Bloating

Question
QUESTION: Hi, i have a bearded dragon that i got in September he is about 9 to 10 inches long.  Just recently i have noticed that sometimes he opens his mouth really wide a few times in quick succession then closes it and puffs up like he is holding his breath.  He looks fine but he looks like a big balloon when he does this.  After a few minutes he opens his mouth and deflates.  While he is doing this he has his beard in full display. (also I'm not even sure its a he).  He is also looking a little fat but i don't know if this is normal or if he is just a fat lizard.  He eats crickets and veggies and salad still and moves around a lot.  I also cant pick him up because every time i get near him he opens his mouth and hiss at me can i change that or is that just his personality.

ANSWER: Hello Josh,

That is called forced exhalation, & is normal dragon behavior as long as there is no wheezing or coughing or any mucous in his nose or mouth like there would be in a respiratory infection.  
They will blow themselves up in the throat, & push air in & out rapidly then hold their beard out, then deflate themselves.  They just like to appear big & dominant.
It is good to have them be round, with good muscle tone.  They are not supposed to be too thin, but have a bit of a rounded belly to them.
He will hiss at you?  He should tame down as time goes on.  Just try to handle him as much as you can.  When you go to pick him up go from the side & scoop him up from underneath.  Don't back down, otherwise, he will think that he is scaring you.  Next time he opens his mouth & hisses at you, put a piece of green or something like that in his mouth!  

Tracie


---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------

QUESTION: Ya when i fisrt got him i handled him a lot and since he was sick i had to feed him neo cal through a syringe so i think he started to not like me.  Also when i was trying ot bring him to the vet once he bit me so i back down when he hisses at me because he made me bleed at bit and it didnt feel like a tickle ill tell you that much.  Once when i was doing that i held out a strawberry to him and he tried to bite me and he kinda did but got the strawberry insead.  He also runs away and jumps at the glass pretty hard and im worried he will hurt himself. Can he?  I also try to scoop him up underneath he just bolts the other way and i cant cacth him without hurting hims and i dont want to hurt him.  SO i havnt beem able to handle him for like 2 and a half weeks.  is tha bad?

ANSWER: Hello Josh,

What type of UVB are you using for him, is it a flourescent type of brand or a compact or coil light?  What type of basking light are you using, is it a bright white light or a colored one?
What was he sick from initially?  Is he done with the neoglucagon now?
You are picking him up correctly.  We need to figure out why though, he is so hyper.  There has to be a reason.  

Tracie


---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------

QUESTION: K here is my set-up.  I have him in a 24 gallon tank and on one side of the tank i have a Flunkers basking light which also gives off UVA.  I think it puts out light that looks a bit orange to white its hard to tell but its not green or anything if thats what your asking.  On the other side i have a bid light canopy.  In that i have a full spectrum 2.0 UVB light that is from Rerpti-Glo and a 10.0 UVB light also from Repti glo.  When i got him in September i kinda forgot to give him calcium so on December 20 he had seizures so he was diagnosed with metabolic bone deises.  The doctor had me give him .1 ml of neoglucan everyday for a month.  On January 20 i stopped but i still had stuff in the can so the doctor said i could give it once or twice a week if i wanted or not at all.  I wanted to give it to him once a week but its so hard to catch him now that hes well so he can move alot faster because when he was sick he would not run and i could just pick him up.  SO hes done with treatment.  Last night i hand feed him zucenie because the book had said that hand feeding can make the lizard want to go to you because he associates you with treats.  So he ate 6 bites of zucchini of my hand last night (thats the best hes ever done he used to run away the minute i put my hand in).  He still wont let me pick him up though he sill runs away and hiss at me sometimes.

Answer
Hello Josh,

Thanks for the information on your setup.  A 24 gallon is not large enough though.  You will need at least 55 or 75 gallon tank.  The smaller tanks are too hard to control temperatures in.  
The Flukers basking light may not be the correct coloring.  Do you have a normal bright white household light you could use instead?  They do not like off colored lights.  
Ok, unfortunately, the Reptiglo 10 the flourescent tube bulb or the compact are not good lights.  Which one do you have, the tube or the compact?  I hate to recommend you to get another light, but, you do need to replace the Reptiglo 10 with a Reptisun 10 flourescent tube light.  The reptiglo 10's have been causing eye problems & health issues.  It is emitting a low wavelength UVB frequency which is borderline to UVC.  The quality of the UVB is poor & it really is not a very good light.  Sorry about that!!
You can keep the 2.0 UVB for your full spectrum that is no problem.  Is it a coil or a tube?  
I am afraid that he most likely still has low calcium levels.  Do you still have any liquid calcium left?  If so, I highly recommend that you begin giving that to him again to help his levels out.  
The hissing I believe now, is most likely due to the fact he does not feeling well or is agitated because of the lighting.
Please take the Reptiglo 10 bulb, ok?  Just leave a basking light in & make sure the temperatures are optimal.  Order the Reptisun 10 flourescent tube bulb, immediately.  
Is he eating any protein at all right now?  Crickets, worms, etc?

Tracie