Bearded Dragon Neck

Question
QUESTION: My bearded dragon is 8 months old. She acts perfectly normal eats normal uses the bathroom normal etc. But she has like this waddle under her chin it is huge! It is squishy but doesn't seem to bother her.

I have taken her to 4 different herp vets and none can tell me what it is or how to fix it.

It isn't like a puffed out beard it is below her beard. Any clue what it could be?

ANSWER: Hello Chucky,

Do you have a picture of her that I could take a look at her with?
Please tell me a little about your setup such as what type & brand of UVB light you are using.  
Do you give her calcium on a regular basis & vitamins at least 1 time per week?
What type of foods do you feed her?
What are the temperatures in the tank?

It could be a nutritional problem of some type.  Was a blood test ever done on her?

Tracie

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QUESTION: I don't have a picture at the moment I am moving and trying to unpack all that the same time lol

She is in a 75 gallon tank
Tile substrate
Water dish
Food  dish
Basking branches (sealed driftwood from the pet store)
2 hides

UVB is new only about a month old Reptisun 10.0

Basking area is 105F cool side is 83F

She is fed crickets, dubia roaches, turkistan roaches, silkworms all gutloaded. Her salad usually consists of Cactus pad, Cactus Pear, Squash, Endive, Turnip Greens, Collard and Mustard greens, Dandelion greens, Bell Pepper, Escarole Bok Choy. And the occasional Blackberry.

I am in the process of finding a vet at my new place to take her to.

ANSWER: Hello Chucky,

Great, her diet looks very good!
I am very happy to see you are using the Reptisun 10.  Is it a tube bulb or a compact/coil light though?  How close is it to her?
Are you using a bright white light for her basking light?  What type of thermometer are you using to measure the temperatures with, a stick on type, a digital probe or a temp gun?
Her tank size is perfect, no problems there.  
She shouldn't be impacted from her substrate since you are using tile, that is excellent.
How often do you use a calcium supplement for her?  At 8 months of age, she needs calcium 5 times per week for her growing bones.
How long has she had excess volume in her beard?
Could she have injured herself somehow?  They do have the tendons/ligaments in the beard area that are responsible for extending the beard.  Did she somehow injure her beard in a fall perhaps?

How is she doing today?
Tracie

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Swollen Neck   QUESTION: It is the tube light I wouldn't use a coil on any of my bearded dragons.

Not sure exactly how far it is from her but it is something like 8-12" from her.

I supplement 5-6 days a week.

I noticed her swelling 4 days ago it seems to come and go for instance this morning there was nothing there and then tonight it is swollen again.

I haven't seen her fall or hurt herself but I suppose it could be possible since her favorite basking spot is the highest point on her driftwood.

I got a picture it isn't the best but it shows what I am talking about. It's very saggy and fills like someone blew up a balloon but let some of the air out if that makes sense.

Answer
Hello Chucky,


So, the swelling goes up & down during the day?  That is very strange.  
The supplementation is fine, or should be.  Which supplement are you using, repcal calcium or some other type of supplement?  Do you use a multivitamin & if so, what brand is it?
Is there a screen or plastic lens in between her & the UVB tube?  I am glad you do not use a compact/coil light as they are not good at all & are very weak.  
Well, hopefully she did not hurt herself by falling.  How far of a fall is it from the top to the bottom?  
Is she eating pretty well right now?

Tracie