Bearded Dragon Won't Eat or Poop for over a month

[bokuthedragon]

Please help me figure out what the problem is. Boku is 2 years old and has stopped eating and has been sleeping all day. This has been going on for well over a month and it's starting to really worry me. I'm having trouble getting to sleep thinking that I could be doing something to help her. I've been giving her baths and massaging her stomach. I've been offering her dubia roaches, kale, carrots, and superworms. She seems very lethargic and after research I came to the conclusion it could be brumation. But even if it was brumation I think that over a month of not eating or pooping is far too long. Please let me know what you guys think I should do to help her. I have already taken her to the vet and it was really expensive. It did seem to help when the vet made her poop by stimulating her vent by sticking up it. After the vet visit she started to eat for a couple weeks. But shes back to not eating for over a month again now. Can any of you recommend something?

edit: I must add she's actually out today under her basking area in the heat but she still won't touch food or anything. It's very surprising she has the strength to jump up to her basking area without eating for so long. Although it takes strength to get up there when I hold her, her legs feel noticably weak compared to how they were when she was eating daily.

Thanks and the pics below were taken just now. Remember she hasn't had food for over a month. She usually looks much thinner and weak I dont know whats going on.

And.. 1 more thing Id like to mention is that she appeared to be bobbing her head up and down and at the same time her stomach was deflating and as if she was trying to push. Possibly trying to poop but I'm really not sure.

 

[bokuthedragon]

Now her mouth was just hanging open what's this mean? Won't eat won't poop, feels weak looks thinner. I hope there's an expert here that can help

 

[Momomo]

mouth open is normal when basking, she's just letting off some heat. did your vet do a fecal exam to test for parasites?

 

[FerretDragon]

I'd imagine she's not pooped for a fecal exam...

 

[Momomo]

I'd imagine she's not pooped for a fecal exam...

The poster mentioned that the vet made her poop...My first thought would be to test that poo.

 

[bokuthedragon]

She was forced to poop at the vet but it was a very small sample and it came back negative for parasites. But I have noticed some barely visible bugs crawling on her but I don't know if theyre actually parasites theyre tiny and they came in the bedding from the store.

Here's another pic I just took where you can see how thin she is. She is walking around a lot right now making noise in her cage the most active she's been in quite awhile.

 

[bokuthedragon]

Now she is doing what appears to be digging and trying to get out of the cage. I really don't know what to do but I need to go to sleep. When I wake up I'll come back to this thread to see what you guys recommend. Let me know if I should try force feeding her something. I hate to see how skinny she is there's got to be something that I can do to help. I read something online about force feeding thin bearded dragons baby food. But I don't know which kind to get or if thats even a good idea or not.

 

[Oki05]

She is such a cutie. Well you said that she has been sleeping for almost a month now correct? Maybe she is starting to brumate. As crazy as it sounds some beardies will brumate in the summer. Also if she is digging maybe she is gravid and is trying to lay eggs. Get her a lay box but either soil or sand in it. If you put sand damp it a little so it can keep shape so she can make a tunnel to lay her eggs.

 

[deniselee]

I posted msg (swallowed syringe tip...HELP) on last weekend about my beardie stopped to eat and scratches/digging/glass dancing for a while....AHBD pointed out that I may need to prepare a lay box for it seems my beardie is about to lay eggs...and she did!!! She laid eggs one hour after I put her in the lay box.

I'm not sure your beardie is the same situation...for she is two and she stopped to eat/poop for a month...below is the link for your reference if you can't rule out this possibility -- hope it helps ~
http://www.everythingreptile.org/making-a-lay-box.html

 

[bokuthedragon]

I posted msg (swallowed syringe tip...HELP) on last weekend about my beardie stopped to eat and scratches/digging/glass dancing for a while....AHBD pointed out that I may need to prepare a lay box for it seems my beardie is about to lay eggs...and she did!!! She laid eggs one hour after I put her in the lay box.

I'm not sure your beardie is the same situation...for she is two and she stopped to eat/poop for a month...below is the link for your reference if you can't rule out this possibility -- hope it helps ~
http://www.everythingreptile.org/making-a-lay-box.html

OK, thanks I'm buying sand later today and am going to put her out on the porch in a plastic tub for a couple hrs. I live in arizona and I think she will like the natural sunlight and temperature and if she wants to lay eggs she will finally be able to if that's the problem. If it ends up being the solution it will be awesome and I'll come back let you know if it worked.

 

[bokuthedragon]

OK, so heres an update I bought sand and a plastic tub and got the sand wet and put the tub in the sun and Boku does the same thing she just scratches at the sides frantically to climb out. She won't dig and I don't know how long I should put her in the lay box. So far I just put her in there for about 15 to 20 minutes altogether but it only takes a few minutes and she tries to climb out and is successful after awhile. How long do you guys think I should have her in there before taking her out? And is having her in the sun to lay eggs a good or bad idea? Should I just try to keep her in the lay box over night? Its hard to have her in there unattended because she's able to climb out unless I put her laybox into her 50 gallon tank that way if she gets out she just gets out into the tank. What do you guys think I should do at this point?

In short should she be in the lay box for short amounts of time periodically throughout the day. Or should I be putting her in the laybox for a day or more at a time?

 

[Oki05]

Some people leave them in there for about an hour or 2. I say leave her in there and just let her go about her business but if you do don't leave her in the sun. I say put the lay box in the bathroom or somewhere she can have her own time.

 

[bokuthedragon]

Ok, is it mandatory to have a heat lamp on the laybox? Also, is the lay box ok to be made with went play sand only? I ask because I see a lot of people use a mixture of wet sand and soil. But all I have is the wet sand for now

 

[Oki05]

its fine she just needs something to make a tunnel. You dont have to use a heat lamp for the lay box many people dont as long as she basks for at least 2 hours before you put her in the lay box she is fine

 

[bokuthedragon]

Ok, thanks I'll try it when I wake up in the morning. I hope the sand isn't too cold for her. I'm going to try to put her in the lay box for an hr possibly 2 hrs with a screen over it indoors with no heat lamp. Preferably after she's been under her heat lamp for a couple hrs like you recommend. I'm also thinking about taking her to a vet tomorrow although I don't really have the money for it because they can be very expensive. I think this lay box idea is worth another try. I'll post how things go tomorrow

One last thing has anybody heard of a Bearded Dragon not pooping or eating for over a month and a half going on 2 months? This is getting really bad I hope she has the strength to dig.