Why Your Bearded Dragon Has Bubbles In Its Mouth And What To Do

Bearded dragons are calm, curious pets. So what happens when they have bubbles in their mouths, and what do you do?

When a bearded dragon has bubbles in its mouth, this means they have a blockage in its nostrils and/or a respiratory infection. These infections are serious for reptiles and should be treated by vets.

The rest of this article will cover what the bubbles mean, possible respiratory infections, if you can fix it on your own or if you need a vet if the bubbles are serious, and if will they be okay.

What Do The Bubbles Mean

Bubbles in a bearded dragon’s mouth mean there’s a blockage in the nostrils, and/or a respiratory infection. The blockage is caused by liquids and mucus, and these liquids are signs of respiratory illness.

The way you check for these is by looking around the mouth and nose of your dragon. The bubbles and blockage will be thick and clear, resembling human mucus. Here is a vet treating nostril blockage in a bearded dragon.

Possible Respiratory Infections

Respiratory infections are very serious in reptiles like bearded dragons. These infections are one of the top causes of death in tamed reptiles. Along with that, these infections are primarily caused by bacteria, and in rarer cases, fungi, and viruses as well.

The most common respiratory problem is upper respiratory sickness. This sickness is very similar to a common cold in a human. It may sound simple to treat on your own, but a reptile doesn’t have the same strong defenses as humans to fight it off on their own.

Caring On Your Own At Home

Seeing as the infections are serious, it’s best not to fix it on your own and leave it to a professional. However, if there are only one or two bubbles you see, don’t rush to take it to the vet right away.

Minor bubbles could be nothing more than some blockage in the nostrils that will clear on its own. Monitor your pet and listen for wheezing sounds, also make sure they’re breathing okay. Lastly, watch your pet while they’re eating. If they’re eating okay, they should be alright.

If the minor bubbles last for longer than a full day, then take your dragon to the vet. If it’s not going away, those bubbles may be a serious infection, and it’s better to be safe than sorry in this case. One thing you can do is comfort your pet to make sure they aren’t stressed.

The best thing you can do that can help your dragon is to take a small tool like a cotton swab and wipe away the blockage. It’ll be difficult because the nostrils are small, but it is possible to clear some of the mucus to make breathing more comfortable for the dragon.

How Serious Are Bubbles

Your dragon is in danger when it has a respiratory infection and should be treated as soon as possible. You still have time upon first seeing signs, so don’t panic and make your little critter more stressed, but take the precautions necessary to help it get through the illness.

The bubbles should be taken seriously, and if they last more than a day, take your pet to the vet as soon as possible. Do your best to comfort them and wipe away any mucus you can.

Will Your Dragon Be Okay

After treatment, your bearded dragon will be perfectly okay. Your vet will flush the nostrils to get the blockage out, and/or give medications to combat the illness. Keep your pet calm and relaxed, and give them comfort.

A way you can help prevent these infections is by washing your hands before picking your critter up. Your hands can be transmitters for infections because of the bacteria there, so be sure to scrub your hands with soap and water before touching your pet.

Another way is to clean the cage to wash out any bacteria that could be inside its home. Cleaning out bacteria from the surfaces they’re touching and licking will reduce the chances of a respiratory infection happening.