We must share information about this coughing issue that some of our beardies are getting

[Mr.Poodie2U]

So my little guys is about 5 months. as always once you get one from a show no issues until later. he was fine for 3 weeks then all of a sudden he develop this weird behavior of seeming like he is having and blowing up his chin. he becomes really bothered by this as his breathing is also disturbed. he wants to eat but will not chase crickets worms or roaches. He is beginning to forget about food. However he is still strong and alert. one day he shook his head side to side and up came a mucus ball on the tank. it was the only one. i gave him some Benebac as the breeder i got him from recommended. No results but that was only one day so i got him to a vet who deals with exotics who gave a vitamin D complex shot stated from the looks of him he doesn't believe he has a respiratory infection. a fresh stool was donated by my baby while at the doctors. i was told it came back positive but for what i don't know because the doctor has to call me back not the receptionist when told me it was positive. i noticed zaiden mentioned she had similar troubles and wondering is this from cricket feeding or roaches or if my baby has similar symptoms but nit the same issue? he is in a 29 gal tank with a 150 lamp on day, a uvb by reptisun 10.0, 75 w blue bulb at night, a cool spot of 80 and a hiding spot for shade in a box, a nice size water bowl for drinking or dipping . i'm always dusting high quality bugs and veggies. who got it better than him? i need to know what is going on with my baby! i have seen a lot of youtubers say and show the same issue but no one has pin pointed where it comes from nor termed the illness and if its life threatening if not attended to immediately? we have to help each other take care of one another's beardies. i will keep you all posted on what i find out from my vet and the condition of my baby citrus dragon. I hope you all will add to this forum with facts you receive on this issue that seems to have no name.



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[Hdrydr31]

How is your beardie doing now? any calls from your vet? Have you called them back to inquire what the results were and what treatment is needed? If you haven't heard anything or you are having a hard time getting any info I would go to another reptile vet.
It is common to get pin worms from crickets causing intestional distress..

 

[Mr.Poodie2U]

Hey there this is the update on Poodie. I am not going to blast the doctor's office for not making contact with them. I could have been just a bit over inpatient. Nonetheless the important thing is Poodie has a toxicity that requires him to be on sulfamethoxazole-tmp for the next 14 days. Every day I am up at 6 am giving him the 0.1 dosage and syringe feeding him baby food at 5-6 3.0 syringe squirts of blended collard greens and squash followed by water. So far he is still not giving solid poo but he has shedded. Today is the 3rd day and he seems spirited but is not eating unless I force feed still. He seems to be sleepy often and is not chasing crickets or roaches. I bathe him every other day. I give him the benebac every other day. He is still very strong but the 2 nd day I thought for sure I was going to lose him cause his poo was watery and foul in smell. I hope this stuff works on him and reverses all symptoms of sleeping and non eating. I wash his cage out every other day with alcohol, 10 percent bleach to 1/2 gallon of water and a solution that rids viruses. I am waiting for the 14th day so I can get back in the office with a stool sample and find out if he is better. I do hope all is better soon. Thank you all for following up. Also he has eaten 7 crickets this morning and 7 tonight, forced fed. Will keep you all updated.

 

[Mr.Poodie2U]

How is your beardie doing now? any calls from your vet? Have you called them back to inquire what the results were and what treatment is needed? If you haven't heard anything or you are having a hard time getting any info I would go to another reptile vet.
It is common to get pin worms from crickets causing intestional distress..

Hey Poohdie is holding in there. He has an amazing color today. He seems strong and still not eating on his own but I am going to give this med the full term before trying a different route.

 

[RaeAnn]

Glad to hear you discovered what was going on with your baby. I'm unfamiliar with that illness and medication but I do know most medicines can cause drowsiness and loss of appetite in these guys. Just continue doing what your doing and double check his temps to make sure they are in the correct range. Heat helps with digestion but it also helps the immune system. Other than that remember to keep him well hydrated and all will hopefully be just fine once treatment is over.

Wish him and you the very best, Keep us updated


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[Mr.Poodie2U]

HEY everyone it has been one week since I posted about Poodie's behavior. Please read the original message. The medication seems to have worked great, He has not coughed or acted as though he is joking in the past 3 days. I admit I thought on day 2 I was going to have to plan a funeral for him but he is pulling through good. His appetite is horrible. As we human beings like the fatty foods so does he. I have to force feed him dubias and crickets BUT HE WILL grab and sneak up on a horn worm without hesitation to chomp on. As we know too many of these worms is not good for Beardies. I am still medicating him and will do so until next week saturday . The meds are to be given for 14 days. I have stopped feeding him by syringe the baby food with calcium and Vitamins. I will continue to give him Benebac until next week Monday thereafter he and a stool sample will be at the doctor to see if all is ok. His stool is back to being firm and doesn't stink as badly as it did before. I will get the name of the toxicity Poodie had so that you all can be aware once we come back from the doctor. Stay near and posted everyone. If your BD is not well please take the time to get him to a doctor that is experienced and ask if it is ok to give hum/her Benebac while under his care. I really think the probiotics helped him. Have a Great New Year's Day everyone.

 

[Mr.Poodie2U]

Dr. Pepper and Pepsi are not ill they share a seperate tank because Dr. pepper for such a little guy is so aggressive towards other males

 

[PatsyB]

Okay I am glad he is feeling better. Few things you need to work on though. One, NO colored lights at night. Colored lights at night will disrupt their sleep schedule. They have a "third eye" on top of their head that allows them to see shadows at night that makes them think predators are coming for them. They see all spectrums of light, even light we can't see. If the tank drops below 65 degrees at night use a ceramic heat emitter, it lets out heat but no light. Also, no colored lights during the day either. You want to mimic that natural day light as much as possible, colored lights during the day don't allow their eyes to contract the way they are supposed to and in the long run can do damage. The other thing that could do damage to their eyes are coil light bulbs. Compact fluorescent lights are also bad for them. Not that it would hurt their eyes but that it doesn't provide adequate UVB coverage. You want to make sure you UVB covers at least 2/3'rds of your tank.

As far as cleaning your tank. You never really stated what kind of parasite he had. Bleach and alcohol do not kill any bacteria. Diluted ammonia, chlorhexidine and a cleaner called F10 are all things that kill parasites but they don't kill all of them. Each has a certain parasite that it is good at getting rid of. The only thing that kills everything is a steam cleaner. Check out the web site Beautifuldragons.com, there is a link labeled "disinfectants" and that will lead you on the right path to what to use in your situation.

 

[Mr.Poodie2U]

Thanks Patsy for the info. Poodie's tank is cleaned with all mentioned before and Natural Chemistry Healthy Habitat Spray. I have called 2 vets and Reptisun about the coil bulb and all agree except one that the specific distance as recommended for positioning of the bulb keeps it safe to use in the tank. I will certainly look into this matter further. As mentioned before once I take my baby back to the doctor I will be able to give the full name and possible origin of the toxicity he had. Today he is chasing dubias and super worms. I offered veggies and like a kid he won't touch them but that is just ht eway youngsters can be. Thank you all for checking in on him. I am about to medicate him for the night

 

[PatsyB]

In order for the reptile to get any benefit from the coil bulb they would have to be 4-5" away from the bulb and in one spot. Just do a Google search of bearded dragon coil bulbs and you will find tons of information on the dangers. You need your UVB to cover a wide range of area of your tank and penetrate 14-16" down into the tank. It's very important to find out what you are treating for. Parasites lay eggs that get left in the tank and if you don't use the proper cleaner to KILL them, they are going to hatch and reinfect your beardie over and over again.

 

[Mr.Poodie2U]

Hello all. The update to Mr. Poodie is he has Coccidia the organism/ Eimeria and Giardia infection. (I am going to assume the place i got him from was not frequently cleaning his water bowl and adoing freach water daily) It is common that Coccidia is found in B D but in small amounts and they remain healthy however if you notice strange behavior as your lil guy seeming to cough or spitting up mucus don't delay take the lil one to the vet with a fresh stool sample. Mr. Poodie is nearing the ending of his treatment and he has made a large turn around. Dr. Pepper and Pepsi are still not allowed to visit him but an all clear is in the making.
If the behaviors that Mr. Poodie demonstrated need to be viewed so you can compare your dragon please go to YouTube and search coughing bearded dragon by Holliskid32. The addition to his dragon too mine was Mr. Poodie spit up a mucus ball. According to the Dr. that was a good piece of the puzzle to helping find out what was wrong with my BD. Some people may AUTOMATICALLY say your dragon has a respiratory infection but dont be so quick to lay out the cash because some inexperienced non professional says this just because your dragon coughed or experienced a cough like behavior. Take your BD to the doctor and if he/she knows about bearded's he will direct you in the right direction. you may find he only has a bad case of multiple parsites. Today Mr. Poodie enjoyed 5 roaches 2 superworm and a horn worm cut into 4 pieces. Good luck and LOVE YOUR BEARDY.

 

[PatsyB]

Okay so Coccidia is a nasty parasite and you need to clean your tank daily. The only things that kill coccidia in the environment is an ammonia based cleaner or steam. I've had friends who have battled coccidia for MONTHS until it cleaned up completely. You need to take everything out of his tank and put down paper towels that you can remove daily when you clean the tank daily. Make temporary hides out of cardboard boxes stuff that can be thrown away. Only until you get a clean bill of health should you put all his stuff back in his tank.

 

[Mr.Poodie2U]

Yes Pasty I am aware of how to clean my BD's tank. i have never had an issue with this parasite before but i have killed off another parasite that tried to take residence in my iguanas tank. An old friend of mine who breeds BD have also given me some info that helps. All my BD are doing well thus far and I encourage all to Love Your Beardy.

 

[Mr.Poodie2U]

HEY the update on Mr. Poodie is he is back to his normal self and that means he is great! Thank you all for information. So Mr. Poodie will be giving a dance party for Dr. Pepper and Pepsi this afternoon. He has the DJ skills of a novice but a personality that makes up for all he doesn't know. Let the beat drop Mr. Poodie2U (AKA DJ Poodie Poo)