Impacted dragon

[Jennag216]

I am looking for any advice on how to help relieve my 4 month old bearded dragon of impaction I am a new reptile owner and I was trying out different types of substrate... I used a mixture of calcium sand and ground walnuts.. I thought he would like it because he enjoys burrowing and the bag said it holds heat better then other options.. well I didn't know that it could cause serious impaction. He usually poops everyday but for the last week or so he has only pooped once (in a warm bath) and hasn't been eating as much as he normally does! I got all of the sand out a few days ago and put a reptile carpet in ... He has still been eating a good amount of salad but he will only eat a couple roaches per day.. I've been giving him warm baths which have always made him poo but other then the one time a few day ago it hasn't helped.. does anyone have any advice on something I can give or doto him to help him?

 

[Hazel_Basil10]

Hello,

Do have a vet that you can hook up with. He needs medication to relieve it and watch for any symptoms that are not normal. In order to get the medication, you need to have a vet make the prescription for him and that'll hopefully help with the impaction in a few days.
lemme know how he's doing!

 

[smaugthebeardie3756]

You can also try canned pumpkin and/or a drop or two of olive oil to help lube things up. Gentle abdominal massage while in the bath can help sometimes too.

 

[KarrieRee]

Did you get rid of the sand/ walnuts?

 

[Jennag216]

Did you get rid of the sand/ walnuts?

Yes as I said in the post I got rid of the sand and got reptile carpet.. we only had the sand for 2 weeks.

 

[Jennag216]

You can also try canned pumpkin and/or a drop or two of olive oil to help lube things up. Gentle abdominal massage while in the bath can help sometimes too.

Thank you I am going to go to the grocery store tomorrow to get some... Which one would you say works better?

 

[Jennag216]

Hello,

Do have a vet that you can hook up with. He needs medication to relieve it and watch for any symptoms that are not normal. In order to get the medication, you need to have a vet make the prescription for him and that'll hopefully help with the impaction in a few days.
lemme know how he's doing!

I do not have a vet and I'm not sure I can afford one unless absolutely necessary.. it's not the point of his back legs being slump or anything like that and he is still eating a little and being active.. I'm hoping it doesn't come to us having to make a vet visit.. I'm going to try the olive oil or pumpkin tomorrow and continue with warm baths and abdominal messages!

 

[Hazel_Basil10]

okay! I hope that'll work! let's hope for the best!

 

[KarrieRee]

Yes as I said in the post I got rid of the sand and got reptile carpet.. we only had the sand for 2 weeks.

Ok I missed it but that is good

 

[smaugthebeardie3756]

Thank you I am going to go to the grocery store tomorrow to get some... Which one would you say works better?

I'm not sure which one would work better, every beardie is different. You can drop the olive oil on his nose and he should lick it off. About a spoonful of pumpkin thinned with some water fed the same way, put it on his nose and let him lick it off. Or you can mix the olive oil with the pumpkin to really get things moving.