Help with Charlie

[beardie_love]

So tonight I took Charlie for a bath. After the bath, I wrapped him in a towel and put him on my chest, and then was going near the computer area to sit down. As I was walking, Charlie... I don't know how to describe it - coughed? So I put him down and stayed by him. About a minute later, he did it again, and drooped out some saliva (it was clear and gooey). So I just stayed on the ground for another few minutes. Nothing happened at that time. Then I picked him up and sat in the computer chair. Then he 'coughed' again, but no saliva or anything. At this moment, Charlie has been laying on me for about 15 minutes with no more 'coughing', and he's sleeping.

What can be the cause of this?

 

[li]

Could have gotten some water in him during bath. Unusual but it happens. I would turn his temps up a bit. If it continues it could be a respiratory infection, in that case you would need a vet.

 

[beardie_love]

Well he did drink some of his bath water. Maybe too much? And I'm curious as to why temps need to go up?

And how do respiratory infections start?

 

[staylor]

Oscar has done this a few times when he gets mad at me for putting him in the bath and sticks his face under water till I freak out and lift his head in fear he is going to drown himself.

Keep an eye on it, if it gets worse or doesn't go away then I think maybe a trip to the vet would be in order.

 

[li]

The higher temps today in the tank are to help dry out anything that he might have. Don't go too high. What is the normal high temp in his tank? Is he still doing it this morning?

 

[beardielover17]

Just to add, after a bath it is best to put them back in the enclosure to get their body temps back up and to completely dry off. Wrapping them in the towel won't keep them warm because unlike us they can't produce a body heat to keep trapped within the towel.

 

[beardie_love]

Lisa, the normal basking temp falls between 97 and 105. And he is fine this morning so far. He's up and moving around too!

Candice, I had him wrapped in a towel and kept him with me because it was already bedtime for him, and his lights were off.

 

[beardielover17]

Ok for future reference try not to bathe close to or after lights out if you can.

 

[beardie_love]

Got it!

 

[beardielover17]

Glad to hear Charlie seems to be better today. My one dragon Lizzy had a habit of drinking too much too fast and having that occasionally happen

 

[beardie_love]

My one dragon Lizzy had a habit of drinking too much too fast and having that occasionally happen

So 'coughing' and spitting out some saliva can happen when they drink too much water?

 

[beardielover17]

In her case yes and may very well be it with Charlie too. She didn't really cough though. She would stretch her beard out and go to lick her lips and some water would come up along with tiny bits of saliva

 

[li]

Glad all seems good. It can happen that they get some water in, but it really isn't that common. Many beardies actually swim under the water like a croc and never have that problem. Could have just been a fluke. Like beardielover said....try to watch the times you soak. Never soak when you have less than two hours of lights on left for the day. They need that much time to truly dry off and warm up.