Bearded dragon not eating, no poop for 2 weeks. Is it impaction?

This is an excellent question, unfortunately most places that are selling bearded dragon still recommend sand for bedding, which is in my opinion and experience a big misguidance. what you are describing is happening to many bearded dragons, they eat of the sand and after a few years they have a sand impaction in their intestines, in most cases it is very difficult to treat and ends up with them dying. I recommend switching the bedding to something else, there are many options and all of them are better than sand in my eyes.

Thanks for reaching out about Spike. He probably needs to see a veterinarian, since the warm water soak and other treatments haven't seemed to work. Any change of ingested foreign bodies (sand, bark, paper, other)? Hold back on the olive oil, as if aspirated with cause death. Good luck.

Hi and thanks for using PetCoach! Sorry to hear that Nero is having a potential problem. It may be time to re evaluate your husbandry program to ensure that you are doing everything right from housing, conditions, diet, etc. Here's two great links for their care and husbandry http://www.anapsid.org/bearded.html http://www.reptilesmagazine.com/Lizard-Species/Bearded-Dragon/ A few common reasons for constipation include chronic dehydration and poor gut motility due to low calcium levels. These links should help you get back on track. 10 min water soaks once daily may also help including adding calcium to his diet. I hope these help you resolve the problem. I wish you good luck.

These signs could be caused by a fecal impaction, which is a fairly common problem in leopard geckos. There are different ways to resolve it. You can try to increase the temperature inside the cage (up to 97F°) to increase metabolism or you can try to give her a luke warm water bath twice daily or give her 1-2 drops of mineral/olive oil once daily for 3 days to provide laxative effect and lubrication. If the signs do not resolve a check up would be then necessary. Please do not hesitate to contact us again on the forum or by requesting a consultation if you have any more questions or to discuss it any further.

Thanks for reaching out about Bonita. Check and correct husbandry including temperature gradient (daily high and lows, warm and cool ends), UVB exposure and diet. Since this has been going on a long time, a veterinary visit is recommended to assess and provide diagnostic/treatment plan. Try offering water and food via a syringe prior to the vet appointment. Intestinal infections or parasites, metabolic disorders (liver, kidney), other infections and more are all possible. Good luck.

Thanks for your question about Tarzan. The lack of activity that you are describing may be normal for Tarzan, but when you then combine it with her not shedding and not going to the bathroom very often I begin to suspect that there is something else going on. I would recommend feeding Tarzan a small salad of dark leafy greens on a daily basis, with calcium supplementation 2-3 times per week based on her age. I would also recommend protein 2 times per week based on her age as well. You eluded to having recommended temperatures in the cage, but I didn't see how you were monitoring the temperatures or if there was UVB light provided. I would recommend monitoring using a digital thermometer and changing the UVB light every 4-6 months. I am glad that she seemed to be doing okay at her vet visit in the fall. I didn't see if blood work was performed, but that is something that I recommend for every reptile at regular intervals for wellness examinations, as reptiles are very good at hiding their illnesses from their owners. I would also consider performing radiographs (x-rays) if these haven't been performed previously, as well as a fecal examination. I hope that gives you a place to start, and that Tarzan feels better soon.

Submit a stool sample to diagnose intestinal parasites. Monitor Drogon for difficulty breathing, blowing bubbles, lethargy, or odd sounds while breathing. These are symptoms of an upper respiratory infection. Parasites or URI may cause the condition you are seeing. Bump cage temps up by about 5F for a few days. Soak him in a warm 50/50 solution of water and unflavored PediaLyte twice daily for 15-20 minutes. Make sure the UVB light source is not older than 6 months and use quality vitamin and mineral supplements. If Drogon gets worse or does not begin eating soon, have him examined by an experienced herp veterinarian.