Help!! Bearded dragon hissing in air? Maybe wheezing?

[beanplant]

Hi Ive had my beardie for a bit over a year now and he has been more then healthy. He would eat appropriately and eat his greens with no problem. However back in September I recently moved to a new apartment and he stopped eating his greens. He would however still eat his bugs, be active, alert and aside from lounging in his hideaway on occasion he seemed normal. However he wouldn't go to the bathroom except in the the bathtub.

This aside his bowl movements look normal and solid, so no issues there, but the real issue is that recently every time I've picked him up he has sucked in air, it sounds like a hiss but it's not since his mouth is closed and he isn't showing any signs of aggression.

I just got finished giving a bath tonight and he went to the bathroom, and the weird raspy breath, almost wheeze was much more frequent after the bath and this time when he did it he puffed out his beard numerous times.

I worry he isn't getting any water due to the lack of eating veggies and he never drinks water when I drip it on his nose. Other then what's mentioned he still is interactive and alert and comes out to bask during the day. Is there anything that might be wrong with him or do I just have an off beard. He always has been a bit odd in personality.

His basking temp is 90-95 and his cool side is 70-80. I live in California in NorCal so there is no humidity issues here. He eats, horn worms, super worms, crickets, reptiworms and phoenix worms, a variety depending on what I can afford for the week.

Please give me advice or your opinion on what might be wrong.

 

[Drache613]

Hello,

Could he have ingested water down the wrong way? That type of behavior sounds like he was trying to clear out his throat by puffing his beard out several times.
Are you using a UVB light & if so what type & brand do you use?
Do you use calcium supplementation several times per week too for him?
The basking temperatures need to be a bit higher, 95-110 range with the cooler end around 78-82 or so. Are you using a digital probe or temp gun to measure the temperatures?
It sounds like he could be just slowing down a bit due to the season which is normal. It is typical for them to stop eating greens/veggies when brumating or slowing down & want just protein.
Is he maintaining his weight also?

Tracie

 

[beanplant]

From what I can tell his weight is fine and calcium supplements, no go. However he stopped eating his veggies back in September, would it really continue this long?

He would also do the weird breath noise when I pick him up and sometimes when he would be sitting on my shoulder. As for water, he usually gets it from his food and I have never seen him drink water freely.

 

[Drache613]

Hello,

He isn't getting any calcium right now?
They can brumate for several months, sure. If he just isn't acting quite right, even if he isn't losing weight, a fecal might be a good idea to be sure he doesn't have worms/parasites right now.
Which UVB light are you using right now?

Tracie

 

[beanplant]

He is getting calcium through a nutritional dusting and his bugs.

The brand light right now is a 100wt National Geographic bulb. Before this one it was a zoo med basking bulb 75wtt, so I'm seeing the 100wtt is going to give him more heat. Also I was using a digital thermometer.

 

[Menolly]

Can you be more specific about the brand? Does that bulb produce both UV and UVB? How many lights do you have in the cage?

 

[Drache613]

Hello,

That bulb wont be a UVB light, just basking so it wont produce enough UVB.
You will need to get either a Reptisun 10 tube or an Arcadia D3 12% tube, either one to use along with that bulb for the UVB source.
As long as he is getting the calcium several times a week that should be sufficient.
Let us know how he is doing.

Tracie