Help please! Baby bearded dragon not pooping properly

Cubby

Member
Original Poster
Beardie name(s)
Namu
Hi. I recently got a new baby bearded dragon and for the past few days she hasn’t been able to poop properly. All I see is this clear liquid and urate coming out. I’ve fed her the right size insects and use newspaper so I don’t think it could be impaction but I just don’t know and I’m so worried. Her bum area is swollen but goes down after a while from when she tried to poop. When there is poo that comes out it’s not much and seems watery. I don’t know what to do or if this is a very serious problem. I just want her to be healthy but something definitely seems wrong. She still has an appetite but she eats without expelling anything but liquid. I tried giving her baths but she HATESSSS them. Should I try fruit laxatives or something to try to help pass the food?
 

Cubby

Member
Original Poster
Beardie name(s)
Namu
This is what it looks like for a while after she tries to go. I’ve tried to contact vets near me but it seems most don’t work with reptiles and the ones that do aren’t taking new clients. I have somehow gotten an appointment at the petco vet clinic but it’s in like two weeks and I’m just worried the time waiting will just make things worse.
 

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KarrieRee

BD.org Sicko
Beardie name(s)
Hiccup he is 6 and Blaze is 4
Hi. I recently got a new baby bearded dragon and for the past few days she hasn’t been able to poop properly. All I see is this clear liquid and urate coming out. I’ve fed her the right size insects and use newspaper so I don’t think it could be impaction but I just don’t know and I’m so worried. Her bum area is swollen but goes down after a while from when she tried to poop. When there is poo that comes out it’s not much and seems watery. I don’t know what to do or if this is a very serious problem. I just want her to be healthy but something definitely seems wrong. She still has an appetite but she eats without expelling anything but liquid. I tried giving her baths but she HATESSSS them. Should I try fruit laxatives or something to try to help pass the food?
Please post a pic of the dragons vent --- and also the insect your feeding-- what kind of UVB are you using coil or a long tube fixture --- what are your surface basking temps and how are you taking them? Please no stick ons they are inaccurate
 

KarrieRee

BD.org Sicko
Beardie name(s)
Hiccup he is 6 and Blaze is 4
This is what it looks like for a while after she tries to go. I’ve tried to contact vets near me but it seems most don’t work with reptiles and the ones that do aren’t taking new clients. I have somehow gotten an appointment at the petco vet clinic but it’s in like two weeks and I’m just worried the time waiting will just make things worse.
Your dragon is impacted badly -- please get some canned plain pumpkin and feed it to her--- please dont feed any insects for now -- shes going to need soft food for now make sure the pumpkin is a little soupy and add a drop of olive oil and 2 drops of honey to it -- we need her to eat this keep feeding till she poops
 

Cubby

Member
Original Poster
Beardie name(s)
Namu
I did a lot of research for the enclosures to make sure she has all she needs to grow well. I have the bar UVB by reptiZoo I got on Amazon as well as a ZooMed basking lamp and a ceramic heating thing for night. As for the insects I’m using 1/2 inch Dubias. I make sure they are smaller than the length between her eyes
 

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KarrieRee

BD.org Sicko
Beardie name(s)
Hiccup he is 6 and Blaze is 4
I did a lot of research for the enclosures to make sure she has all she needs to grow well. I have the bar UVB by reptiZoo I got on Amazon as well as a ZooMed basking lamp and a ceramic heating thing for night. As for the insects I’m using 1/2 inch Dubias. I make sure they are smaller than the length between her eyes
Please get a Zoo Med UVB bulb --- is yours a T 5 or a T8 those are better bulbs and they have certain placement and distance between those 2 bulbs --- the thermometer is giving you ambient temps please get a Zoo Med digital probe thermometer --- in the mean time no more insects for now --- please get some canned plain pumpkin or some baby food pumpkin and feed to her --- we need her to start pooping it out that will help push it out make sure there is water in it --- she does not heat at night if the tank is 65-75 ambient temp but we need the surface basking temps to be on par so she can start digesting -- the UVB and the surface basking temps are imperative for her to be able to digest the food and the over all health of her
@AHBD
@Drache613
 

Cubby

Member
Original Poster
Beardie name(s)
Namu
Please get a Zoo Med UVB bulb --- is yours a T 5 or a T8 those are better bulbs and they have certain placement and distance between those 2 bulbs --- the thermometer is giving you ambient temps please get a Zoo Med digital probe thermometer --- in the mean time no more insects for now --- please get some canned plain pumpkin or some baby food pumpkin and feed to her --- we need her to start pooping it out that will help push it out make sure there is water in it --- she does not heat at night if the tank is 65-75 ambient temp but we need the surface basking temps to be on par so she can start digesting -- the UVB and the surface basking temps are imperative for her to be able to digest the food and the over all health of her
@AHBD
@Drache613
Okay thank you so much for replying so fast I was really concerned and very scared. I feel so bad I really tried my best to avoid such problems and I thought I was doing enough research too 🥲. I’m at the store now and I picked up baby pumpkin food for her. I have to check what the UVB light I have so I’ll send that once I get home! Again I can’t thank you enough I hope that she will be able to pass everything. I’m very scared
 

KarrieRee

BD.org Sicko
Beardie name(s)
Hiccup he is 6 and Blaze is 4
Okay thank you so much for replying so fast I was really concerned and very scared. I feel so bad I really tried my best to avoid such problems and I thought I was doing enough research too 🥲. I’m at the store now and I picked up baby pumpkin food for her. I have to check what the UVB light I have so I’ll send that once I get home! Again I can’t thank you enough I hope that she will be able to pass everything. I’m very scared
My guess is the surface basking temps are not high enough w/ all the things you have that sound correct --- but we need to find out what exactly they are --- please get a Zoo Med digital probe thermometers 2 of them one for your basking side and one for the cool side --- this would be a good reason for her being impacted -- you want surface basking temps of 105-110
 
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Cubby

Member
Original Poster
Beardie name(s)
Namu
My guess is the surface basking temps are not high enough w/ all the things you have that sound correct --- but we need to find out what exactly they are --- please get a Zoo Med digital probe thermometers 2 of them one for your basking side and one for the cool side --- this would be a good reason for her being impacted -- you want surface basking temps of 105-110
Okay so I just checked and the UVB bar is a T5. I also have a flukers basking bulb that’s 100W I could switch out. As far as the temp, I’ll order the probe thermometers. Do you have any tips on getting beardies to eat the pumpkin. I tried to help out by almost spoon feeding and putting a little on her mouth but it spills so easily
 

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KarrieRee

BD.org Sicko
Beardie name(s)
Hiccup he is 6 and Blaze is 4
Okay so I just checked and the UVB bar is a T5. I also have a flukers basking bulb that’s 100W I could switch out. As far as the temp, I’ll order the probe thermometers. Do you have any tips on getting beardies to eat the pumpkin. I tried to help out by almost spoon feeding and putting a little on her mouth but it spills so easily
Please feed by syringe if she won't lick off the spoon-- feed her 1/2 ml -for now- what is the distance from the uvb to the basking decor-- you want it 8-10 inches directly above -- I have some others looking at her - you need those probes as soon as possible - don't do anything w/ your basking bulb yet- if you have a PetSmart or Petco go there and get one please
Also please don't feed her unless she has at least 2-3 hrs to bask
 

Cubby

Member
Original Poster
Beardie name(s)
Namu
Please feed by syringe if she won't lick off the spoon-- feed her 1/2 ml -for now- what is the distance from the uvb to the basking decor-- you want it 8-10 inches directly above -- I have some others looking at her - you need those probes as soon as possible - don't do anything w/ your basking bulb yet- if you have a PetSmart or Petco go there and get one please
Also please don't feed her unless she has at least 2-3 hrs to bask
 

Cubby

Member
Original Poster
Beardie name(s)
Namu
The distance from the basking decor to the UVB is about 7 or so inches above and the basking lamp is about 9 or 10 from the basking decor. She tends to go to the highest point which shortens the distance by like an inch or two. I already have a basking bulb in and had the flukers basking bulb as a spare just in case the one I’m using now died or something because I know how important it is for beardies to get the heat.
 

KarrieRee

BD.org Sicko
Beardie name(s)
Hiccup he is 6 and Blaze is 4
The distance from the basking decor to the UVB is about 7 or so inches above and the basking lamp is about 9 or 10 from the basking decor. She tends to go to the highest point which shortens the distance by like an inch or two. I already have a basking bulb in and had the flukers basking bulb as a spare just in case the one I’m using now died or something because I know how important it is for beardies to get the heat.
Ok we need surface basking temps-- that needs to be taken so you know if you need to change wattage- if she's climbing to the top to get heat that is not good - the bulb is on top of screen correct? She should not be able to get w/ in 6 inches of that basking bulb
 

Cubby

Member
Original Poster
Beardie name(s)
Namu
Ok we need surface basking temps-- that needs to be taken so you know if you need to change wattage- if she's climbing to the top to get heat that is not good - the bulb is on top of screen correct? She should not be able to get w/ in 6 inches of that basking bulb
Can you explain what you mean by surface basking temps? Would that be measured by the probe thermometer? I ordered those and they are coming in on Monday. The basking bulb is on top of the screen yes. It’s directly above a lower part of the decor so that when she climbs to the highest it’s not within 6 inches directly from above because it’s kind of on the side of the bulb. I would say that the length of the bulb to the highest point (diagonally) is about 9 or so inches. I hope I’m making sense. But if the basking bulb shouldn’t be 6 inches from anywhere, like not just directly above, then I will move the decor down a bit.
 

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