Help please, Pluto is 'gagging?'

[hanfon]

Hi looking for some health advice for Pluto..
All in all he seems very healthy ... except for today he has started this gagging / heaving/ hiccupping thing every few minutes.
He hasnt vomited
He appears to be breathing normally otherwise
He poos once or twice a day everyday, last poop was 3 hrs ago..
He is shedding at the moment
He has been off his food (salad and crickets) yesterday and today
He seem quite alert, head up, but is just hanging around on his basking rock
Have been giving him soaks every second day
Very strange, he does look like he's 'heaving' like he wants to vomit but does't appear distressed .. ??


Any thoughts anyone??
thx

 

[Justus85]

I had that problem with my baby here recently after I gave him some hard to digest mealies. A warm soak and a thorough belly rub seemed to help him through it. Both of those things help them digest their food.

 

[hanfon]

ok, do you think digestion/impaction is still a problem if he is still pooping normally? I am fairly new to this. His mouth stays closed while 'gagging' and his belly is creamy white and soft to touch. ..

 

[Justus85]

All I have experience with is my own babies problems with the worms. He did the gagging thing as well. How long has it continued and what did he eat prior to the start of this? Also have you checked your temps lately in the viv?

 

[hanfon]

Hi again and thx .. never fed him worms at all. He ate alot of crickets day before yesterday .. a little salad yesterday + 6 ish cricks. nibble of salad today and totally not interested in crickets. His 'heaving' thing seems to be slowing down now .. only about once every 15- 20mins ...
Temps just rechecked (with digi probe) 110f on basking rock and 80f on cool side.
Hopefully whatever it was is going now .. Can't believe how worrying it all is when they don't seem right

 

[renich]

It could be him stretching to help with his shed. Is it his head and neck area that are shedding?

Can you remind me of your setup?
UV light -
Temps -
What you use to take your temps -
Substrate -
Are the size of the crickets and salad no larger than the space between his eyes?

 

[Justus85]

Coincidentally Renee, when my dragon started doing this gagging thing, he started shedding his beard and head shortly thereafter. So I gues they are actually related events.

 

[Pogie]

Yeah could be the shedding. Pogie used to sit and flare her beard (could also be described as heaving if I think about it) kinda like flipping her beard up and down without opening her mouth when her chin/beard was about to shed. It usually lasted a day or two and then loose skin would come off

 

[renich]

It could very well be trying to get relief from the shed. As long as other behaviors are normal (eating, basking, not sleeping during the day), I would say everything is fine.

 

[hanfon]

Hey thanks everyone for the input , its very appreciated.. Pluto seems just fine today, and the skin in finally lifting on his head/face so I do think that was what all the crazy huffing and heaving was about .. phew ! I will know for next time what he might go through during a shed .. While he is eating a small amount of salad he is totally not into crickets at the moment ( ... while shedding)how long can he go without before I need to worry? (Its been 2-3days)Do I need to give him anything else to supplement? Hes nearly 10 months.

 

[Red Ink AUS]

Nah mate, nothing to worry about he'll be right . It takes a while to shed so two or three days is fine, if he's eating the salads even better as at 10 months you should start lowering his feeder intake anyway about 60% insects to 40% salad should be right. If he's making the switch easy even better, some of them can find it hard letting go of the insects lol. You could give him a light spray or a bath if you want to help with the shed but apart from that just let him do his thing.

 

[renich]

Yep, Francis summed it up. It's great that he is chomping down on his salad. You may want to consider other feeders though. You can use phoenix worms, dubia roaches, silkworms to name a few.