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Possible Respirtory Infection

Jumpy121

Bearded Dragon Egg
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1
Adult Bearded Dragon about 2.5-3 years old

40 gallon breeder tank

Diet consists of a mixture of collard greens, mustard greens and turnip greens with crickets given once a week (about a dozen). Greens topped with dried flowers or meal worms and dusted with calcium powder.

24w Reptisun 10.0 UVB T5 HO 22" 100w basking spot light (~6" above his hammock where he likes to bask)

Hot side temp: ~95°F Cool side temp: ~77°F It's currently still cold where we live so home is heated to about 70°F Humidity: 32°F

No loose substrate (tile/paper towel) No water dish Bath frequency varies, usually every 2 weeks unless shedding (then more often)

A few months ago, he would make a "coughing" sound (I know bearded dragons can't physically cough but that's the sound he would make) followed by a few seconds of mouth gaping.

He did this on and off for about 2 weeks. No change in activity, coloring, or appetite though. We then noticed that he had a but of shed stuck in his nostril that we were able to remove and since then he hadn't made that noise.

However, a few days ago we heard him make that sound in the middle of the night. We gave him a bath the following day where he drank a bit and then instantly wanted to get out of the bath. After drying him off and placing him back in his tank, his beard and half of his tail turned very dark.

He had never displayed a black beard before and it seems to turn black every night before we turn his lights off. When he is handled, his beard returns to normal gradually. He hasn't been eating as much or been as active lately, he will just bask on his hammock or on his log further away from the light. He has been making the "cough" sound on and off since then and we are concerned if it could be a respiratory infection or if he's just being moody?
 
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