I got my first bearded dragon, Delilah, 5 years ago from petco as a tiny baby, she was the first reptile I got since meeting my gf and getting her into reptiles as well. Over these years she has grown into not only a beautiful lizard, but a part of my family as well.

She has always been a great eater, and never had any health issues, so when I awoke to discover her gasping and gurgling this morning, I was confused and horrified. My first guess was a respiratory infection, but her conditions are warm and dry enough that such a thing seems unlikely. My normal vet was not open, so after calling around I found a veterinary urgent care that sees exotics, and rushed her there. This vet seems well versed in bearded dragons, and could tell that Delilah did indeed have fluid in her lungs, and after an x ray feels that it is most likely heart failure causing this fluid build up. Needless to say, I'm shocked, because Delilah has always eaten well, but I've kept her weight under control and she eats a healthy diet. The vet said that sometimes this happens to beardies regardless of diet and care, and thinks that giving her medications to reduce the fluid build up may extend her life. She is now going to be on a round of batril in case it is just an infection and has been given a dose of the diuretic to help clear her lungs, depending on how it goes she may need to be on it for life.

Needless to say, it's been a terrible day, and the prospect of losing a member of my family has crushed me. Just goes to show that you can do everything right but sometimes animals just die.