Female bearded dragon not eating.. eggs?

[lizdragon]

Hello. I've posted about my bearded dragon Liz here before (https://www.beardeddragon.org/forums/viewtopic.php?f=6&t=248583). I took to her to the vet about a month ago because she wasn't wanting to eat vegetables (only bugs) and wasn't pooping often (every few weeks). The vet ran a blood test and fecal exam on her. The fecal exam came out normal, but the blood test showed that her calcium levels were very high, indicating she would lay eggs soon. The vet said other than her calcium levels her blood test looked pretty normal.

Shortly after the visit (maybe two weeks) Liz started to improve greatly. She was eating vegetables every day and pooping a few times a week. I had started feeding her dubia roaches and she seemed to like those too. I was so happy that things seemed to be back to normal. However for the past few days (maybe 5 days or so) my Liz has not wanted to eat. A couple days ago she was pooping daily and it was a very tiny poop but very watery, looked like a small piece of poop surrounded by a small puddle. She has not pooped in about 4 days, but I'm still a bit worried about why it was watery. Anyways, I'm not sure what to do right now. I'm hoping this behavior is due to her being ready to lay eggs. I put sand in her cage like the vet suggested but still nothing yet. I will bring her in if this continues, but I'm not even sure what they can do since they've already run a blood test and fecal exam. Last time I felt like I really didn't get any answers from them. It's very costly (last time I spent almost 400 dollars) and extremely hard to get to (I have to use public transportation and it's over an hour away) but I will do it if I have no choice.

I should probably mention that Liz was diagnosed with MBD last fall, which is why I adopted her from my family. She has improved so much since I took her in, but she still cannot walk completely normally and isn't great at climbing (the vet said she might never completely recover). Due to this, her basking spot is rather low compared to other enclosures I've seen. I checked the temperature and it is only a high of 95 degrees. This is a 100W bulb in a 40 gallon tank. It's a soft white light, so maybe that's why it's not hot enough. I ordered a heating bulb meant for reptiles that's 100W that's coming today.

If anyone has any insight here as to what might be going on it would be greatly appreciated.

Edit: Wanted to add that she was extremely restless yesterday. Constantly crawling around and digging into her cage; even lifting up her carpet and going under it which she has never done before.

 

[CooperDragon]

The excess water may just be that, excess water passing through rather than something harmful. Perhaps the bugs were delivering more hydration than needed. The frequent small poops and decrease appetite may indicate she's ready to lay eggs as you mentioned. Keep watching her behavior and see if she starts digging in the sand. If you do bring her to the vet, they might be able to do an ultrasound to get a better look at any developing eggs and see if anything has gone wrong.

 

[lizdragon]

Thank you for your response! This is helpful. I have been watching her constantly and I'm starting to wonder if she might want her privacy when she lays eggs? Not sure if it matters but sometimes she can be weird about things (not wanting to eat when I'm watching, etc). Yeah, I never wanted to call her poop "diarrhea" because it didn't really look like diarrhea, as the stool itself wasn't runny. It was like a small clear puddle around a tiny piece of poop. The urate was a bit yellow however.

I forgot to mention that yesterday she was incredibly restless, constantly walking around and digging into the ground (even lifted up her carpet and got under it somehow). It all fits with her being ready to lay eggs, but I'm just surprised it hasn't happened yet since I went to the vet a month ago.

 

[AHBD]

Set up a plastic box with a lid on it, and cut a corner piece off like I have in my old laying box , here's the pic. :

https://www.beardeddragon.org/media/30026/full

Fill it about 4/5 ths with damp sand and put a sloping log or rock next to it. They do like privacy so that's the reason to have the lid.

 

[lizdragon]

Set up a plastic box with a lid on it, and cut a corner piece off like I have in my old laying box , here's the pic. :

https://www.beardeddragon.org/media/30026/full

Fill it about 4/5 ths with damp sand and put a sloping log or rock next to it. They do like privacy so that's the reason to have the lid.

Thank you! I actually have a box that looks just like this with a lid. I do have a small fear that she could somehow suffocate because she's not very good at walking or climbing though.

Should I put her in this just at night or various times throughout the day until she lays eggs?

 

[AHBD]

Put her in during the day. You can use less sand, as long as the box is covered + hidden on the sides she may feel secure enough to lay if she has eggs.

 

[lizdragon]

Put her in during the day. You can use less sand, as long as the box is covered + hidden on the sides she may feel secure enough to lay if she has eggs.

Thanks. I just finished putting together her lay box like you said. It's not as full as you mentioned (I could only carry a 60 lbs bag because I live in a city with no car, plus a 4-floor walk up) but it's at least eight inches deep. Honestly she seems really scared. I heard her digging and went to take a peak at her and it seems like she's trying to climb out. I'm not sure if this is normal behavior for a dragon about to lay eggs. I may just have to bite the bullet and take her to the vet.

 

[AHBD]

You must have a very large container. The one I had right in the tank is only about 8" H by 22" long by 12 wide. That's all she needs with about 4-5 lbs. of sand.

 

[lizdragon]

You must have a very large container. The one I had right in the tank is only about 8" H by 22" long by 12 wide. That's all she needs with about 4-5 lbs. of sand.

The one I have is 12 inches high, 21 inches long, and 15.5 inches wide. They told me at the store it was 60 lbs, but all I know is that it was extremely heavy! As long as it's enough sand I'm happy though! I just really want her to start laying the eggs and go back to eating, assuming that's even the problem. Right now she's just lying in the middle doing nothing. The vet was supposed to return my call sometime today to chat with me for a few mins, but she hasn't yet. I'm starting to get really desperate.

 

[lizdragon]

An update:

I took Liz to the vet yesterday morning. They said that they really don't think she has eggs in her or impaction because her bottom side feels soft. Maybe I should have mentioned to them that the last time she laid eggs (back in September) she only laid 7 eggs, so I wonder if they weren't able to feel them because she only has a few eggs to lay?

Anyways, the vet and the tech basically said this is a complex problem and they don't know what I should do. They mentioned that her calcium levels were off the chart in the blood test from last month, and did another blood test to see if they have changed at all. The vet told me to take her to this one specific doctor who is supposed to be the best of the best. The problem is that she only works there once a week, so I can't get in until next Thursday (7 days from now). In the meantime they gave me carnivore care to give her because she isn't eating.

I'm also worried about her poop right now. It's so small you can barely see it and it's in a puddle of clear liquid. She's going every day now. I'm so incredibly stressed about this situation right now and it's literally all I can think about. I just hope that I'm doing the right thing.

Edit: I should add that when she pooped today, it almost looked like she was trying to push more out. I wonder if there is something blocking her. The vet said that she really didn't think so though. She continues to be very restless, crawling around her cage in circles.