Dried nasal discharge but no URI signs?

[SupportDragon]

My beardie has an appointment with the vet tomorrow because he has some dried nasal discharge. I’ve had him for just over 3 years and he’s never had any health issues.
A couple weeks ago I noticed him scratching at his nose and figured he had a nose plug stuck. It was completely covering his nostril so he couldn’t breathe through that side. When I removed the “plug” I found it was dried discharge (a booger). His nostril was also wet after.
Yesterday I found his nostril filled with more discharge than before. Again, it had dried and was completely covering the nostril. Because this was the second time he’d had this issue, I opted to leave it. Today he managed to make a hole in the dried discharge, but it’s still there (see attached image). The nostril appears pale, almost like he’s shedding. However, I can confidently tell you he’s not shedding.
He hasn’t shown any URI signs except for these boogers that keep appearing. Only breathes with his mouth open when he’s basking. No wheezing. Not dehydrated. The discharge also only appears in one nostril.
I work with dogs and cats and I know that yellow discharge is basically a guaranteed URI. I don’t know about reptiles, though. I do know he’s never experienced an issue like this previously.
I was just wondering if anyone has seen their beardie develop boogers without URI symptoms. Because I’m at a loss for what else the issue could be. One nostril has a reoccurring issue with dried discharge blockages. No other problems.

 

[Drache613]

Hello,

That does sound strange but it doesn't sound like a respiratory issue. It does look like the
nostril has dried shed that clogged up the nostril. How often has that happened?
You are positive that it isn't shed on his nostril?
Discharge for reptiles which is a little off colored, probably looks about the same as dogs,
cats, etc. Any mucous in the mouth would be thick, or off colored, which would mimic the
appearance of any discharge from the nose, too.
Maybe you could try putting some anitbiotic ointment on & around the area on his nostril to
see if that helps soften it up in case there might be some inflammation in that one nostril.

Tracie

 

[SupportDragon]

Hello,

That does sound strange but it doesn't sound like a respiratory issue. It does look like the
nostril has dried shed that clogged up the nostril. How often has that happened?
You are positive that it isn't shed on his nostril?
Discharge for reptiles which is a little off colored, probably looks about the same as dogs,
cats, etc. Any mucous in the mouth would be thick, or off colored, which would mimic the
appearance of any discharge from the nose, too.
Maybe you could try putting some anitbiotic ointment on & around the area on his nostril to
see if that helps soften it up in case there might be some inflammation in that one nostril.

Tracie

The vet today said it definitely isn’t stuck shed, but it might be a humidity issue because it’s been very humid for about a month and now it’s super dry where we live. I’m supposed to mist him directly every day for a week. Along with that he’s also started an antibiotic just as an extra precaution. When I removed the dried discharge a couple weeks ago his nostril was a little wet, which is a possible sign of infection (hence the antibiotics).
I don’t anticipate any more issues because the vet listened to his lungs and looked inside his nose and found no other signs of infection. The hole in the dried discharge was bigger this morning, so I think his nostril might have swollen a little because he’s been picking at it.
The vet didn’t even see a need to flush his nasal cavity (which is good because my beardie HATES having his nose touched). So, he should be fine in about a week!

 

[Drache613]

Hello,

Glad to hear he doesn't have any signs of infection then. He shouldn't need the antibiotic
for long since no respiratory issues are really showing.
I hope his nostril dries up some. The swelling should go down soon.
Be sure to mist him outside of his tank though so humidity doesn't build up too much.

Let us know how he is doing!
Tracie

 

[bienemeia]

The vet today said it definitely isn’t stuck shed, but it might be a humidity issue because it’s been very humid for about a month and now it’s super dry where we live. I’m supposed to mist him directly every day for a week. Along with that he’s also started an antibiotic just as an extra precaution. When I removed the dried discharge a couple weeks ago his nostril was a little wet, which is a possible sign of infection (hence the antibiotics).
I don’t anticipate any more issues because the vet listened to his lungs and looked inside his nose and found no other signs of infection. The hole in the dried discharge was bigger this morning, so I think his nostril might have swollen a little because he’s been picking at it.
The vet didn’t even see a need to flush his nasal cavity (which is good because my beardie HATES having his nose touched). So, he should be fine in about a week!

Hello! I saw this post while looking into things for my own beardie. He is currently going through the EXACT same thing. His left nostril is on and off covered in dry mucous, with the slightest mouth gape at times. His right nostril I was able to pull out some stuck shed and its been fine.

The vet checked for inflammation and all the other symptoms of a respiratory infection, but said he was fine. No extra saliva or mucous in the mouth, no swelling. Since it got cold, my apartment got extremely dry as well, so she suggested I bring up the humidity a bit (it was around 30%).

Do you have any updates on your beardie, and what may have helped? I messaged my vet again, but they are so busy that it takes weeks to get an appoitnment.

Thanks! Hoping its just stuck shed related, but I guess we'll see.

 

[Drache613]

Hello,

Just wondering how your dragon was doing! I hope the nostril discharge issue has cleared up
for him. Please let us know how things are going.

Tracie

 

[SupportDragon]

Hello! I saw this post while looking into things for my own beardie. He is currently going through the EXACT same thing. His left nostril is on and off covered in dry mucous, with the slightest mouth gape at times. His right nostril I was able to pull out some stuck shed and its been fine.

The vet checked for inflammation and all the other symptoms of a respiratory infection, but said he was fine. No extra saliva or mucous in the mouth, no swelling. Since it got cold, my apartment got extremely dry as well, so she suggested I bring up the humidity a bit (it was around 30%).

Do you have any updates on your beardie, and what may have helped? I messaged my vet again, but they are so busy that it takes weeks to get an appoitnment.

Thanks! Hoping its just stuck shed related, but I guess we'll see.

I hope yours is doing better by now! But, mine took 2 years of chronic sinusitis to clear up.
He saw a new doctor who suggested a different antibiotic. It was a month of injectable ceftazidime (10 doses in total). His last dose was a month ago. He hasn’t had any inflammation or nasal discharge since.
He was on enrofloxacin twice with no improvement. The doctor he was originally seeing suggested it was a nasal polyp or cardiac issue.
His new doctor suggested it was an enrofloxacin resistant bacteria. Apparently enro resistant infections in reptiles isn’t unheard of. He also developed some GI issues immediately after that is still clearing up (second round of metronidazole). So it might’ve been bacterial overgrowth that caused the sinusitis.

 

[SupportDragon]

Hello,

Just wondering how your dragon was doing! I hope the nostril discharge issue has cleared up
for him. Please let us know how things are going.

Tracie

2 years of chronic sinusitis later, he has cleared the infection . His old doctor put him on enrofloxacin twice (his go-to for respiratory issues). When it didn’t work, he said it’s most likely a polyp or cardiac issues that would need a specialist.
His new doctor tried ceftazidime (her go-to for respiratory issues). 2 weeks into the ceftazidime his nostril clears completely.
His last dose of ceftazidime was a month ago.
The sad thing is, now he’s had several GI issues. First he had stool that looked like he was shedding his intestinal mucosal lining (a white ‘sausage-like’ casing around the stool). This was later confirmed to be correct by his doctor. Labs said he had a very high coccidia burden (the O and P just said 30+ cysts). 5 days of Albon cleared it. The mucosal lining continued to appear in his stool throughout and after the treatment. The bulk of his stool became entirely undigested food. The doctor said to try 7 days of metro and if it didn’t work he would need an endoscopy from a specialist.
His new doctor found gas in his stomach on an X-ray (and walking pneumonia…?). But, she said his blood panel was normal (no abnormal WBC) except slightly elevated glucose and bile levels. She didn’t find either of those concerning.
The metro started October 28. His bowel movements started improving November 1.
He finished the metro November 4 and started having diarrhea November 6. Daily. I have had him for over 5 years and he has never had actual diarrhea (maybe a loose bowel movement, never diarrhea). He was also bloated, but the bloat would clear up after a bath and a couple of hours of basking. So, I assume it must’ve been gas causing the bloating.
His appetite slightly decreased November 9. He ate about half what he normally would.
His new doctor put him back on the metro because her best guess is the first round didn’t clear the bacteria. Apparently gas is a sign of a GI bacterial issue. He is on day 2 of 10 of the metro and his stool is loose, but not diarrhea.
Sorry for the long winded response but it has been one thing after another with this guy

 

[Drache613]

Hello,

Goodness, poor thing, he has been through the mill! I hope he is feeling better. The metronidazole
is a good medication for GI issues, protozoans & amoebas, too. It should clear it all up. Are you also
using probiotics for him too while he is on the meds?
Has he been eating insects too?
Be sure to keep him warmer overnight to help with boosting his immune system. That can also help
digestion too. They can be prone to pneumonia because they lack cilia in their lungs which makes it
virtually impossible to clear debris out of their lungs like mammals can.

I hope he is doing much better!

Tracie

 

[SupportDragon]

He hasn’t been on any probiotics. I did ask both doctors he has seen and they both said it would be best to allow him to regenerate the bacteria on his own. But, I have been adding a supplement containing prebiotics to his food.
He does have another appointment Saturday (unrelated impacted femoral pore). I will ask her again about probiotics because I feel this is really a chronic issue. He keeps reinfecting himself and it’s almost like his immune system/commensal microbiota can’t seem to regulate anything.
The doctor said everything looked ok at his recheck last Saturday. He also had a reptile profile (w/ bile acids) sent out 3 weeks ago and the doctor said there was no issue that she could see.
His appetite is ok now. Not great, but it comes and goes depending on the day or time of day.
He has been eating insects willingly (he only gets roaches currently).
His bowel movements started to look better (still loose, but not diarrhea) the day he started his second round of metro (2 weeks ago).
I read a fecal for him yesterday just to double check and he has a very high coccidia burden again (he had a negative O and P analysis from 10/24). I also may have seen a few strongyle type or Physaloptera ova. I’d like to send another stool sample out for diagnostics, but today he had diarrhea so I couldn’t collect a sample.
He’s never without heat for more than a few seconds; he has a ceramic heater at night and I warm his towels under his heat lamp before I take him out of the bath. I clean everything daily with chlorhex. I have been neurotic about his husbandry for the past 2 months for fear that he’s immune compromised.

 

[Drache613]

Hello,

Many times they just need a boost getting their system back to normal after medications. The prebiotics
should be helpful, has it seemed to be helping him?
What type of substrate are you using, a loose or solid substrate? Do you have a water dish in his tank?
Which medication are you or have you given him for the coccidia, or was he just given the Enroflaxin/
Baytril for a possibly respiratory infection? If he has a heavy load of coccidia then he will need an anti-
coccidial agent because the Baytril wont help in that department.
Be sure he is getting adequate oral fluids since he has had looser stools which can dehydrate him.

Let us know how he is doing.
Tracie

 

[SupportDragon]

Hello,

Many times they just need a boost getting their system back to normal after medications. The prebiotics
should be helpful, has it seemed to be helping him?
What type of substrate are you using, a loose or solid substrate? Do you have a water dish in his tank?
Which medication are you or have you given him for the coccidia, or was he just given the Enroflaxin/
Baytril for a possibly respiratory infection? If he has a heavy load of coccidia then he will need an anti-
coccidial agent because the Baytril wont help in that department.
Be sure he is getting adequate oral fluids since he has had looser stools which can dehydrate him.

Let us know how he is doing.
Tracie

It’s difficult for me to tell if anything has been helping him because we’re basically playing whack-a-mole with his GI issues. As soon as one thing clears up something else happens. The issues we’ve seen in/with his stool in the past 2 months have been: mucosal lining, coccidia, entirely undigested food, possible bacteria, coccidia again. I had to make a calendar to track it.
Today he is pretty unwell. He ate a bite of purée and then refused it and roaches (he LOVES roaches). I soaked him to alleviate any gas he may have and he immediately burrowed under his paper towels when I put him back in his cage. He seems to kick up his paper towels and lay his belly on the glass where his heating mat is when his stomach is bugging him. Would that be helpful in alleviating indigestion? I thought they couldn’t detect heat underneath them.
In regards to the coccidia: he had an O and P show 30+ coccidia on 10/14. Started 5 days of albon on 10/17. A new O and P on 10/24 was negative for all parasites. I read a fecal myself on 11/21 and saw lots of coccidia and possibly also worms. Sent out a new sample for analysis this morning (all 3 O and Ps were read by me and sent to Idexx). He has an appointment tomorrow, so I’m not sure what treatment they’ll recommend this time.
The enro was a year ago for a possible URI. A new doctor put him on ceftazidime (injectable) from 9/27-10/25 to treat his chronic sinusitis. It worked, but then GI issues immediately started occurring.
Both doctors suggested that his immune system was temporarily compromised when the sinusitis cleared but are unsure what’s wrong now. Both said the ceftazidime wouldn’t have any serious impact on his GI system because it doesn’t attack the commensal bacteria in it.
His substrate is paper towels because his old doctor recommended we elevate his tank humidity. When he has a bowel movement I clean his tank to prevent reinfection; paper towels are also easy to remove and replace.
Thankfully, he’s not dehydrated (I don’t think I could handle that on top of everything else). I add water to his purée daily. I soak him after he has a bowel movement (daily) which has also helped hydrate him.
I only use a water dish if his humidity is low. He has always despised water so he doesn’t voluntarily drink it.
He hasn’t had formed stool in 2-3 weeks. His daily bowel movements range from loose to diarrhea. He releases additional fluid with his bowel movements. His urates have been smaller (this would concern me if he didn’t have blood work done 3 weeks ago with normal kidney values).

 

[Drache613]

Hello,

I hope he is starting to feel better. You could try using some Bromelain
powder to help with the GI tract, it is oftentimes mixed in with some of
the traditional probiotics.
They do have a tendency to have excess fluids with their stools but if it's
excessive then that can definitely lead to dehydration also. That's good
he doesn't seem dehydrated now! Is his beard normal color?
Are you keeping him warmer overnight to help boost his immune system
while he isn't feeling well?
Let us know how he is doing.

Tracie

 

[SupportDragon]

Hello,

I hope he is starting to feel better. You could try using some Bromelain
powder to help with the GI tract, it is oftentimes mixed in with some of
the traditional probiotics.
They do have a tendency to have excess fluids with their stools but if it's
excessive then that can definitely lead to dehydration also. That's good
he doesn't seem dehydrated now! Is his beard normal color?
Are you keeping him warmer overnight to help boost his immune system
while he isn't feeling well?
Let us know how he is doing.

Tracie

The doctor has opted to close the pore completely because it already started to close itself. He’s going in next week for a dental and she’s going to remove any plugs and close the pore.
He’s also going on ponazuril for the coccidia this time because he’s already been on albon. He’s also starting ceftazidime again because the impaction puts him at risk of infection (if he doesn’t already have one). He’s starting Bene-Bac as a probiotic. He’s also doing 3 days of meloxicam because the impaction’s so painful for him.
He has a ceramic heater at nights to keep him warm and he sleeps right underneath it. He’s always had a ceramic heater for nights, though. What’s the max temp it should be at nights if he’s fighting an infection? I might be able to get him a higher wattage if it won’t be too warm.
His beard has been normal colored. He has been lighter than normal, but I think he’s about to shed (because fighting the infections wasn’t draining enough of his energy).

 

[AHBD]

Hi there, hope you don't mind that I chime in. Can you post a pic of his pore that you're worried about ? Just want to see what you're dealing with.
I'm sorry he's been dealing with so many health problems, hopefully the G.I trouble will be fixed soon. For night temps. while he's sick you can probably go about 78-80F.