Why does my bearded dragon open her mouth and breathe hard after eating?

He should be examined by your veterinarian or an experienced herp veterinarian. The symptoms described may indicate a respiratory infection. The vet can confirm or rule out this possibility then dispense antibiotics if necessary. In the meantime, increase ambient temperature by about 5-10 degrees F to aid in recovery. Make sure he stays hydrated and continues to eat normally.

Thanks for reaching out about Drago. Check and correct husbandry including environmental temperature and UVB exposure. If too cold, metabolic, appetite and immune systems are suppressed. Try offering vegetables by hand or pureed through a syringe. Open mouth breathing could be a respiratory infection, enlarged internal organ or metabolic concern. A veterinary visit is recommended to assess and provide a diagnostic/treatment plan. A diagnosis early in the problem, usually has a better prognosis. Good luck.

Submit a stool sample to diagnose intestinal parasites. Monitor Drogon for difficulty breathing, blowing bubbles, lethargy, or odd sounds while breathing. These are symptoms of an upper respiratory infection. Parasites or URI may cause the condition you are seeing. Bump cage temps up by about 5F for a few days. Soak him in a warm 50/50 solution of water and unflavored PediaLyte twice daily for 15-20 minutes. Make sure the UVB light source is not older than 6 months and use quality vitamin and mineral supplements. If Drogon gets worse or does not begin eating soon, have him examined by an experienced herp veterinarian.

Give him some time to settle down. If the heavy breathing persists or if you hear wheezing, popping or see discharge from his nose or mouth then have him examined by an experienced herp veterinarian. If possible, contact your friend and ask if Draco has ever exhibited this behavior in the past. He could be stressed to begin with at the absence of his owner.

Confirm correct cage temps and humidity levels. Ideally, a thermometer and hygrometer should be placed at each end of the encosure. Monitor for lethargy, loss of appetite or discharge from the eyes or nose. These can all indicate respiratory infection. Have her examined by your veterinarian or a vet experienced in treating reptiles to diagnose infection or injury. More information regarding environmental parameters can be found here: http://www.anapsid.org/bearded.html

Hello, that sounds like normal breathing to me. What I would suggest you do, is get a video of this behavior and then just take it by a vet office (one that is used to treating reptiles) and show it to them. I'm sure they would be happy to give you an opinion. That would give you a better idea than me trying to ascertain what is normal just based on your description. Hope this helps. Best wishes!

I think Ron Junior should be fine. Hopefully he is just full. If you are truly worried the only option I can give you is to take him to a reptile vet for an exam. One reason for open mouth breathing in reptiles is respiratory infection. It just may be coincidental that he started this breathing after eating so many crickets. The most common reason for illness in captive reptiles in improper husbandry. I suggest you make sure you have his housing, lighting, temperature, etc correct. Here is a husbandry article: https://www.cuteness.com/article/care-blue-belly-lizard Hope this helps. Best wishes.