Reptile & Amphibian Forums

I have a female bearded dragon. She was born in Oct'2004. She came out of hibernation a month or so ago and will not poop on her own. I usually put her in a warm bath of water and she will go. Well she suddenly won't go at all. I have not given her any crickets for the past 2 weeks and only veggies. She has stopped eating this past week. She acts fine, walking around and climbing. I know the best thing to do is take her to the vet, but my husband is recently out of work and my work has cut back, so financially, I can't do it right. Is there anything over the counter I could give her or could this be a sign that she is older and shutting down. Don't want to lose her. Thanks!

She should see a vet anyway...but...you can try a little applesauce with a few drops of vegetable oil. If she won't eat it,get a small syringe at a pharmacy and [ like people use to give a small orphan animal liquids,etc.] and VERY gently [ so as not to choke] give a little dose of that. Let us know how she does !!

Ok, silly question. How do I get her mouth open?

If you just put the tip of the syringe between the lips and GENTLY wiggle it until she opens,that usually works. You could also use a stiff piece of cardboard to slip in. BTW,just curious,are you not feeding crickets or just don't have any? If she's bored with her food,try superworms,roaches,hornworms. And 6 years old is not old..she could easily live past 10 years.

I feed her crickets at least once a week. They usually have some running around that she can nibble on for a day or so. She will not eat fruit, but eats the greens, squash, etc. The only reason I stopped the crickets is because of her not pooping. I may stop this pm and get her some to see if she eats. Thanks for helping.

I don't think she's old either. Any idea how much she weighs? Also what is her basking temp.? A higher basking spot temp. will get her digestive system moving a little faster. I often have dragons no go for a couple weeks when they are not enthusiastic about eating. Can you weigh her and post a picture?

It will be nice to know a bit more history, and details about her current and past setups (if her setup has changed in the last year). Not pooping could be caused by many reasons, blockage being one of them. Does she try to go to the bathroom? (ie tail lifted at base with signs of straining?)

How much has she eaten since she came out of brumation?

What is her basking temp and substrate? Has she ever lain eggs? (fertile or otherwise?)

If its just constipation due to dehydration, a bit of mineral oil (about a quarter teaspoon) or pureed carrots, summer squash or sweet potato can help loosen things up. Offering silkworms or hornworms (store bought only, not wild collected, as the wild ones are toxic. Farmed horn worms are fed a special diet so they are not toxic (they get toxins from the wild diet they normally eat) may entice her to eat and these are high water/soft bodied so help with constipation issues too.

If she doesn't go after trying some or all of these remedies, you will need to take her to the vet. Take her to a vet if she is straining to go to the bathroom but is unable to, you seen any blood, or seems to get any worse. Talk to your reptile vet, many will be more than willing to set up a payment plan, so you can pay your bill in monthly installments.
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PHLdyPayne

You say she is walking around and climbing. Is she scratching and diging? Sounds to me, if she stopped eating a week ago, she may have cycled and has eggs to lay. If they are infertile, you may not see a change in body shape because they are small and mushy. Keep doing the warm baths, but give her a lay box. She could be egg bound as well. I had a female egg bind and took me 3 weeks to get 21 eggs out of her. If she looking healthy other than not pooping, make sure she has a 110 basking spot (if she is too cool she may not poop) and try the lay box.

I would also recomend that you see a qualified reptile vet. Advice on here is speculation without seeing the animal.
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www.moonstonedragons.com

Sorry, forgot to followup on this. She is doing much better. I kept soaking her and got her some more crickets to eat. She gobbled them up and a few days later started to poop. She seems to be pooping fine now. I have her in a 55 gal tank with a UV light and a heat lamp. Dont' remember temps, but they were fine and she can adjust where she goes by the lamp to get warmer or cooler. Seems to be doing good not. Not sure what was going on. Maybe just a fluke. Thanks for all the advice.