Stress Breathing or RI? I'm really worried! Help!

[Pasakaina]

Hello.

My bearded dragon has a history of Respiratory infections. Right now, I'm treating her for some unknown infection. But not a respiratory infection. I'm treating her with 0.3 ml of SMZ-TMP every other day, and I have only one day left of the treatment. Three days after I began the treatment (about 2 weeks ago), I noticed heavy breathing in my dragon. Now two days ago, she started to close one eye often, and then, small, clear, flat, solid pieces of something started to appear, and they would stick to her eyelid. When she had the respiratory infection, there were many other symptoms that are now missing:
1) Excessive gaping
2) the closing of both eyes, one at a time, and then the shaking of her head
3) hiding
4) "pushing" with every breath.
5) green poop
6) Larger, yellow/green eye discharge
7) Other means of open-mouth breathing
8 ) Bubbles in mouth, excess saliva

Symptoms that are present:
1) heavy breathing (chest puffing out), though not as severe
2) closing eyes (but no shaking)
3) possible eye discharge, but is smaller, white, and in other ways different


Why am I worried?
I've actually given SMZ-TMP before (I administered it for a month), but I stored it incorrectly and I'm worried that antibiotic resistance was able to build up because of that.

 

[Drache613]

Hello,

Well, that sounds like some type of respiratory issue, but it could also be a sinus cavity infection too.
When giving antibiotics, they can cause desensitizing of the medication being effective.
You could check into using Tylan or Baytril to see if one of those would kick it.
Is she eating anything?
The green stool can be flagellates or protozoan issues. You could treat for those issues such as these can cause immune system problems & illness.
Is she losing weight?

Tracie

 

[Pasakaina]

UPDATE:

I stopped giving the antibiotics, and my bearded dragon is doing better! She is no longer closing her eyes. Her breathing has gotten a bit better. She is more active and alert, and the eye discharge is much less frequent. Could the respiratory infection-like symptoms be caused by the antibiotics?

Just to be clear: the long symptom list is of the symptoms that are NOT present. The shorter one lower down is of the PRESENT symptoms. I realize that I made it a bit confusing. Sorry .

 

[Menolly]

Hello,
I'm sorry that you have having such trouble with respiratory infection. I know what that's like and its never fun. Just curious, what kind of bulbs do you have and what are the temperatures like?

 

[Drache613]

Hello,

So, she is doing better now that you are not giving the SMZ-TMP now?
How are her stools?
The antibiotics can many times do more harm than good, depending on the situation.
Did you give her probiotics also to help clear out her system now?

I am happy to hear she is feeling better now.

Tracie

 

[Pasakaina]

Yes, I have probiotics, and yes, she's now doing better. She began exhibiting these some of these symptoms about 2 1/2 weeks ago, and started to close her eyes 5 days ago. Since I took her off the antibiotics, she's been doing better. She still closes her eyes in the evenings while basking, but I've noticed, actually, that both beardies begin to act like that in the last 2 or 3 hours before lights out time. She still can breath pretty heavily after handling, but when she sits in her tank she only barely moves her beard when breathing. I've developed a theory: her beard probably moves a bit when she breaths even when she's healthy. Her beard is much looser and kind of hangs down more than my other beardie's, who's beard is pretty tight. But, the breathing she's exhibiting at the moment doesn't seem like a "normal small amount".

The temps in her tank are varied, but the basking side temp is usually between 35-45 c. The cool side temps are usually in the mid 20s and early 30s. I use repti-sun tube bulbs, two, and at the moment each is about 2 months old. I change them every 6-8 months (depending on my budget at the time, but I try to do it every six when possible).

 

[Menolly]

No offense meant about the bulb, going through multiple respiratory infections myself with Ish, I found that my Arcadia probably wasn't strong enough. I ended up getting a tube as well which seems to have helped. I noticed that you said that when your beardie breathes, you notice the beard move. Mine typically did that when he was still having problems breathing, then again in our case he was a rare weirdo so I don't know if what I say applies to other bearded dragons.

 

[Pasakaina]

I wasn't offended. Sorry if it seemed that way .

I called my vet about this, and he said that it's possible that my beardie still has weak and/or damaged lungs because of the infection, and that the lungs will either heal eventually (in a "long, long, time"), or, my beardie will have a harder time breathing forever . Both of those, for me, seem better than another infection. And they're more likely because her breathing isn't getting worse. She's been breathing kind of heavily for almost a month now. She was doing pretty bad for half of last week. Then, she began doing better. Right now she's doing the same as she's been doing for 4 days or so. I've put her back on antibiotics for the time being; probably for another week as she's still losing weight quickly, unlike my other beardie.

Sorry about my bad English. It's not my first language .

 

[Menolly]

How is your bearded dragon doing?

We've had a year long battle with breathing issues and walking issues. However with lots of medications and a ridiculous amount of tests, he is breathing just fine for the most part. Is he still inhaling air? I genuinely know how frustrating it can be, by the time we figured out where it as most likely come from all the tests always came back negative.

 

[Drache613]

Hello,

How is she doing now, has she improved quite a bit?
What is her appetite like now?
At least her breathing is improved. Are you keeping her humidity down under 30% too?
It may take months for her lungs to completely heal. Hopefully they will be back to normal soon.

Tracie