How to get stool sample when he won't poo!?

[namrufmot]

I'm growing increasingly worried about my dragon Ramses. He is a class pet that spend time between home and school. For the past two years he has been an absolute hornworn PIG - he'd eat them as soon as they hit the carpet. He also greedily ate his veggies, roaches, crickets, and superworms. He used to poo every 3 days or so as well.

For the past two months his appetite has slowly decreased. In school we weigh him on a scale and he has not lost much (if any) weight, but I am definetly worried that he will not touch a hornworm anymore. I bought him some roaches and in two days he has only eaten about 7 of them. He'll just sit and watch them scurry around, maybe take a step towards them, but not willing to finish them off. He has not eaten a veggie in almost two months either.

He is still quite active and squirmy though. He enjoys his baths and being handled, etc. He has all the correct temps, 10.0 bulb, and everything so I am sure it is not his enclosure.

I want to take a stool sample into the vet, but with him hardly eating he has not pooped in 5 days. ANything I can do other than wait and worry?

 

[EDizzle]

Fill up a container of warm water up to his elbows, and maybe give him a rock or something to hold on to. Let him sit in the warm water for a little while, maybe rub his belly gently. It always works with mine.

 

[namrufmot]

I said in my post that I do give him baths...lately I've been giving him daily baths...complete with rubbing.

 

[namrufmot]

I just weighed him and in the past two weeks he hasn't lost any weight...378-379g.

 

[XtinaBeardieMom]

Hello there, sorry you're having a rough time with your dragon. I had the same issue with my dragons not pooping for several days, and someone here suggested giving them a few drops of olive oil... worked like a charm! As far as getting him to consume the oil, if you can get him to eat just one hornworm coated with it then that should be plenty. He's not on loose substrate (sand, etc.) or at any risk for impaction, right? Have you tried feeding him babyfood out of a dropper? Squash & chicken babyfoods are good for them & you could mix in the olive oil too. Do you know how old he is?

 

[namrufmot]

Well he was a stunted beardie when I adopted him 2 years ago...his owner said he was 2 then so that would make him around 4 now. He's been on carpet for two years so I know it is not impaction.



He weighed 116g and now he weighs 379 but he hasn't grown any n size. He was definetly in bad shape when I got him.

 

[XtinaBeardieMom]

Awww, what a lucky little guy to have you rescue him! I just rescued a couple of adult females myself, so I can identify. You said he was a class pet... how often does he get moved from the class room to your home? Could this have anything to do with re-location stress? Either way, your instinct to collect a fecal sample and a trip to the vet is a good one. Hopefully you can get him to take a few drops of olive oil to get that stool sample ASAP. Good luck, and keep us posted!

 

[namrufmot]

He comes into school in Sept and stays until December when it gets too cold. He then stays at my place until April....so he only moves twice during the year.