Bearded Dragon Mouth Problem???

Hi Guys!

I have a 2 year old Italian Leatherback that I am growing concerned with. Over the last couple of days he has began holding his mouth slightly open all day and all night. This isn't to be confused with when they get too warm and open their mouth all of the way, it is more like for some reason, he can't close his mouth all of the way. Have any of you witnessed this behavior before?? Am I just being paranoid and paying too much attention to him? He looks and acts great, has a great appetite and feeding response etc. I just can't figure this out. Any comments are appreciated.

Here's a pic. I should also note that he CAN close it, he is just choosing not to the last couple of days.

We have a dragon that has done this to and has done it for over a year now...it doesn't seem to bother her in any way and her appetite is still amazing so we never worried about it. Sure does look funny though.

Thanks Zac. We have been looking at him more over the last couple of days and we ain't too sure that his bottom lip isn't inflamed a bit. It looks like it might be swollen up a little and maybe it hurts when he closes his mouth all the way. Anyone with any ideas about what I could do to help heal this??

Hmmm, I have a 3 year old female who ALWAYS has her mouth open slightly. It looks like she's smiling or trying to pucker up for a kiss.

She was one of my first breeders and I panicked and took her to the vet. She was fine.

However, since this behavior is new for your boy and his lip is puffy (not split, cut, etc), I would imagine he ran into the side of his enclosure and is too embarrassed to admit it. Really nothing you can do at this point but watch and wait. In all likelihood he will be fine if there are no other symptoms of discomfort or distress. But do listen out for signs of a respiratory illness as sometimes an open mouth can mean difficulty breathing which means he gets to go to the vet.

What would be some other signs of respiratory distress?? He is actually peeling around his mouth area and I am not sure if it is agitated because of this, like maybe our lips cracking in the winter or what but it definitely looks as if his lip is swollen and possibly has bled a little bit. Maybe he crunched a large dubia and it's legs spurred him or something? I dunno. He isn't panting or anything if that is a sign of distress.

One thing you can use for any type of wound on the mouth or nose [ like when they rub against the glass] is raw [ unpasteurized] honey. You can get it at most grocery stores or health food stores. It's a natural anti-biotic and anti-bacterial. It really works, and the dragon can be treated without a nasty tasting a.b. cream. If you Google medicinal honey, you will see a ton of info about use in humans and animals, with many, many references, and in many studies better results than a.b. cream or silvadene. Just warm it slightly [ don't heat too much] and apply with a q-tip to any wounds or burns. It's great for the little neck wounds that can happen when an aggressive male bites your females neck a bit too roughly, heals it up in no time. Just be sure if you do use it not to leave loose crickets in the enclosure, as they would be attracted to the honey on the dragon and go for a sweet snack.

Originally Posted by Jeff Kennedy

Here's a pic. I should also note that he CAN close it, he is just choosing not to the last couple of days.

If not a respiratory, Maybe a clogged nostril.

When bearded dragons shed so does the inside of the nostril.

Dragon keepers have seen this. When shedding it starts pushing out the top of the nose. Well sometimes the entire shed does NOT come out. Clogging the nostril, leaving it harder for the dragon to breathe.

the dragon will crack there mouth to properly breathe. You can look in from the top of the nose, THEN pull the mouth open, gently pulling on there beard. (i did say gently, but firm enough to pull down) and look from the inside. Sometimes you will see the lodged shed an can remove it from the inside of there dragons mouth. Sometimes, it may not be visible. An your left scratching your head.

That's true, they do get a "shed booger" on occasion.

How's his boo boo doing now?