Beardie ate something indigestible/impaction PLEASE HELP!!!

[Xirel]

My Bearded Dragon ate one of those blue cubes that come in the container with the crickets I buy. The brand I get them from is called: 'Bug Tub.'

I've been told by multiple sources that these blue gel cubes are indigestible for Beardies and I am very concerned.

Last night around 11:00 p.m., July 6, is when he ate it, [It is now 5:23 p.m. July 7] and I tried both turning off his heat lamp and feeding him more crickets than usual in order to get him to throw up in the hopes that the cube would no longer be in his system. However he hasn't thrown up at all, and I am very concerned that the gel cube may still be in his system and unable to actually pass through.

He is a Juvenile Dragon, and he ate a fairly large cube. He is approximately 10 inches long, and the temperature he's normally kept at is 90ish*F. Right now the temperature is at 80, again because I turned off his lamp in the hopes that he would throw up the cube.

What do I do?? I'm almost tearing my hair out in worry. I've called several Veterinarian clinics, but so far haven't found any I can get to that look at reptiles.

I was told these cubes could cause his intestines to become impaled and that would cause him to slowly starve to death.

Please someone tell me what to do!

 

[Delshara]

Give him a warm bath, about 20-30 minutes or so. Make sure his vent is submerged and that the water isn't too hot.

You can also give him/her canned pumpkin and/or warmed applesauce with a drop of mineral oil or olive oil.

 

[Drache613]

Hello,

The gel, isn't it just water or is it a cubed supplement?
Did your dragon chew it up at all, or swallow it whole?
I would recommend putting his temperatures back to the normal basking temperatures so that his metabolism will increase & it will help things move through him more efficiently.
I have never used this product so I don't know for sure if they are truly indigestible. If they are just water & or supplementation, he should be able to pass it though.
As suggested, canned pumpkin, apple sauce & a drop or two or olive oil along with a daily bath. If he is going to pass it that should help him quite a bit. You can try to massage his belly on the right side of his body from the arm pit down to his vent area to help break up any fragments, but do so very softly & carefully.
Any luck getting in to see a vet?

Tracie

 

[diamc]

Are you referring to the water crystals that you give to crickets as a water supply? If so, I don't think they are deadly. All the info I read about clear water crystals, say that it's ok if a reptile eats one but of course, not to feed them on purpose. What makes the ones you're using blue in color?

How old is your beardie? I don't understand why you turned the heat down and fed him more crickets trying to get him to vomit (how many crickets did you feed & did you force them?) I would think it would be best to have the temps about 100 or so (90 is too low) to try to help him digest and pass the crickets as well as the cube. Vomiting is very dangerous to a beardie as it could cause them to choke and aspirate. Your best bet would be to have the appropriate temps, give frequent baths, rub his right side very gently from his armpit to vent to to try to help him pass it and you could even put a couple of drops of vegetable oil on his nose for him to lick off which would help lube things up or use 100% canned pumpkin thinned with a little bit of water and put drops of that on his nose so that he would lick that off. The cube should actually break up as it passes along his digestive tract.

What type of thermometer are you using to check the temps? What size tank is it and what is the wattage of the basking bulb?

How is he acting and how is his coloring?

 

[diamc]

Sorry Tracie, we posted at the same time.

 

[Xirel]

Thank you to everyone who replied! I wasn't sure if anyone would, and I'm really greatful. Thank you so much!

@Delshara: Thanks, I'll try that. But how would I feed him apple sauce? Will he eat it from a dish or from my hand?

@Drache613: I'm not sure if it's supplement or water, and I've been told differently by people; some have said it's silica gel, others have said it's water and food colouring, and others have said it's this type of chemical that keeps crickets hydrated. I'll try what you've suggested. As well, I have gotten a phone number for a Veterinarian clinic, however I wouldn't be able to get in until Friday. I just really hope that if he does end up becoming impacted, that they'll be able to help him by then.

@diamc: I'm not sure what they are. They come with the crickets in their container when I buy them. I didn't force feed him, and I put several crickets in the cage. Normally I give him 8-10, but I'm not sure exactly how many I ended up putting in his cage. I didn't know that him vomiting was dangerous... Now I'm glad he didn't. I had thought that maybe he would throw up the gel cube, and I didn't realize he could choke. His enclosure is about 18 x 36 inches, and I have a ceramic lamp which produces heat but no light, as well as a long, cylindrical light that produces, I believe, UV rays. I don't know for sure the wattage though. The thermometer I use is A small Fluker's Thermometer. His colouring is normal; he's bright yellow with orange and brown patterns, and right now he'slaying flat on the ground, instead of his usual perky stance. He normally sits with half of his belly off the ground as well as his tail tip in the air. I don't know if this is because he's sick or if it's because he's getting sleepy, though. As well, his belly seems to be somewhat bloated and rounder than usual.

**Extra Info: I'm not sure if this is good or bad, but he just pooped; however, there's only a very watery white feces, not the brown that's normally there as well.**

 

[Buggsy]

well you need a bright white bulb as a basking bulb for starters, the CHE although good for night times and bumping temps up in winter, dont protect their eyes from the harsh UVB they need. A normal household bulb will be fine, try 60/40watts.

When you say a fluker's therm, is that a digital one, or a dial/stick on one??

Its good he passed something, but if he is bloated i think he really needs to see a vet. Has he passed anything else today?

Did you try the apple sauce/ olive oil?? you just drop a bit on their nose and they should lick it off.

 

[Xirel]

@Buggsy: What does CHE stand for..? And I mean a stick one. Also, he has passed twice more, but it still doesn't look like his normal stools. He's thrown up crickets, but unfortunately not the cube. So now he's really thin. And he did eat two tiny pieces of banana. I haven't tried the apple sauce and oil yet, but I am going tomorrow to buy him those. I've been trying to give him soft things, like the banana pieces [I cut them to be about the length of two peas] until I can get him some apple sauce and oil.

 

[Drache613]

Hello,

Has he gone to the bathroom today I hope? The white portion of the stool is the urate, so if it is a little watery, that is ok. He sounds like he is hydrated pretty well.
The long tube bulb that produces UVB, is there a brand stamped on the bulb at all that you can see? Normally, the brand is stamped on the base of the bulb.
As suggested, the temperatures need to be bumped up to a range of 95-110 & a 78-82 range on the cooler end, measured with a digital probe or a temp gun. If you are using the stick on type of thermometer, it wont be very accurate in measuring the basking temps.
**A CHE is a ceramic heat emitter, a heat source producing only heat but no light. So, as recommended, he needs a bright white basking light instead of a CHE. They need bright light to stimulate activity & to protect the eyes from the UVB lighting.

Please let us know how he is doing.

Tracie

 

[Drache613]

Hello!

Diane, that's ok you posted at t he same time as I did! The more the merrier.


Tracie