Right nostril is blocked?

[beardielove10]

I was carrying Sheldon around on my shoulder when I heard him making sniffling sounds. He seems to be breathing heavier than normal, pushing air in and out of his beard. His right nostril seems to be swollen shut. He can open the flap slowly to breathe but then it shuts and blocks the whole nostril again. His normal nostril doesn't "open and shut" like that. Also, his eyes have both been watering all morning and I have to wipe his eyes. He seems to have normal energy.

I am going to show you a picture of his "good" nostril which is his left one, and his blocked nostril. By the looks of it, anyone know what's going on and what I should do?

Good/Normal Nostril:


Blocked/Swollen Nostril:

 

[Drache613]

Hello,

It looks like his nostril needs to shed. Has his face/mouth area shed recently & the skin around the nostril broke too early?
I would try giving a bath & that can help to soften up any stubborn retained shed there. You could use a swab to help loosen it but, be careful not to pull or force it out. It could tear the skin inside if it came out too early.

Tracie

 

[beardielove10]

That's the weird thing is that he has not shed recently and doesn't show any signs of discoloration to shed. I gave him a warm bath, and it is still the same. I tried the q tip, and it just pushes in a bit but doesn't come out. So I tried to lightly pull it with tweezers and Sheldon swatted my finger with his paw. So, I knew it hurt him so I stopped and let it be. Does it look like something I need to take him to the vet for?

 

[Drache613]

Hello,

That is very interesting! It definitely hurt him if he was swatting your hand away. Poor guy.
He has not had any symptoms of a respiratory issue, correct?
I don't think you need to take him to the vet just yet about it. Try using some coconut or olive oil lightly from a swab to gently coat the outside of it to help with a little bit of moisture. It does look somewhat discolored so it appears he has a nose plug blocking his nostril.

Tracie

 

[beardielove10]

Okay, I will give it a shot tonight. He just has been breathing more heavily than normal and making sniffling sounds here and there. The other morning his eyes were watering but I haven't noticed it since. I'm worried about him

 

[Drache613]

Hello,

If he is showing some signs of a respiratory issue, then taking him into the vet would be a good idea.
What are the temperatures of his tank?
I would recommend keeping the temperatures around 80 overnight to help with the immune system right now. You mentioned that his eyes were watering? Has there been any symptoms such as mucous in the mouth or nose?

Let us know how he is doing.

Tracie

 

[beardielove10]

I am bringing Sheldon into the vet today to find out what's wrong. Last night as he laid on my chest to fall asleep, he was struggling to breathe by breathing very heavily and sniffling. I will keep you updated on what I find out. On the phone, the vet said it could be something as serious as heart disease! :shock: I about cried right there. Just thought I would be better safe than sorry and bring him in. Wish us luck! My poor baby boy

 

[CooperDragon]

Good luck! It could just be inflammation from a mouth or respiratory infection which is treatable. Dundee's nose is blocked like that too. It's from an infection he is fighting which has caused the soft tissue around his nose to become inflamed. I hope that whatever is bothering Sheldon is easily treatable.

 

[beardielove10]

So, as of right now, they drew blood from Sheldon and we are waiting for the results. The vet wants to see if there is an infection going on that she can't see, and if the blood comes back normal, she wants to do x-rays. She thinks maybe he has inflammation or something going on in his sinuses. When I got into the lobby, Sheldon started having a hyperventilation episode and everyone could hear him. So, they told me to wait a few minutes and they would grab the vet again. By the time the vet finally got out there, she didn't have anything new to say. Just have to wait and see what the tests show :? She is a vet that specializes in exotics and has had Beardies of her own. I am just worried and want to get answers as to what's wrong with my baby

 

[Drache613]

Hello,

Poor Sheldon, maybe he was just worked up from being at the vets. He probably didn't like having blood drawn, it doesn't feel too good.
How is he doing tonight?
Hopefully it is just a simple infection that will clear up easily with an antibiotic.
Has he been eating pretty good recently?

Let us know how the blood tests come back & how he is doing!

Tracie

 

[beardielove10]

So, the vet called today and said that the blood results came back normal. But, she thinks that he may have an abscess in his sinuses. She said we could do x-rays, but she thinks it may be better to try a 10 day regimen of baytril (I think that's what she called it) antibiotic by mouth and see if he gets any better. If not, then we will do x-rays. I asked her about doing a probiotic and she said it helps in mammals but not so much in reptiles. Is that true? What do you guys think of doing the baytril for ten days and seeing if that works vs. just doing x-rays now?

 

[CooperDragon]

I'm not sure why she is holding off on x-rays. They aren't very intrusive or expensive. If you put him on Baytril, I do suggest using a probiotic. They have probiotics designed for birds and reptiles. I've used bene-bac for birds and reptiles in the past and it seems to work well.

 

[beardielove10]

The x-rays are $150 dollars. So you think I should just do x rays instead of antibiotics first?

 

[CooperDragon]

Oh wow, OK. That's more than I thought. I think my vet uses dental x-rays which are a bit cheaper (around $90 if I recall correctly). I'd defer to the judgement of your vet. If she wants to try antibiotics first, I'd go with that. I'd give him some bene-bac during and for a while after treatment though.

 

[beardielove10]

Okay, I am giving him the baytril once a day for 10 days. Where do I get been-bac? Is that the best probiotic to give him?