Does anyone know what gulping or swallowing means?

noella5088

Juvie Member
Original Poster
The reason why I'm asking is that I noticed that Maya's gulping or swallowing? It got me into an anxiety attack when I saw him do this. I scheduled a vet visit and the vet will be on Wednesday. That's when the reptile vet is in. He doesn't do it all the time.

A little history.

Back in October, he had a bad batch of superworms and contracted roundworms. The vet and I treated him with Panacur because they kept coming back. I opened a gofundme to raise money to get him seen by his vet for weight and to go from there. He wanted to do x-rays to see how his bones were since he's 8 years old and I couldn't afford an x-ray. Then I raised concerns about his nails being long and he stated a vitamin deficiency. I went ahead and got critical care and Beardie buffet to get him back to being healthy from his roundworm episodes, and eating on his own again. The vet wouldn't touch them so I began to file them with an emery board and got them filed well enough that he can walk without wobbling and hobbling around in his tank. He can now walk. The vet tried to look in his mouth and instead of looking in his mouth, Maya bit the vet.

However, someone from an exotic vet group told me that he has a vitamin A deficiency because of his eyes being swollen? This photo was taken a few weeks after his visit and he was getting the Beardie buffet.
I will also ask the vet about vitamin A deficiency.
He does show interest in bugs.

Here's his husbandry
I know the stuff in his tank isn't the best, but it's all I could get for now while he regains his mobility and what I can get as proper basking spots.
I had a cardboard box that was in there and he poo'd on it. Out it went.

So, back to his husbandry.
New HO 10.0 Arcadia 12% Bulb UVB Fixture.
New Reptibasking Spot Lamp- Zoomed - New Fixture too.
95-105 basking spot temps
85-88 Cool Side Temps
30-35 Humidity Gauge
Measured temps with a digital thermometer - not the stick on ones that give false readings.

He has no water dish.
He has no live plants.
Not bioactive.
He's on Seventh Generation Paper Towels
Has one large piece of granite tile that's he loves. He'll file his nails on that. I've seen him digging at it.
He has a lovee bunny in the corner.
Saucer Chair that's seen better days.
A small pillow and a cupcake pillow.
My travel pillow covered with a pillow case, he's claimed.

He lives in a 55g critter tank.
The UVB is on top of a metal screen- not one of those fine ones that filter out the light.
He gets Turnip greens, spritzed, alfalfa powder, spirulina powder, dandelion green powder, bee pollen, multivitamin 2-3 times a week, calcium with d3 once a week, and calcium without D3 every day. He has been also on beardie buffet from repashy to help his vitamin and minerals.
I give him a bath once a week- which he hates. He would rather swim around in a shower to poo. I tried to 'trick him' and he glared at me for not turning on the shower for him. I have a foot spa which he jumps out of.
 

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KarrieRee

BD.org Sicko
Beardie name(s)
Hiccup he is 6 and Blaze is 4
The reason why I'm asking is that I noticed that Maya's gulping or swallowing? It got me into an anxiety attack when I saw him do this. I scheduled a vet visit and the vet will be on Wednesday. That's when the reptile vet is in. He doesn't do it all the time.

A little history.

Back in October, he had a bad batch of superworms and contracted roundworms. The vet and I treated him with Panacur because they kept coming back. I opened a gofundme to raise money to get him seen by his vet for weight and to go from there. He wanted to do x-rays to see how his bones were since he's 8 years old and I couldn't afford an x-ray. Then I raised concerns about his nails being long and he stated a vitamin deficiency. I went ahead and got critical care and Beardie buffet to get him back to being healthy from his roundworm episodes, and eating on his own again. The vet wouldn't touch them so I began to file them with an emery board and got them filed well enough that he can walk without wobbling and hobbling around in his tank. He can now walk. The vet tried to look in his mouth and instead of looking in his mouth, Maya bit the vet.

However, someone from an exotic vet group told me that he has a vitamin A deficiency because of his eyes being swollen? This photo was taken a few weeks after his visit and he was getting the Beardie buffet.
I will also ask the vet about vitamin A deficiency.
He does show interest in bugs.

Here's his husbandry
I know the stuff in his tank isn't the best, but it's all I could get for now while he regains his mobility and what I can get as proper basking spots.
I had a cardboard box that was in there and he poo'd on it. Out it went.

So, back to his husbandry.
New HO 10.0 Arcadia 12% Bulb UVB Fixture.
New Reptibasking Spot Lamp- Zoomed - New Fixture too.
95-105 basking spot temps
85-88 Cool Side Temps
30-35 Humidity Gauge
Measured temps with a digital thermometer - not the stick on ones that give false readings.

He has no water dish.
He has no live plants.
Not bioactive.
He's on Seventh Generation Paper Towels
Has one large piece of granite tile that's he loves. He'll file his nails on that. I've seen him digging at it.
He has a lovee bunny in the corner.
Saucer Chair that's seen better days.
A small pillow and a cupcake pillow.
My travel pillow covered with a pillow case, he's claimed.

He lives in a 55g critter tank.
The UVB is on top of a metal screen- not one of those fine ones that filter out the light.
He gets Turnip greens, spritzed, alfalfa powder, spirulina powder, dandelion green powder, bee pollen, multivitamin 2-3 times a week, calcium with d3 once a week, and calcium without D3 every day. He has been also on beardie buffet from repashy to help his vitamin and minerals.
I give him a bath once a week- which he hates. He would rather swim around in a shower to poo. I tried to 'trick him' and he glared at me for not turning on the shower for him. I have a foot spa which he jumps out of.
Please record a video of him on you tube and the issue he's experiencing
 

KarrieRee

BD.org Sicko
Beardie name(s)
Hiccup he is 6 and Blaze is 4
MyMy sleeping on his bed.

I will try to. He didn't gulp or swallow all day. I did give him some Repashy beardie buffet today.
ok he looks good - are you noticing any mucous or sticky saliva any wheezing or popping noise? the screen on your tank is a wide hole I am assuming? and do you have a piece of basking decor directly under it 8-10 inches?
 

noella5088

Juvie Member
Original Poster
ok he looks good - are you noticing any mucous or sticky saliva any wheezing or popping noise? the screen on your tank is a wide hole I am assuming? and do you have a piece of basking decor directly under it 8-10 inches?
No mucous, sticky saliva. No wheezing. No popping noises. He doesn't gasp and 'cough'.

It's a metal screen. The screen that came with the tank broke many years ago. So, I took two metal hinge screens and put them on the top of his tank to hold the basking and uvb light fixtures above. He's got a saucer chair which is about 8 to 10 inches from the HO fixture.

He looks ok? Despite the first three photos? I took this one while lying on his bed, next to his lovee bunny. He sometimes closes his eyes during the day he basks. He does watch TV so he's the Family TV hog. Has to watch NCIS, Law and Order, Hawaii 5-0, Criminal Minds. Any procedural show on ion tv. He's also a fan of Gordon Ramsay, and Survivor, oh, and Blue Bloods. A true Couch Potato. He'll watch all these shows on his saucer chair while catching the UVB rays and the heat. The two lamps are side by side.
 

KarrieRee

BD.org Sicko
Beardie name(s)
Hiccup he is 6 and Blaze is 4
No mucous, sticky saliva. No wheezing. No popping noises. He doesn't gasp and 'cough'.

It's a metal screen. The screen that came with the tank broke many years ago. So, I took two metal hinge screens and put them on the top of his tank to hold the basking and uvb light fixtures above. He's got a saucer chair which is about 8 to 10 inches from the HO fixture.

He looks ok? Despite the first three photos? I took this one while lying on his bed, next to his lovee bunny. He sometimes closes his eyes during the day he basks. He does watch TV so he's the Family TV hog. Has to watch NCIS, Law and Order, Hawaii 5-0, Criminal Minds. Any procedural show on ion tv. He's also a fan of Gordon Ramsay, and Survivor, oh, and Blue Bloods. A true Couch Potato. He'll watch all these shows on his saucer chair while catching the UVB rays and the heat. The two lamps are side by side.
Sounds like a drama queen
 

KarrieRee

BD.org Sicko
Beardie name(s)
Hiccup he is 6 and Blaze is 4
To be safe, I guess calling the vet was a 'good idea'.
He is a drama 'king'. He was running around his tank, head-bobbing and climbing on his bunny lovey today. Scattered his food too and decided he didn't want them today.
Ok so no RI -- If he's eating basking and very active which it sounds like he is he's good
 

noella5088

Juvie Member
Original Poster
My vet is pretty good at bearded dragon recommendations on how to improve his tank. I'm glad that he has a friend who owns and breeds them. She's very knowledgeable about them. He confers with her and he gives the information to me.
 

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