Respiratory infection behavior? Or grumpy lizard?

[Arivgonza]

Hello,
This is my first post on this site! I have an almost 5 y/o beardie who has mainly only had issues with pooing regularly (he's finally regular now!). I started to notice that he might be demonstrating early signs of MBD due to some leg shaking and sleeping with his legs bent in odd positions. I purchased an additional heat and reptisun UVB light along with calcium to address this possible issue and he was outside going for a walk today to get some natural sunlight. He's always been an incredibly picky eater. He is now only eating wax worms and kale which isn't the ideal diet but I spoil him and I'm worried it's what's causing these MBD symptoms because he's not getting enough calcium and too much phosphorus. We shall see how the lights and supplements help.

ANYWAYS- I'm worried (constantly) that something else may be going on with him. When I give him baths he puffs his beard out and makes weird almost hissing sounds through this nose. You can also hear his beard expanding. He's not aggressive nor does his beard turn black, it just seems that he's distressed (he hates the bath). The only other time he acts this way is when he's distressed in a different way IE today on his walk he was trying to sprint all over the place and when I picked him up he was puffing his throat in and out. I can't tell if he's just being grumpy with me or if he's having a hard time breathing. He's never ever been aggressive or shown me his beard in the 5 years I've had him but I guess it's possible he's developing some attitude? Again, he does the throat thing with weird noises every time he has a bath and he does it after I pick him up if he's been running around like a maniac. Otherwise, that throat/beard expansion is only seen sometimes when he's under the basking light which I've read is normal. Any advice ? From anyone who has a beardie that has done similar or that has had a RI?

Thanks!!

 

[kingofnobbys]

I'd be more worried about the possibility of fatty liver desease based on his diet of wax worms.

How long has he been into the junkfood ?

If he had an RI I think you'd know it.

 

[Mysty]

Only worry about RI if that behaviour is continuous throughout the day. Looks like he's telling you how unpleased he is with being bathed.

Re diet, please offer the staple foods. He may refuse them for a while but that's ok. He must eventually give in.

 

[Arivgonza]

Thank you both! He has been eating his junk food for awhile now. I trick him sometimes and slip in a different worm in the middle of eating wax worms. I've been offering mustard greens for quite some time and he hasn't been touching them, maybe just a little bit. I'm going to continue with the mustard greens. He won't hunt crickets so they end up all over his cage (he used to love them, same with superworms-it's like he's grown tired of both and now he's onto the wax worms). What other foods do you suggest I try? I've done plenty of research and as far as proteins, he won't touch the calci-worms either. He basically loves the fatty worms and just let's all other insects roam his cage until I dispose of them. I think if I continue with mustard greens he will give in. I could try collard greens again as well. I saw a video last night posted on IG of a very cute lizard doing the throat thing I described and his owner called it "chatting" and says he does it when he wants or doesn't want something so I'm hoping my beardie is just grumpy with me during baths etc.

Thanks again!

 

[Arivgonza]

Oh- one more weird eating habit of his. Sometimes I'll catch him early in the morning eating his crunch greens from the day before. I come in and switch them immediately but he's much more interested in the old crunchy greens! Yuck.