Bearded dragon pooping concerns

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william12334

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Hello there
I'm a proud owner of almost 2 years old beardie and I have some concerns about his pooping uh... schedule.
So before the winter came he was pooping regularly, few times a week. When the winter came he became less active, more lazy than usual and started pooping rarer. He was still energetic during his active hours though so I wasn't really worried. I read somewhere that they poop 1-7 times a week so I thought it's normal. Right now he hasn't pooped for 11 days and that's when I'm getting worried about him. I know it's still winter and I hope it's just season's fault but I prefer to ask before it's too late.
So:
He's still eating his worms and roaches happily, hunts them all over the house and stuff.
He doesn't really like veggies but I'm trying to make him eat at least a piece of a veggie per day.
He's getting his vitamins and calcium regularly.
He's quite energetic during his active hours and he's running all over the room whenever I let him out.
I have him a warm bath twice already (although he never poops during bathing) and gave him a belly massage. I also felt his belly carefully to search for some lumps or any case of impaction and I haven't found any.
He looks healthy, doesn't show any signals of stress, no black beard, no hissing, no laying dead somewhere in the corner, no glossy eyes.
What should I do? Wait few days longer or run to the vet immediately? Is it normal for them during winter to poop so rarely or did he get impacted?
 

KeyBlu422

Juvie Member
According to Drache613 on one of her old post,

"What we normally recommend here & on most boards is unsweetened applesauce, canned pumpkin, along with a few drops of olive or mineral oil. That combined with extra oral fluids & baths usually helps with breaking up impactions on most occasions."

Note : these things could help(assuming he's impacted) and you might want to try them. If he still hasn't pooped, a vet would be a good choice.
 

EllenD

Gray-bearded Member
The winter does tend to "slow them down" a bit, they can sense the Barometric Pressure change outside, and they tend to become a bit more lethargic and also tend to eat a bit less. It's sounds like your dragon in-general is very healthy, and he may just be slowing down a bit due to the winter, or even due to getting a bit older.

Dragons tend to have fewer bowel movements as they get older as well, and 10 days between bowel movements in an adult dragon is not at all unusual. Even up to 14 days is not unusual for some adult Dragons. If 11 days have gone by without a bowel movement, typically a warmer than average bath, where they are made to swim around more than they usually do, will usually result in a bowel movement (the more they move their legs around in the water the better). However, you may want to try a natural laxative slurry dripped on his snout to encourage him to go.

If you empty a jar of Prune Baby Food into a small container and then add 2-3 tablespoons of plain, raw, canned pumpkin (important, it provides the fiber), then mix this very well, then add enough water to thin it out so it can be dripped on his snout with an oral syringe or an eyedropper, mix it well again, then give it to him (they usually like it), try to get him to eat at least 2-3ml of it, then let him back for an hour, then try the warmer than average bath for 15-20 minutes and see if he goes. If he doesn't, then it may take a second feeding of the laxative slurry and another bath tomorrow morning to get him to go, but he will go.

Out of curiosity, what live insect/worms do you feed him?
 

william12334

New member
Original Poster
Will try those methods. Usually I was giving him a bath in a plastic bowl. Now I'll try to fill my shower thingie with water so he can have some swimming around.
Also before I was feeding him dubia roaches but lost contact with the seller I was getting it from so I switched to Turkestan cockroaches. They are a bit annoying cuz they run so fast so it's more difficult to feed him on the ground (most of the times I'm releasing one and letting my beardie hunt so he can have some exercise)
 

william12334

New member
Original Poster
Good news. He pooped today. No traces of blood in his poop or anything looking unhealthy so I guess he's fine. Looks like he likes to make me worried. Thanks for help everyone
 

EllenD

Gray-bearded Member
That's good, as I said he's just older, he's an adult now, and he's not pooping as often as he did when he was a baby/juvenile, and that's completely normal. I don't ever get excited about my adult dragons not having a bowel movement until at least 10 days has gone by, and even then it's not a huge deal.

Just as an FYI, something that can help them not only have more normal bowel movements but also stay healthy is if you offer him water dripped on his snout 2-3 times a day. Let him start licking it off, then keep dripping it as long as he keeps on licking it off, and let him have as much water as he wants each time. I do this with all of my dragons once in the morning and then once in the late afternoon/early evening, and usually they will drink quite a bit each morning. This helps to keep them regular...

I'm not familiar with that species of roaches, the reason I asked about what insects he eats is that sometimes if they are fed insects with hard shells or exoskeletons, this does cause problems with their bowel movements. I've always fed large BSFL as my staple feeder, so I've never had issues with this, so you may want to think about giving him a couple large BSFL/Phoenix Worms (same thing) along with his roaches each day, or giving him a Hornworm every other day, even a wax worm each day as a treat will help keep him regular.
 

kingofnobbys

BD.org Sicko
A dragon can go up to 14 days between poos without being impacted and be perfectly healthy and just be a slow metabolic rate thing.
Ordinarily I don't start intervening until it's been a week , 0.4ml olive oil. Then every other day and maybe a bath at 11 days.

See viewtopic.php?f=6&t=232446
 

william12334

New member
Original Poster
Thanks for that. That little bum really got me worried. I thought a week is longest time they can go without going to the toilet.
Also will try that thing with water, at least once a day, maybe that will help.
 
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