Going Rigid after swimming?

[SammyT]

I just finished introducing my 2 month old (Dante) to swimming. I kept my hand nearby, but once he got going he didn't seem like he was trying for help, he seemed more interested in trying to swim through the side of the tub. The part I thought was weird is that after ~15 sec of that, he just stopped moving altogether and floated like he was dead. I scooped him up quick, beause I'm overprotective, and when I did his arms stayed out sideways and didn't even touch my hand. I stroked him a few times, and after an hour (prob more like 10 sec) he turned back into his normal self. I put him back on his basking spot, and he's been sitting there looking normal since. Anyone know what that's about or had a similar experience?

 

[Venom508]

how was the water. too hot too cold might do that??

 

[SammyT]

Little warmer than room temp, not as warm as his basking spot.

 

[Venom508]

mabe he just pulled somthing how is he now??

 

[SammyT]

Still looks good, active/responsive. Gunna head to bed, I'll status update when I wake up.

 

[Tigg]

You can use pretty warm water... about 100* or about at warm as you would bath a human baby in. Use your wrist to judge... if it burns you even in the slightest, it's too hot.

The trying to swim through the tub is normal for people with white tubs (which I am assuming yours is) It's been said that reptiles do not register anything coloured white (I don't believe this has been proven to date though) It's not a bad idea to lay a dark coloured towel or cloth in the bath for them to sit on, even drape a towel over the ledge into the tub so he can climb out when he's had enough swimming.


The puffing up and floating is 100% normal. This is how they relax in the water, As he get more comfortable with the tub you will notice him doing this, closing his eyes and drifting in and out of ZZZ's. Always important to supervise their baths no matter the age, as they can some times fall into a deep sleep and roll head first under water.

The stiffness after the bath I would say is just due to him being new to puffing up in the water, perhaps he didn't want to let the air out, or even just forgot to. nothing to worry about.

 

[causeascene203]

Just wanted to second Tigg's comments.

Sounds like very normal bathtime behavior.

 

[SammyT]

Sorry it's been a while. He's still doing well, and the local shop also confirmed it's relatively normal. I believe all is well, except for maybe him being such a fatty. =P>

 

[Seven65]

I don't think it's a temperature issue I belive it is stress related. Nef used to have the same problem. He was terrified of baths and would run frantically and flail around actually doing back flips and then would finally go limp with his eyes closed and stop breathing as if he were dead, then wake up 30 seconds to a couple min later as if nothing had happened. The first time it really scared me and I though but then I noticed he seemed to do it every time he had a bath.

I found a solution with him, I tried the towel under him but that didn't work for me. What did was letting him sit on my hand while he's in the bath and it calmed him right down. Over time I gradually give him less to hold on to until he's just holding onto a finger. This has worked great for me the last time I gave him a bath I swear he actually enjoyed it, he was casually swimming and splashing around, he started to panic a couple times but I'd just give him my hand again and he'd calm down.

Hope that helps.

 

[Neromom39]

Out of al three of our dragons, only our little female does this and I swear she looks like a little balloon :shock: After she is completely inflated and her hind legs are floating she then proceeds to move her tail back and forth like a gator... at first I thought she was swimming. I would sing to her "Swim, swim, swim". (of course this would prompt the never-ending stink eye she gives me :roll: ). Come to find out, the "gator move" is her way of "movin' the poop", because after about 5 minutes of this... POOP! :mrgreen: