Gaping? good or bad thing

[CashMyCheck]

I have had my dragon Zillard for over a month now and I have only seen him gaping/ or venting two times. I know that too much gaping could be bad, but it is necessary for him to vent in order to be healthy? Granted I don't watch him 24/7, he could do it all the time while im not looking.

I always see the dragons at the petstore doing it does it mean they are too hot in there? my basking temp is 105-110

 

[brittani299]

If it is happening while they are basking it is thermoregulation. It is like them sweating. If they get too hot they will move to the cool side

 

[TickTock]

If they are sitting there basking with an open mouth than that is fine. This is how beardies "Sweat". It's normal behaviour and a good sign for you that you are keeping good husbandry as your animal is expression normal self behaviour

My dragons do it all the time, it's hilarious cause they have this "herpy derp" facial expression to them :lol:

If they're feeling too hot they will move to the cool side like the previous poster said. Keep an eye on them on when they gape, if your dragon is doing it on the cool side as well it could be one or two things

Either the whole terrarium has too much heat; in this case look into your equipment, bulb wattage, ventilations...etc

OR

Your dragon could be experience some respiratory infection and is therefore breathing through the mouth rather the nostril. In this case take your dragon to your vetrinarian ASAP as this is serious.

Don't worry too much about it, I'm sure your beardie is fine

 

[CashMyCheck]

Thanks my worry is that he has not been gaping lately. I keep his basking spot at 105-110, cool side is 80 . So i guess hes not hot enough to sweat , but i just took him to the vet last week and they told me he was dehydrated!? I bathe him everyday, so something just doesnt add up

 

[brittani299]

How long do you bath him for?

 

[CashMyCheck]

I try for 10-15 minutes but sometimes he gets too fussy so I have to cut it short. Since the vet visit I added a water dish too his viv which he soaks himself in sometimes and drinks from, and it doesn't raise the humidity too much

 

[brittani299]

That is kinda weird. Does he like greens? I know they have a bunch of water in them. Mine get water from the greens and the bath

 

[hyperc]

Not to jack a thread ,but mine gaps when I first get him outta his cage most of the time what up with that? Is he just releasing his heat?

 

[brittani299]

My male with gasp at me when I first put my hand in the cage because he doesn't really liked to be picked up. But once I get him he is fine