Buddy... is not a boy, she's a momma! 3 times now *Pics*

So Buddy is almost a year now (from when I got HER from petsmart). Thought she was a boy because I self examined her and she got those pore things around her vent. Today Buddy decided to lay an egg! (infertile)
Buddy has been SOO active for the last couple days or maybe over a week.. thought "he" was going through an adolence phase. Guess not...

Is there anything I should be doing for her while she is going through this?

I provided a sandbox for her (which she is making a mess!!)

How long will this last, and is it every year?
Any tips will be very appreciated. I'm also going to do some research. Wasn't expecting this at all..

Thanks.

 

[StaceysBuddy]

Buddy laid her 3rd clutch this year! Yay! Finally!
And I found out she did NOT want the light on. She started digging this morning when I put her in there but when I turned the light on she stopped... I was fustrated. I turned the light off and she continued. I don't get it either but whatever works. She was just extra picky on the environment this time around. She has 27eggs total, one almost on me, one in her tank and the rest in the sandbox.
Of course I took pictures, just not near as many cause I didn't want her to stop!

This is her basking before she laid the eggs...

And this is her "basking" after she laid the eggs..

This is one where after she was done and after her bath I put her in her tank, and she wanted right back out. Not sure what it was all about... but whatever. You can see she got a lot skinnier.

You can also see how she lost weight in the two basking pictures. She still has a belly but her tail area got smaller.

I'm just so happy she finally laid them. Now to lots of calcium feedings!

 

[sweetiepie9]

Good going Miss Buddy, now maybe she'll stop for the summer, 3 clutches is way more than enough!

 

[platinumtreasure]

Yayyyyy finally! Hopefully her last for a while.

 

[StaceysBuddy]

I hope so.
I think (probably just paranoid) that she's sick or maybe has another egg in her still.
Why do I think this... well..
-After I put her back in her tank she was still glass dancing, never knew why.
-She tried going to bed wayy early last night *might be because she actually was tired from labor*
-During bath this morning (no poop, no nothing) she was spazzing out. She would be still, then her back legs would kick kind of jerky like, be still, repeat for while. She tried falling asleep in the tub too. It was a very strange bath. I don't think they were seizures but I'm not sure... hope not.
-She armwaved yesterday. She's only ever armwaved when she was a baby, I think. I can't even remember her doing it. Ever.
-She's sleeping now, just got home from work. Usually she is basking waiting to be fed again...

I'm going to give her another bath tonight and see if I can get her to poop or something. She's just not herself. It's only been one night/day so maybe she is fine but something is off.
I hope she is done for awhile (next year) for laying eggs, especially if she is sick.
I think I'm over worried because this last clutch wasn't as easy as the last two. Seemed to take longer and she was a lot more impatient and picky. Moody even. Just different.

 

[sweetiepie9]

You know Miss Buddy better than anyone, so if you say she's off, then she's off. It could be another egg. Sweetie used to hold onto a couple & lay them in her bath when she pooped, never could figure that out, so give her a couple of days. If she's still "off" can you get her to a vet to get xrayed? At least then you'll know if she's been trying to get another egg or two out & the vet can give her a shot to start labour again. I had that done to Sweetie once, just after my hubby passed away, she kept eggs in her for more than 2 months before I realized what the issue was & got her to the vet. They xrayed her before, gave her the shot, she laid her eggs & they xrayed her again to make sure they were all out. She was almost eggbound, so I was lucky I had a feeling what might be wrong & got her to the vet. So see what happens in the next 2 days & don't hesitate, she's a very important part of your life & you want her to stay well.
Good luck,
Deb

 

[platinumtreasure]

I agree with Deb. You know Buddy better then anyone. You know her routine, responses, time frame after laying for snapping back and how she does it. I would say follow your gut instinct where she is concerned and act on it. Better safe then sorry. I think the leg kicking would worry me too if it wasn't something she normally does. After such a large clutch hopefully it was just some sort of muscle spasms that will go away.

The armwaving is a cute thing I think. Venus has never done that even as a baby. I tried to get her to but nothing doing. I don't think her doing that is cause for concern. Could be she was doing it to you or to her reflection or just because the mood hit her!

When venus had that poop happen and turned black (picture below) she sleep a lot for the next couple of days and would only bask if I put her on her rock. It took about a week for her to get anywhere near normal. I didn't realize my daugther took a picture of it when it happened until yesterday. I don't think I see an egg or anything but not sure what the darkest part is. It definately wasn't the normal poop.

 

[StaceysBuddy]

I gave Buddy baby prune food today. I just really want her to poop or whatever she's got in there. She hasn't done any of the leg twitching again in the bath so that's good. Buddy was sleeping again when I got home today, and this morning I woke her up. She's sleeping a lot more now. I hope I don't have to take her to the vet but if it doesn't change... I might have to.

yeah.. that poop doesn't look normal, the 'middle' mainly. Pretty big too. Was she backed up before this?
I'm no poop expert but maybe she was cranky afterwards because it hurt to come out! You might want to post that in a different topic and see if anyone knows what it is.. I mean explain that she's fine now but thats weird. People might say poop sample but it's a bit late for that. Makes me believe my original thought that she was never "pregnant" and that something else was going on. She may have been glass dancing because she felt like she had eggs but it was really that... I'm not sure though.. Just a thought.

Buddy FINALLY pooped! And had an egg still in there.
After over a 30min bath.. Hope that's all that was in there. We'll see. I'm in such a better mood now!

 

[sweetiepie9]

Glad to hear it!

 

[StaceysBuddy]

I know I probably keep rambling on about Buddy.. but I don't think my exciteful bath last night fixed it. Yeah, she pooped and passed an egg but she wasn't awake this morning, again. I woke her up (she was awake but still in her hideaway cave). I gave her another smaller bath, for almost an hour! And still no poop no nothing. I don't know whats going on!

Maybe she has more eggs in there, could there be more than one left over that she can still pass in the bath?
After the bath, and some snuggling, I put her back in her tank, left for about an hour... came back to realize I never fed her. I fed her bunches, but I'm almost afraid to keep feeding her a lot because she isn't pooping. The last thing I want to do is starve her because she just laid eggs and needs it, but I don't want to cause the blockage to get bigger!

I guess I'm going to try, again, another bath tonight. I feel so bad because she hates baths and I'm constantly giving her them. After she lays eggs I bathe her daily so she will poop.. after that its a couple times a week. Lately because of her "sickness", it's been everyday, long baths, and sometimes twice a day! She probably hated me yesterday, bath in the morning and long bath at night, but it paid off when she pooed.
Ahh!! So fustrating! I keep thinking she will hate me now but it's for the better in the long run but again, I feel like if she is sick I'm making her do the thing she hates.. baths!
>.<

 

[platinumtreasure]

Hope she feels better soon.

 

[sweetiepie9]

If she's still not "well" after a couple of more days, please take her to the vet. If she's got eggs "stuck" that won't come out, it can be dangerous for her. The vet at least can take xrays to see what's going on, if she still has eggs in her, there is a shot that will start labour, so she can get rid of them. Good luck, keep me posted.

 

[StaceysBuddy]

I'm worried that's what I'm going to have to do. I posted it the health section to see if anyone had ideas.

But she was awake this morning when I got up, not basking but not still hiding. No dark beard and she isn't that dark herself. I'm not getting too excited yet, I will wait til bath time.

 

[StaceysBuddy]

Gave her another bath and she pooped! Yay! And rather quickly!

It was a tad bit large but urate and formed, no egg. She's alert and active right now, basking and all. I hope she was just a but impacted and that everything's back to normal.

I'll keep updated, probably over updated but updated. :mrgreen:

 

[XtinaBeardieMom]

I'll keep updated, probably over updated but updated. :mrgreen:

No such thing as over-updated hehe, glad she's doing well... what a relief. Woohoo!!

 

[StaceysBuddy]

Okay, well she is eating normally, and basking when she needs to and is pooping every bath, but she is sleeping all the time. She's always in her hideaway cave, I have to take her out to eat. After she eats, she basks, then goes right back in there.

Everytime I look she's in there. Awake or sleeping. I work tonight so I can't mess with her much but I will try to mess with her tomorrow, I'm just not sure what to do. She's not acting sick, just sleeping/hiding.