Baby bearded dragon impacted, No vets close! Please respond

[InfantryMcLellen]

Hi, my name is Justin, and i recently got a baby bearded dragon(about 6 inches). When i first got him in the mail he was eating on small dubia(roughly 1/4inch) and his greens(kale, collard greens, and mustard greens) like a kid in a candy shop, and after i cleaned his tank a few days ago i have noticed he hasnt went to the bathroom since i cleaned it, and he refuses to eat anything. He has use in his back legs, but his back legs are weak, and he keeps one of his eyes closed at all times(its always the same eye) I removed the coil uvb bulb i had in the tank because i read those were bad for their eyes. I dont know if there is anything else i can do to help get rid of the impaction. I've been giving him 2 warm baths a day for the past 2 days and massaging his abdomen to try to help loosen it up, but so far it hasnt helped. I dont know if there are any other "home remedies" per say that anyone else has found to help them pass the impaction or not. Any help would be greatly appreciated, i dont have anyone really experienced with herps in my area, only vets that say "they will see reptiles" so if it comes down to it i might have to take him and hope they can help him, but with them only saying they will see them sounds like they just see them to get the money. Any other info you want just let me know... Thanks everyone.

Tank setup info:
30 gal
zilla 20watt desert 50 coil(removed already cause i read the coils were bad for their eyes)
zilla 150watt day blue heat lamp
zilla 75 watt black night bulb
basking temp 105-110(checked with IR laser thermometer as well as probe thermometer)
cool side time 80-85
Fresh water, and greens daily

 

[AHBD]

Hi there....you can try some applesauce, canned pumpkin, veg. oil, baby food prunes, or a combo of any of those things. Also, double check your temps, a 150 watt bulb seems too hot for a 30 gal. tank. No need for any night light, that disrupts sleep, and it makes the tank too hot,they don't need night heat unless it drops below 63. Also, you can use a regular clear household bulb, you don't need a colored bulb or bulb from a pet store. Hope your little guy gets back on track.

 

[InfantryMcLellen]

Oh I forgot to mention, he's on repti-carpet, so theres no loose substrate... I gave him some veg oil today, i felt so bad the little guy was making it seem like i was committing murder via feeding syringe. He swallowed the oil like a little champ though. Ive double checked at triple checked my temps, cause i thought so too... the ground temp on hot side is 90-95 and the basking temp maxed out at 113 today... Its got the screen top so im thinking not all the heat transfers through it. I use the night black light cause with the air conditioning going in the room the tank was getting down to 60* at night, now it stays around 70-75 at night with the 75watt black bulb... gonna continue with the veg oil and try 3-4 warm baths and massages now... ill have to try the prune baby food, ive heard that works well to "flush them out"

 

[kcarello]

If it is cold at night you need to get a ceramic heat emmiter, they put off heat but no light. screws into light fixture like a regular light bulb. Dragons need complete darkness to get proper sleep. Hope you little guy is doing better.

 

[InfantryMcLellen]

Well heres an update... still no bowel movement from the little guy, although he seems to be more alert since i removed the coil uvb bulb, got a 24inch arcadia 12% on the way to replace the coil bulb. Hopefully i can get him to do the dirty deed today with a few baths and massages. Any other suggestions would be great... gonna give him some prune baby food mixed with veg oil today n see if that will help him knock the impaction loose.

 

[synn]

put him in the sink so he has to move, exercise the little guy a lot while taking time to rub his stomach.
The water should me a little warmer than normal. The more you do this the better and def feed him canned pumpkin and pedilight.
If he gets worse feed him a tiny and I mean tiny bit of stool softener. GL

 

[InfantryMcLellen]

Thanks for the suggestion synn, ill have to try that. He seems to be feeling like his old self he just still wont eat on his own.

 

[kcarello]

NO STOOL SOFTENER! Pure canned pumpkin, unsweetened applesauce, baby food prunes, with just a drop or two of mineral or olive oil added,,,all of these are options, but I have never heard of giving a dragon stool softeners..please do not give your dragon stool softeners.

 

[InfantryMcLellen]

I wasnt planning on trying the stool softener, im going to try the canned pumpkin and baby food prunes with veg/olive oil mixed in today with a long baths and massages

 

[kcarello]

That is good..just worried because sometimes..not very often..but sometimes someone will give bad advice. And you may not realize it is bad advise.

 

[synn]

if you never heard of giving them a minute bit of stool softener why say no? Theres all natural stool softener.
Ive done reptile rescue for many years and a member off and on 10 years. Ive had every breed of reptiles at on time or another and have worked with specialists.
I have had many babies that are having the same behavior and I received many babies almost dead from impaction, I only lost one.
I gave them pedilight baths due to dehydration and no more than a very tiny bit of natural stool softener ( gel caps) and tummy rubs along with pumpkin.
natural stool softener is NOT a laxative it wont cramp the stomach or stress him out further.
In fact I just got a 5 month beardie with the same problem but she was skinny as well as not defecating , no uvb, nothing shes healthy at 2 weeks later.
same with the tokay gecko I had for 4 months but he was due to calcium intake and starved half to death. He just went to a good home fat and happy.

calling me out for *bad advice* not even knowing I do rescue is a bit harsh inst it?

 

[munchkins9802]

Glad to see you got rid of the desert50 they are just as bad as coil

 

[kcarello]

For as long as I have been on here I have never seen anyone...moderators included..tell someone to use stool softeners on a dragon...just sayin...you might know what you are talking about...wonder why that advise us not given??

 

[Tonja]

Id be terrified to give any stool softener all natural or not. First you dont know the correct doseage and 2nd the all natural ingredients may be harmful to a beardies digestive system. I wouldnt know if it could dehydrate them. I think when mine have poo problems Id stick to unsweetened applesauce, canned pumpkin or olive oil. I dont even trust mineral oil as i think its to heavy for their systems, I know its harsh <very harsh on humans>. Only once did I use mineral oil and I did it with a lot of hesitation and reluctance but he needed relief.

 

[synn]

Please research the last 15 years all over the country.
That advice isn't given because they arnt on this board.
people may have changed here but Ive given many reptiles *rescues* to good people here.
I dont sell rescues its all my own income for them. All people do is pay the shipping fee.
vets wont tell you because you may give them too much..that's why I said all natural and just a tiny tiny bit will get the bowls going along with a warm pedilight bath.
take it or not its up to you. a stool softener for hard stool..hmm :lol:
thats why I said a tiny tiny bit, as much as the head of a pin can hold. your also forgetting pedilight baths for liquid skin intake as well as orally .
Ive seen what impaction looks like internally and its not pretty, look on the net to find it, warning graphic pics.
Im out, I hope your dragon recovers