NEED Serious Help - NOW

[Moofins07]

Okay, now that I hopefully have a few lookers reeled in by that annoying title (sorry), I am EXTREMELY worried about my beardie. I've recently moved, which occurred on July 1st, and he has NOT had ANY kind of bowel movement whatsoever since then. That's almost three WEEKS! I'm freaking out over here...

He eats squash every night, with maybe a superworm or two, and usually crickets every other day. I may have gone a little heavy on the worms a couple weeks ago because I ran out of crickets... I've been reluctant to feed him these last few days.

About a week ago, I tried (very carefully) to give him a warm soak in some shallow water, in hopes it would get SOMEthing moving. No luck. It had worked before, but not this time... Tomorrow, if it's sunny, I plan to take him outside in the long grass. That has, oddly enough, induced a movement several times.

I am really at a loss for what to do next. I love this lizard like crazy, and I just had an IBD scare with my ball python a week ago, so it feels like everything is conspiring against me all at once. ANY help is appreciated. I'm just hoping this isn't serious enough to get the "vet ASAP" response...

[redstormlax12]

Sounds like impaction. Can you feel a hard mass in the lower abdomen of your beardie? If your feeding on a regular basis and your beardie is eating is should have bowel movements on a regular basis. I would say a vet visit is in order. In the meantime I would say keep giving him warm soaks.

[WebbyD]

What kind of substrate do you use?

[BPelizabeth]

sounds like an impaction to me and if you tried a bath I would say a vet trip is needed. Also mealworms are NOT good for beardies....they have too much chitlin (shell) and can cause impaction. Some ppl like to feed Phx worms which are much better. Beardies are prone to impaction when they are fed something that is too big (use the rule of if it fits between their eyes) and also due to eating sand....and of course mealworms can cause that as well.

Not sure how old your beardie is but if he is under a year they recommend that you feed him as much protien as he wants.

[Moofins07]

I keep my guy on paper towel. He was given to me with sand in his tank, and I promptly took it out.

I'm no professional, but I've palpated him several times and felt nothing... Would it be something tiny, like bead-size, or quite noticeable like the size of a fingernail?

He's five years old, and at only 14 inches long, poorly stunted. He gets a hopper once a month, and he shows less interest in crickets. He goes bonkers for his squash, though.

[WebbyD]

Good thinking taking him off sand, but even paper towel has been known to become ingested and cause impaction.

I'd say based on feeding and substrate it's probably impaction. I'd go to the vet, not sure how much the warm water will help if it's been 3 weeks...

I'd imagine he's quite constipated with all that dried poo...

[Moofins07]

Vet it is, then... I don't know how I'll make this month work financially, but I will. I'd rather go without groceries for two weeks than have him die because of my own stupidity.

On a final note, how exactly does a vet cure impaction? Is it invasive, and how costly?

[WebbyD]

If serious then yes, it can be quite invasive by people standards... Think prostate exam with metal rod... Yea...

Check this out
http://beardeddragoncaresheet.weebly.com/diseases.html

[Moofins07]

It just goes to show that some animals will go to any lengths to make you worry yourself sick. HE POOPED. I gave one more "last stitch effort" with one more soak, and that combined with all the palpating and massaging must have loosened it up! I've never been so happy to see poo!

Thanks for ALL of your comments and advice, everyone. No more mealworms for Spike. Lol

[beeboy3]

what kind of beding do u use? If its sand it could be a problem