that should lower the cool side.
It won't hurt anything and could make her more comfortable.
Let us know how this works for you.
Kelly