So I know this is a thing with snakes but…. my leopard gecko is breathing audibly and I don’t know if that is a sign of a respiratory infection in leopard geckos. Is it?
It sounds kind of like a chirp and then an exhale, but very quiet.
Thanks!
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I don’t work with Leos but I believe @caron does? She may be able to help you out.
Does the Leo struggle to breathe (long labored breaths or sudden sharp breaths)? Does it have excess saliva in its mouth or have any bubbling/crusty stuff coming from its nose? Any sounds like “coughing”? Does it hold its mouth open and breathe through?
Just listing common symptoms of RI that can be observed in most reptiles.
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They also can still get respiratory infections.
Are there any other symptoms? Like Loosing weight, Eating less or Lethargy? Any bubbling at the mouth or nose? Discoloration around the lips and mouth?
But the other thing to be careful of is potential MBD. If they aren’t getting enough calcium they can develop issues with the bones and that can lead to strange breathing sounds as well.
I had a Leo who was always prone to having the little caps of skin stick over her nostrils when she was in shed so she would sound like she was whistling. So that was always an easy fix…
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Thanks for the tag @cmsreptiles
Yes @watchout1 leopards can be subject to RI’s. When did this start? If the nostrils are not covered and it continues to eat, drink, pee and poop normally I would give it a little while to see if the chirping stops.
What are the temps and humidity? You need to provide a basking spot of around 95, humidity around 30 percent. In addition to MBD leopards are also prone to developing gout. But I don’t know if there is a connection between gout and breathing issues. I had a leopard that developed gout which caused swelling of its legs and feet and it was a pitiful sight to see. My vet tried medication but it didn’t help so I had to do the inevitable.
Also what kind of substrate are you using? Just curious. So if your husbandry is good and the chirping stops then problem solved. If not I would suggest a vet visit. When my boy developed gout it was downhill quickly. I am just adding this because geckos are imho fairly fragile.
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Honestly, if the leo is literally breathing audibly, I don’t think you have time to adjust the husbandry, I think a reptile vet visit is called for. Could be nasal plugs, RI, or a bunch of other urgent health issues. A reptile laboring to breathe is an emergency- they do not have diaphragms in order to cough to clear out their lung(s) if needed.
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There is sudden sharp breaths but nothing coming from its nose. There is kind of a clicking noise every once in a while that kind of sounds like a cough. It does not hold it’s mouth open to breath but kind of lifts it’s head up at about a 15 degree angle occasionally. Maybe doing this helps her to breath, I don’t know.
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She does seem a little bit tired most of the time, but she still eats just as good as ever and has not lost weight. No crust or bubbling around the nose or mouth, and the only discoloration she has is on her tongue - her tongue looks kind of like there is blood on it, but I drought it is since it is always there.
So basically the only symptoms are:
1.Loud breathing and clicking noises,
2.She tilts her head up like 15 degress occasionaly, (maybe it helps her to breath)
3.And her some of her tongue looks a little more red than usual.
I really dought it is MBD since I provide a calcium dish and I dust almost all her meals with calcium powder.
Edit: And since I give her a 10.0 UVB bulb from 11:00 am-4:00 pm everyday.
I don’t think there is shed caps over her nostrils since I can’t see anything. But just in case there were, do you think I should give her a bath or something?
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Can I have an estimate on cost, I know they’re expensive?
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I first noticed it on 12/10/24. She has been doing great eating-wise, and her her feces and urates look fine. I don’t know if she has been drinking good because I never really see her drink anyway, but I make sure her water bowl is always clean.
Her hot spot is usually around 89-92 and humidity is usually around high 50s at night and then mid to low 40s in the day when her UVB bulb comes on. (I have been trying to get the humidity down, maybe the high humidity is the cause.)
And for substrate I do 75% Repti-Soil 25% Play Sand. And I’m considering using paper towel since that would probably bring down the humidity.
Edit: I have also noticed that the substrate is kind of dusty since I don’t mist it often since the humidity is usually pretty high. Which is another reason why I want to switch to paper towel.
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Considering the symptoms you listed it be better if you just went ahead and started looking for a vet that can and will treat your Leo for a RI.
The cost honestly depends on the vet you go to but the avg payment for RI diagnosis and treatment with an antibiotic prescription I believe is like $80-$120USD.
The cost is worth saving your Leo’s life. There are no at-home remedies that can treat RI in reptiles, you can only get antibiotics to treat RIs in reptiles from a prescription made by a veterinarian. RIs are deadly to reptiles if left untreated.
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Going to agree with @cmsreptiles
With the raising their head and the sound, that’s really suspicious. The only other time I’ve seen that outside of a URI was a gecko with a deformity that impacted its breathing. And still something you would want checked out
There’s not really a way to give an accurate estimate since many vets also price differently. I will say I personally have had terrible luck with any hospital that has been bought out by VCA. The prices at those hospitals tend to run on the high end.
Otherwise https://arav.org/ is a good place to start to find a qualified vet nearby for your gecko. If you can’t seem to find one listed nearby (which is rare in my experience) the next step is asking any reptile shops what vet they would recommend.
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@caron @cmsreptiles @mblaney @armiyana
Thanks everyone! I will take her to a vet ASAP.
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Let us know how it goes! Good luck!
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@caron @cmsreptiles @mblaney @armiyana
Update: I took her to the vet today. Everyone was really nice and knowledgeable. And I got 4 weeks worth of antibiotics. (Baytril to be exact). The veterinarian said I should start seeing improvement in about a week or two. I’ll have to give her the antibiotics once a day through the mouth with a syringe. I’m NOT looking forward to having to do that lol…
I will give an another update after the first two weeks on the new medication…
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Kudos to you for taking her to the vet! The antibiotics will help! Just make sure you give her all of the medication even if she seems better right away. Just like humans, she’s gotta take all of it!
Definitely keep us updated! 
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Sometimes you get lucky and you get one that doesn’t mind the medication taste too much. Those ones are easy if they just lick the drops off the tip of their nose.
I hope they’re not too difficult for you and they get well soon!
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