Gulping? Opening mouth at me? Help :(

[Haylee]

I’m fairly new to owning a beardie. My 13 year old daughter is really the one who takes care of Ruka, although he is a family pet. So after school today my daughter decided to give Ruka a bath because he is shedding. I think she may have put to much water (although it was only a fingers width) because Ruka started drinking it. Then he tried to escape, we thought he was just being silly untill she picked him up and he kept opening his mouth at us. Then he started doing this gulping thing which really freaked me out. It looked like his beard was puffed out (he never does this, still pretty young) and his beard looked darker. Immediately I start googling and that was a mistake bc now I’m REALLY freaked out. Someone please tell me this is normal!!!

 

[Jessica Booth]

I’m fairly new to owning a beardie. My 13 year old daughter is really the one who takes care of Ruka, although he is a family pet. So after school today my daughter decided to give Ruka a bath because he is shedding. I think she may have put to much water (although it was only a fingers width) because Ruka started drinking it. Then he tried to escape, we thought he was just being silly untill she picked him up and he kept opening his mouth at us. Then he started doing this gulping thing which really freaked me out. It looked like his beard was puffed out (he never does this, still pretty young) and his beard looked darker. Immediately I start googling and that was a mistake bc now I’m REALLY freaked out. Someone please tell me this is normal!!!

When our beardie gets mad she puffs her beard out & it turns black. I've never heard her make the gulping sound you have described but it is normal to puff the beard out when stressed/upset. Here's a picture of Hope right before she got upset when we took her outside for a walk for the 1st time and a picture during/after.

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[Haylee]

She is so cute! Love the leash/harness!!

So when I said gulping I really meant excessive swallowing. No noise. I think the bath scared her. But the more I’ve been reading, there’s a lot I need to fix in her tank.

When our beardie gets mad she puffs her beard out & it turns black. I've never heard her make the gulping sound you have described but it is normal to puff the beard out when stressed/upset. Here's a picture of Hope right before she got upset when we took her outside for a walk for the 1st time and a picture during/after.

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[Hdrydr31]

I’m fairly new to owning a beardie. My 13 year old daughter is really the one who takes care of Ruka, although he is a family pet. So after school today my daughter decided to give Ruka a bath because he is shedding. I think she may have put to much water (although it was only a fingers width) because Ruka started drinking it. Then he tried to escape, we thought he was just being silly untill she picked him up and he kept opening his mouth at us. Then he started doing this gulping thing which really freaked me out. It looked like his beard was puffed out (he never does this, still pretty young) and his beard looked darker. Immediately I start googling and that was a mistake bc now I’m REALLY freaked out. Someone please tell me this is normal!!!

How is your dragon now?? gulping is pretty normal action for them, what you need to be on the watch for when they are in the bath is if they take in too much water and you can see it bubbling out of their nostrils/mouth..If you see that and can hear breathing changes/noises then you need to take your dragon in your hand and point their head downwards (not straight up and down but angled downwards for water to drain out mouth) and start patting them on the back..you keep doing this until no more water comes out and you don't hear it.. you also need to seek out a vet as they can develop a upper respiratory issue.
PatsyB can comment more on this as unfortunately she has had to do this...

 

[Haylee]

Thank you for answering., I am really freaking out. This morning I went in there and it seems like just my presence startled him. He was sleeping , all I did was walk in and he jumped and puffed. This has NEVER happened before. He is the most friendly, laid back lil’ guy. I did a lot of research and I’m really worried it’s respiratory. He had a bowl of water in his tank that I took out last night. Everywhere I read about dragons it says no water bowl. Oops. I’ve actually learned of many mistakes we have made. The heating pad- everyone says toss it? But he sleeps on it every night! Maybe he is telling us he is cold? Or maybe he got bit by the crickets? I was hoping the swallowing was normal and today he would be fine... Maybe it’s a combination of things and he is annoyed? I will keep an eye on him and update soon. Thanks for the advice!

How is your dragon now?? gulping is pretty normal action for them, what you need to be on the watch for when they are in the bath is if they take in too much water and you can see it bubbling out of their nostrils/mouth..If you see that and can hear breathing changes/noises then you need to take your dragon in your hand and point their head downwards (not straight up and down but angled downwards for water to drain out mouth) and start patting them on the back..you keep doing this until no more water comes out and you don't hear it.. you also need to seek out a vet as they can develop a upper respiratory issue.
PatsyB can comment more on this as unfortunately she has had to do this...

 

[Haylee]

Also if it was from drinking too much bath water and I didn’t know to point his head down or pat him, will this automatically develop into an infection or could he be ok on his own? There were no bubbles from his nose. And I didn’t hear anything.

How is your dragon now?? gulping is pretty normal action for them, what you need to be on the watch for when they are in the bath is if they take in too much water and you can see it bubbling out of their nostrils/mouth..If you see that and can hear breathing changes/noises then you need to take your dragon in your hand and point their head downwards (not straight up and down but angled downwards for water to drain out mouth) and start patting them on the back..you keep doing this until no more water comes out and you don't hear it.. you also need to seek out a vet as they can develop a upper respiratory issue.
PatsyB can comment more on this as unfortunately she has had to do this...

 

[Haylee]

Under his eye looks purple? (In pic above).
Maybe we are over reacting? At first I thought the mouth opening was cute. Here is a short vid. Notice his stiff tail and dark beard. This is just a clip, but he did this over and over after drinking the bath water. Haven’t noticed it today. Does he look sick/mad? Ok first the vid was too big and now it says uploaded file has wrong extension. I’ll take screen shots of the video.

Does his beard look puffed and dark to you?

It’s hard to get a screen shot from the video of him gulping, here’s the best I could get-

 

[Hdrydr31]

Dont worry we all started somewhere..we've all made our mistakes that's why we are here.
Yes take the heat pad out, they don't have nerves on their bellies so they can burn themselves. You can put a little fleece in there many of us do myself included for them to sleep on. They need the temp drop for their bodies to kind of re set. As long as the tank doesn't get below 65F they will be just fine.
You likely startled him if he was sleepy.
Yes no need for the water dish in the tank it can raise the humidity in the tank.
If he didnt get any water into his lungs he should be fine, if see him change in the way he typically is then I would find a exotic vet.

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[Hdrydr31]

How old is he? He looks young. How much and what is he eating?

View attachment 18526 Under his eye looks purple? (In pic above).
Maybe we are over reacting? At first I thought the mouth opening was cute. Here is a short vid. Notice his stiff tail and dark beard. This is just a clip, but he did this over and over after drinking the bath water. Haven’t noticed it today. Does he look sick/mad? Ok first the vid was too big and now it says uploaded file has wrong extension. I’ll take screen shots of the video.

Does his beard look puffed and dark to you? View attachment 18527
It’s hard to get a screen shot from the video of him gulping, here’s the best I could get-
View attachment 18530

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[Haylee]

Thank you. Did you see the pics I posted? Does he look sick to you?

 

[Haylee]

He is about 10 months old. He usually has a very good appetite. Normally collard greens, cilantro, bock choy, sometimes small slices of apple, meal worms or roaches daily, HOWEVER, a few days ago we bought crickets. We put them in his tank, which I am finding was a mistake. Maybe they bit him and he is angry? I just tossed them out. Back to meal worms.

How old is he? He looks young. How much and what is he eating?

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[Hdrydr31]

He looks tired, they will gap (mouth open) but a normally when they are basking and it means they like the temp they dont sweat so that's how they regulate their body temp.
I would do more roaches than mealworms as mealworms contain chitin in their shells making them hard to digest.
Give him a day or two and see how he is...

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[Haylee]

I switched his tank around, got rid of the crickets and the water bowl. He seems better. I will continue watching him closely. Thanks for your help!

 

[BeardedHippy]

get morio worms instead of meal worms. They look like big mealies but they have a much softer outer shell and are much better for your dragon. Im with you on the crickets, nasty smelly horrible bitey things they are and they are really good at hiding. Roaches are the best food, worms should be given as a treat as they are very fatty. Your dragon looks really healthy, I think you are doing well.

 

[PatsyB]

Have you had him the whole 10 months? What kind of UVB bulb are you using? Also make sure he's eating as many bugs as he wants in about a 10 min period.

Baths are something that are really only useful if they are dirty or to help them shed. If they drink the bath water that is good too but they should be getting their hydration from the bugs and veggies that they eat. Their body is amazing and is able to extract water out of the tiniest things. I have a girl that no matter how deep the water is in her bath, she manages to aspirate it. She doesn't even have to drink it and somehow she manages to get it in her lungs!

 

[Honchess]

I'm glad you are devoted to being a good dragon parent! So many times they get dumped in a cage or tank and have dried crickets tossed in once in a while. They are treated like an interesting topic of conversation, a novelty, rather than a live creature.

Anyway, my dragon likes her soaks and I give her one regularly. It helps to loosen the dried skin and, I've been told, helps to keep them hydrated. .Never have the water above the joint in her front legs and be careful of the temperature. It shouldn't be any higher than luke-warm to your hand. Yes, sometimes my General does drink her bath water. Grosses ME out but she likes it anyway.

Also get rid of the heating pad! And no 'hot rocks' either! As one responder said, it WILL burn their bellies. Their internal temp regulation doesn't work like ours does, Get a UV basking bulb that gives off UV rays and warmth and a ceramic heat emitter bulb. My UV light goes off at 7:30 or 8:00 and back on 12 hours later, give or take. I use the ceramic heat emitter to maintain temperature 24/7. A temperature gun is handy. You can point it at any section of the tank (even your dragon ) and the temp there will read on your gun. I used it A LOT when I first got my General. Your dragon should have a warm end of the tank and a cooler one. I situate the UV basking bulb over one end and the ceramic heat emitter kind of centered. (Do you have a glass tank for yours? An enclosed cage is best for maintaining constant temp. Wire cages allow drafts and temperature changes.) Someone said the temp shouldn't go below 65 but that worries me. I keep the General no lower than 78, usually 85 or 90. Her basking area should be well above that--like 100 or slightly higher. If she gets too warm (it seems like the temp nerves are on her topside, I don't know.) she can move to the cooler end of her tank.
Good luck. And again, thanks for worrying about the best for your dragon!

 

[Honchess]

Also, just so you don't panic when it happens.....
Eventually your dragon will probably go in his hide and not come out! Oh Boy! Did THAT scare me a few months after I rescued the General!
Read up on the bearded dragon's brumation periods and know he will just go in his hide and 'sleep' for a while--several weeks sometimes. He is young so it probably will be a while, but don't panic and let us know when it happens! Don't be scared though, it is perfectly natural.

 

[Hdrydr31]

I'm glad you are devoted to being a good dragon parent! So many times they get dumped in a cage or tank and have dried crickets tossed in once in a while. They are treated like an interesting topic of conversation, a novelty, rather than a live creature.

Anyway, my dragon likes her soaks and I give her one regularly. It helps to loosen the dried skin and, I've been told, helps to keep them hydrated. .Never have the water above the joint in her front legs and be careful of the temperature. It shouldn't be any higher than luke-warm to your hand. Yes, sometimes my General does drink her bath water. Grosses ME out but she likes it anyway.

Also get rid of the heating pad! And no 'hot rocks' either! As one responder said, it WILL burn their bellies. Their internal temp regulation doesn't work like ours does, Get a UV basking bulb that gives off UV rays and warmth and a ceramic heat emitter bulb. My UV light goes off at 7:30 or 8:00 and back on 12 hours later, give or take. I use the ceramic heat emitter to maintain temperature 24/7. A temperature gun is handy. You can point it at any section of the tank (even your dragon ) and the temp there will read on your gun. I used it A LOT when I first got my General. Your dragon should have a warm end of the tank and a cooler one. I situate the UV basking bulb over one end and the ceramic heat emitter kind of centered. (Do you have a glass tank for yours? An enclosed cage is best for maintaining constant temp. Wire cages allow drafts and temperature changes.) Someone said the temp shouldn't go below 65 but that worries me. I keep the General no lower than 78, usually 85 or 90. Her basking area should be well above that--like 100 or slightly higher. If she gets too warm (it seems like the temp nerves are on her topside, I don't know.) she can move to the cooler end of her tank.
Good luck. And again, thanks for worrying about the best for your dragon!

Just clearing up on what you mean on the bathing.. They ONLY get hydrated if they actually drink the water. Some advice is still going around that they absorb water through their vent which has been proven to be false..

Having the basking bulb over lapping with the UVB bulb will be all that typically is needed during the day. You may need to try different wattages to find which one gets the temps your needing, and this will vary from season to season and your household temps. They actually really do need the big temp drop at night as this gives their bodies a chance to kind of "re boot" and re coup from the day allowing them to get deep sleep. They can tolerate temps down to 65F but I typically get mine down to 70F. I know @PatsyB she has more specifics on this.. Now if you do have low temps in the winter having a CHE is for sure needed to bring it up to a safer over night temp.

 

[Hdrydr31]

Also, just so you don't panic when it happens.....
Eventually your dragon will probably go in his hide and not come out! Oh Boy! Did THAT scare me a few months after I rescued the General!
Read up on the bearded dragon's brumation periods and know he will just go in his hide and 'sleep' for a while--several weeks sometimes. He is young so it probably will be a while, but don't panic and let us know when it happens! Don't be scared though, it is perfectly natural.

Brumation is soo different from dragon to dragon and some don't even brumate which is crazy.. Don't be alarmed if once your dragon does start doing this some have been known to brumate for 6 months!! SOO glad mine dont do that to me.. It is typically 1-3 months in duration and some just go a couple weeks down then up then down and so on..
But what is super important is getting your dragon checked out by your exotic vet including a fecal to make sure that they are healthy and free from parasites before going down. And making sure that they have pooped and are free of food in their system so it doesn't rot inside when their body systems slow down. Then in spring when they wake get them checked again... This is very important as dragons that are not healthy going into this process and or has parasites can and have been known to sadly not wake..

 

[Honchess]

Just clearing up on what you mean on the bathing.. They ONLY get hydrated if they actually drink the water. Some advice is still going around that they absorb water through their vent which has been proven to be false..

Having the basking bulb over lapping with the UVB bulb will be all that typically is needed during the day. You may need to try different wattages to find which one gets the temps your needing, and this will vary from season to season and your household temps. They actually really do need the big temp drop at night as this gives their bodies a chance to kind of "re boot" and re coup from the day allowing them to get deep sleep. They can tolerate temps down to 65F but I typically get mine down to 70F. I know @PatsyB she has more specifics on this.. Now if you do have low temps in the winter having a CHE is for sure needed to bring it up to a safer over night temp.

Just clearing up on what you mean on the bathing.. They ONLY get hydrated if they actually drink the water. Some advice is still going around that they absorb water through their vent which has been proven to be false..

Having the basking bulb over lapping with the UVB bulb will be all that typically is needed during the day. You may need to try different wattages to find which one gets the temps your needing, and this will vary from season to season and your household temps. They actually really do need the big temp drop at night as this gives their bodies a chance to kind of "re boot" and re coup from the day allowing them to get deep sleep. They can tolerate temps down to 65F but I typically get mine down to 70F. I know @PatsyB she has more specifics on this.. Now if you do have low temps in the winter having a CHE is for sure needed to bring it up to a safer over night temp.

I've had my General now since 2014. She is healthy and busy. Some people call it a 'bath' and some people call it a soak. Whatever. It involves letting your dragon soak in tepid water for 15 minutes or so. I have read the info on hydration...some say one thing some say another. Notice I DID say "I've been told' At any rate, General enjoys her 'soak' 'baths' I would rather let her soak and not take the chance of her being dehydrated, say what you want.

I've found my method of UV basking bulb and the ceramic heat emitter works very well as I have them positioned. I would NEVER let the temp drop as low as 65 degrees. The heat emitter keeps it below 80 during the night. The UV/heat bulb brings the basking spot up to 100-110 during the day.
My son worked for a noted herpetologist/ reptile breeder while at college and his advice has been spot on. .

As far as the brumation. I've never had any problems with rotting food! That is more or less an old wives tale as far as I'm concerned. . The dragon decides WHEN it is going to brumate. So exactly HOW is a dragon parent going to decide when to stop feeding it so it will have an empty stomach? Give me a break. Normal digestion continues in the coziness of the hide and the dragon can come out and defecate if it feels the need.

I quote: "since every bearded dragon is different it's recommended to keep the cage lights on for the same cycle throughout the brumation period and to continue feeding the bearded dragon Learn more about feeding bearded dragons.. Many bearded dragons will wake up occasionally during the brumation period and will eat and/or bask in their basking light Learn more about bearded dragon basking lights.. To do this, simply keep a bit of fresh food in their cage and monitor if it's been eaten or not." Source: http://www.thebeardeddragon.org/bearded-dragon-health.php During the General's last brumation She slept for about 8 weeks then came out all bright eyed and looked for chow. I gave her a few worms and a soak since she was awake. She enjoyed both. Then went back in her hide for another six weeks or so to sleep some more. I keep the heat emitter on all during the brumation and also keep the UV/heat Bulb over her basking spot like always, continuing her regular cycle.