Bearded dragon with yellow gums

Question
Hi Diane I have a female German Giant Beardie.Lately I have noticed that her gums are a yellowish color. I was wondering if you had any advice on this. She is in a 75 gallon tank, gets fresh water and mixture of fruits and veggies everyday. Dusted crickets every second day and worms once a week. She also spends about 4 - 5 hours outside in the sun 5 out 7 days a week. She does also have a basking lamp in her tank. Her appetite is fine, but every now and then she sounds like she is clearing her throat or gagging.

Thanking you
Danelle

Thanks
Danelle

Answer
Hi Danelle,
My iguanas are jealous of your beardie being able to get outside that much this time of year!!  I am in PA so that tells you WHY mine can't get outside now!

Has she been eating more orange veggies such as butternut squash which may have stained the mouth a bit? Bearded dragons actually do have a yellow tinted mouth.
http://mrskingsbioweb.com/images/dragondissection60.JPG  
has a good pic of the inside of their mouth.  Is this the color you are seeing?
With bearded dragons they can get a disease called "fatty liver Disease",   (hepatic lipidosis)
http://www.exclusivedragons.com/HealthIssues.html has some info on this(scroll down the page there)
Generally, beardies that have a good diet of greens doesn't have a problem with fatty liver but if your beardie is over weight it is a possibility.
With the clearing of the throat, I've heard of that happening with other reptiles that have liver problems.  The best thing to do is to get a blood panel done to see if there is evidence of a problem there.  Also, sometimes just an x ray can show if the liver is enlarged. To find a vet that can treat reptiles:
http://www.herpvetconnection.com

http://www.arav.org/ECOMARAV/timssnet/amm/tnt_mdsearch.cfm

http://www.anapsid.org/vets/

Its good that she is still eating and otherwise acting normal. You mention fruits and veggies, does that include dark leafy greens such as collards, turnip greens, mustard greens, etc?
Depending on her age, you may be able to cut back on her insects and feed more of the greens.
Basically, as adults their diet is only about 10-20% insects, with most people finding that the 10% is the way to go with insects.
Here are some good links to more info on their diet needs.
http://www.bio..miami.edu/ktosney/file/BDcare.html

http://www.sundialreptile.com/care%20sheet--bearded%20dragon.htm

http://www.blackninjakitty.com/herps/dragons

Most bearded dragons will take long naps (generally,if they are  over a yr) in the fall.. this is called Brumation.  is a form of hibernation.  You can read more about that at  


http://www.exclusivedragons.com/Brumation.html  be sure to read this link as it tells you what to look for in brumation vs illness.

http://www.bio.miami.edu/ktosney/file/BDbrumate.html

http://worldofbeardeddragons.blogspot.com/2006/11/bearded-dragon-brumation-bruma...