So I've noticed that my 4-year-old beardie's beard got kinda large/swollen a few days ago and stayed like that so I'm kinda worried. Can anyone tell me what might be causing it and if I should take her to the vet?
Hi there, sometimes it just develops in mature, well fed dragons and is normal. Just watch that she doesn't have any food stuck back there [ if she opens her mouth ] and watch that she doesn't have a problem breathing. It's usually not a problem but sometimes can be a sign of an R.I., especially if you see excess saliva, gaping, coughing, etc.
Hi there, sometimes it just develops in mature, well fed dragons and is normal. Just watch that she doesn't have any food stuck back there [ if she opens her mouth ] and watch that she doesn't have a problem breathing. It's usually not a problem but sometimes can be a sign of an R.I., especially if you see excess saliva, gaping, coughing, etc.
Thank you! I'm a bit calmer now. She did have a piece of red chicory stuck in her throat but I don't see it anymore so I think it's gone. She only opens her mouth when she's basking, but sometimes her mouth is slightly (like 1 mm) open for no reason but she's been doing this for a while now so I'm not that concerned. Anyways, thank you again for your reply, it really helped out!
You're welcome ! BTW, I noticed that you keep her on the wood chips so if she had one in her throat that's a definite reason to change her substrate ASAP. You can use a sand/topsoil mix which is very safe and passes right through if accidentally ingested. My beardies have been kept that way and none ever had a problem. Other owners keep beardies on tile but I personally don't like it, I think it hurts their joints over time. But get rid of the wood chips for sure.
Yeah, about that, that was the only substrate the store where I buy supplies for my reptiles had atm but I will definitely change it. Personally, I'm not a fan of loose particle substrates because they are annoying to clean and get everywhere so I'll probably try to keep her on tiles but if I notice that she doesn't like it I will check other options.