Puffing up beard and stomach continuously.

[Beccajay]

Hi guys this morning I noticed my beardie was puffing up his beard and stomach. When he breathed out it's like a puff of air coming from him mouth. He'll do nothing for a moment then do it again.

My husband said he was also doing it yesterday after he cleared two nose plugs. We've only had his just a week and I'm very concerned.

The temperatures are fine and he's on carpet.

His food consists of small crickets and veg.

He's in the middle of shedding at the moment and is very grumpy.

Any idea what this could be? I checked inside his mouth and nothing is blocking his throat so I'm even more confused as to what it could be.

Thanks.

 

[AHBD]

Hi Becca....sometimes they puff out their body or beard to stretch the skin as they are shedding, but if he's making some gasping noises it might be the start of a respiratory infection. Make sure that his overnight temp. is around 80 for a while just in case so he can fight it off. Just watch and see how it goes.

 

[Beccajay]

Thank you so much. He stopped this morning after about half an hour if doing it. Has me really worried.

I'll leave his heat lamp on at night.

 

[AHBD]

So it stopped already ? He's probably fine. If you ever need extra heat at night you might want to get a ceramic heat emitter [ CHE ] they produce heat but no light. It's best not to keep their light on at night because it's hard for them to sleep.

 

[Drache613]

Hello,

I agree, it sounds like he is just puffing up & bearding. Is he possibly going to shed? If he cleared out his nose plugs then perhaps the rest of his head is going to shed.
They do a forced exhalation or snorting type of noise sometimes so I wouldn't worry too much.

Tracie

 

[Beccajay]

Thanks guys for your replies. I have him a bath last night and softened him up. He went into his viv and rubbed a lot of the skin off. He's still doing it every so often I think trying to get the she'd off from under his chin.

I had a red light. I know there not good for them but I left it on and allowed him to come out to fall asleep as he does every night since we got him, then placed him back in when he was asleep.

 

[Drache613]

Hello,

So he is not puffing himself out as much now?
You can also use a ceramic heat emitter instead of a red light so it doesn't disturb his sleeping.
Did he eat anything today? Let us know how he is doing.

Tracie

 

[Beccajay]

Hello,

So he is not puffing himself out as much now?
You can also use a ceramic heat emitter instead of a red light so it doesn't disturb his sleeping.
Did he eat anything today? Let us know how he is doing.

Tracie

He's stopped it yes. He's moved into arm waving and head bobbing yeaterday. He's also arm waving this morning but not puffing or making the popping noise today or yesterday.

He eat real good yesterday but this morning he's not interested in the crickets. Maybe cause he just woke up?

I managed to keep the temp at about 80 last night. He wasn't as happy when he woke up though. Usually he's running about. He's gone a little lazy. I took him out and placed him on the bed. He just ran straight back and into his viv and started basking and arm waving.

 

[Drache613]

Hello,

OH so now he is waving & bobbing at you? LOL
Usually it takes them a little while to wake up in the mornings, then to eat. When do you normally feed him?
At least he is basking happily also!
Let us know how he is doing.

Tracie

 

[Beccajay]

Hello,

OH so now he is waving & bobbing at you? LOL
Usually it takes them a little while to wake up in the mornings, then to eat. When do you normally feed him?
At least he is basking happily also!
Let us know how he is doing.

Tracie

Hiya. My husband got the polystyrene that was the background for the back of the viv and cut it down and placed it on the side he was mostly bobbing at. He's stopped bobbing and waving now and he seems really happy. Although when he was out he bobbed at my husband a few times but he's not done it since.

He's eating greens like there's no tomorrow. He will lick the cricket then seem to run away in disgust. We normally feed him a little bit in the morning and then some towards like 3-5ish.

He black bearded a couple times yesterday but his stomach was still white which was confusing as well. He's only 3 months old so don't know if he's experimenting with it?

Thanks for your reply.

Becca.

Edit : as soon as I took him out today my husband tried to pet him and he started head bobbing at him immediatly then ran over to me.

 

[Drache613]

Hello,

That sounds like pretty normal behavior for that age. He head bobs at your husband? Will he let him pet him at all? Does your husband wear really bright colors or wear a strong cologne or aftershave?
He should adjust with him so definitely keep trying.
I am glad to hear he is eating his greens but hopefully he will start eating his crickets more also.
If his belly is white in color then he really isn't stressed. Putting up a block seemed to have helped some. He may have been seeing his reflection in the glass of the tank, too.

Tracie

 

[Beccajay]

Hello,

That sounds like pretty normal behavior for that age. He head bobs at your husband? Will he let him pet him at all? Does your husband wear really bright colors or wear a strong cologne or aftershave?
He should adjust with him so definitely keep trying.
I am glad to hear he is eating his greens but hopefully he will start eating his crickets more also.
If his belly is white in color then he really isn't stressed. Putting up a block seemed to have helped some. He may have been seeing his reflection in the glass of the tank, too.

Tracie

Thank for your reply.

No usually my husband wears mostly black tshirt. It's strange because when it gets late and we dim his lights he'll come out of his tank. (We leave the door open on one side) he'll settle on my husband rather than me. No strong aftershave or anything like that no. And he's gone a bit finicky at the moment with both of us only when he is inside his tank. If he chose a to come out by his free will he's fine.

He eat one cricket today. Ran to the other side of the tank and looked really disappointed. Lol. Is it okay to dust the veg with cal powder?

We also got him vitamin jelly which he likes to lick.

Thanks for your time.
Bec.

 

[Drache613]

Hello Bec,

Yes, you can definitely add the calcium powder/dust to his veggies, too if he isn't eating that many crickets. Did he not like the crickets then?
Maybe he just needs a bit more adjustment & wants to come out of his tank on his terms. He should start to calm down soon I would think. Just keep trying & working with him.
Oh he will settle down on your husband to go to sleep or just relax?

Let us know how he is doing!

Tracie

 

[Beccajay]

Hello Bec,

Yes, you can definitely add the calcium powder/dust to his veggies, too if he isn't eating that many crickets. Did he not like the crickets then?
Maybe he just needs a bit more adjustment & wants to come out of his tank on his terms. He should start to calm down soon I would think. Just keep trying & working with him.
Oh he will settle down on your husband to go to sleep or just relax?

Let us know how he is doing!

Tracie

Hiya. He started to do the puffing his stomach and beard again. He did it for about an hour continuously. Then all of a sudden went back to normal.

He had about 10 locusts yesterday which straight after seemed to stress him out and he became dark. He eat a bunch if greens today and seemed happy again. Then all of a sudden started the beard puff and stomach puff after his lights were turned off in his tank.

I'm not sure if it's a shedding thing again? His tail had gone dull and his back legs are dull also. There seems to be a patch under his beard where the scales and looking a little strange too. Maybe it was to try and loosen the skin under his chin?

I'm getting kind of worried now. But it's strange as soon as we give him attention again he goes back to normal.

Thanks for your time.

Bec.

 

[Drache613]

Hello,

Oh it sounds like he is going to shed a little bit again so he is likely stretching his skin out. Plus, I think he is figuring out a way to gain more attention from you.....
They pull their shenanigans for more attention so you will either get them out to play or pet them more. It is very common, they are super smart.
It sounds like he is eating quite well also!

Let us know how he is doing.

Tracie