Reptile & Amphibian Forums

Lately my beardie has been closing his eyes and it looks like he's hiccuping. Is this normal or a problem? WHat should I do?

This photo is not of him doing the described behavior>

It's not normal...sounds like he needs to see a vet ASAP.
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TheClassyLizard

you need to take him to a vet and have him checked, it can also be a sign of parasites and only a fecal can tell you that. Try to get a sample before going to the vet and you can refrigerate it til you go.

by "hiccuping" what do you mean? is he simply stretching his throat out (flaring his beard) or does it look like he's trying to cough something up? your BD is pretty young, and if you feed them food that's too big, they'll regurgitate it sometimes (much better than getting impacted!). your substrate could also be a source of problems, since he could ingest it accidentally while trying to chase down insects or pick up a dropped piece of food. i would really recommend that you put him on something other than bark (i'm sure there are lots of discussions on which substrates are best...just scroll down the list. i personally use milled bran).

other people have suggested parasites or a respiratory infection. it doesn't cost too much to get a fecal exam done to check for parasites (you'll have to gather fresh stool), and a general exam is a good idea to see if your BD could possibly have some other problems--and for you to ask your vet general questions on maintenance, etc. check around to see if there is a vet who specializes in exotics/reptiles, since they'll be much more knowledgable.

good luck,
-ming