Impaction?! Are we past the worst?

[Ashleydmj]

Hello everyone! It's been a little while...
I had quite the scare with my little Emma this week.
Last week I left town in a hurry to assist my grandparents. Before leaving town, I noticed my 2 month old Beardie Emma had little to no appetite. I was quite worried and soaked her, but there was not much I could do before I left.(As it was a family emergency)
I thought she could have parasites, maybe she was refusing the crickets and needed worms? Impaction? No that's not possible. I have been so careful to feed her appropriate food to the space between her eyes. (Small crickets twice a day and collard greens daily)
My mom went to the pet store and was advised to soak her.
When I finally got home my mom gave me the whole story:
She came home from work and Emma had not moved from her spot since morning, my mom held Emma (something she had never done) and was completely convinced she was gone. After her last attempt at poking her, Emma slightly opened her eyes. My mom quickly soaked her in warm water for 30 minutes and Emma passed two hard pieces. My mom had been advised to do so after the pet store explained that she was impacted. They said that most likely she will not be able to pass it. There is a chance, but it will take consistent work and patience... Today, I arrived home. I soaked her in warm water, and fed her crickets earlier. (She ate only 4) But tonight, LUCKILLY she ate 34! She is acting normal, curious, and energetic. She no longer looks skinny. I am shocked she was impacted. I have been so cautious to prevent such events. (Repti-carpet by the way)
Can anyone relate? Is there more to be concerned about? I am planning on making an appointment for her, but time has been hard to find! What should I do now? Continue to soak her?
I am so thankful my mom went out of her comfort zone to save my little one's life
Is there any other steps I can take to prevent this?
Also, out of curiousity? Does anyone know what goes on when a Bearded dragon appears dead? I have read previous stories about people thinking their Beardie was dead....
Thanks for the help! I am so glad she is okay.

 

[AHBD]

Hi Ashley....I'm glad that she appears to be on the mend, hopefully she is past any danger ! As for what may have caused it, she may have been dehydrated and/or had too much calcium powder in her diet. Excessive calcium can cause constipation, and that can lead to impaction. There are other things that could contribute to a scenario like that, but we don't always know everything and diagnosing a reptile's problems are still pretty far from our cats + dogs. We don't always get clear cut answers. To help keep her hydrated, use a small spray bottle to drip water on her nose, or a syringe or eyedropper. Keep up the daily baths, and dribble a little on her nose while she's in the tub. Be careful not to powder her food too much, only once daily with a very light coating, the crickets shouldn't be completely white from the powder. Also, if she isn't already eating salad, keep offering things like squash [ finely shredded for a baby beardie ] turnip, mustard, dandelion greens [ they love the flower , too ! but if you get it from your yard be sure there is no one spraying their lawns nearby with pesticides ] also short green leaf clover is a favorite for my beardies. As to why they appear " dead" , they look that way at times even when they are resting, and when ill, depending on what the problem is, they may breathe very heavily or not appear to be breathing at all. One last thing, keep some canned pumpkin [ unspiced], olive oil,applesauce and baby food prunes on hand in case you ever have impaction trouble again, those things can help to grease it through.