No Poop in About a Month? Impact or Brumation?

[Shotty.Sub]

Hi,

Issue:
Bearded dragon hasn’t pooped in ~4 weeks. She's trying to brumate, I've slowed down her feeding, I'm hoping that's the only reason. and I was trying to get a good poo out of her before she went to sleep. She never fully sleeps in brumation time of year, she just kind of hangs out in her hide all day during that time of year.

Behavior:

• Lazy but no signs of discomfort (no black beard, normal movement).
• Eats if offered but less frequently, as expected this time of year for her.
• Alert in her hide, holds head up and looks around.

Poop History:

• Normal: Every 1–2 weeks, firm and healthy.
• Recent: Urates hard, possibly from excess calcium; diarrhea-like before brumation. Parasite tests were negative.

Current Actions:

• Warm baths with tummy massages 2x/week.
• Considering pumpkin, applesauce, or olive oil for assistance.

---

Some additional info, if helpful.

Age: 3 years
Tank: 120 gallons
Lighting:

• 8 AM–8 PM schedule
• Two T8 ReptiSun 10.0 UVB (24", 17W) bulbs, no screen
• 150W heat lamp + optional 50W heat lamp on cool side in colder seasons

Temperature & Humidity:

• Basking: 95–100°F (prefers 95°F), cool side: 78–81°F
• Humidity: ~35%, up to 42% at night

Substrate: Ceramic tile
Diet:

• 4–6 crickets, 3–4x/week; daily collards
• Treats (blueberries, hornworms) every few weeks
• Calcium 4x/week, multivitamin 1x/week

Her Normal Poo

 

[KarrieRee]

Hi,

Issue:
Bearded dragon hasn’t pooped in ~4 weeks. She's trying to brumate, I've slowed down her feeding, I'm hoping that's the only reason. and I was trying to get a good poo out of her before she went to sleep. She never fully sleeps in brumation time of year, she just kind of hangs out in her hide all day during that time of year.

Behavior:

• Lazy but no signs of discomfort (no black beard, normal movement).
• Eats if offered but less frequently, as expected this time of year for her.
• Alert in her hide, holds head up and looks around.

Poop History:

• Normal: Every 1–2 weeks, firm and healthy.
• Recent: Urates hard, possibly from excess calcium; diarrhea-like before brumation. Parasite tests were negative.

Current Actions:

• Warm baths with tummy massages 2x/week.
• Considering pumpkin, applesauce, or olive oil for assistance.

---

Some additional info, if helpful.

Age: 3 years
Tank: 120 gallons
Lighting:

• 8 AM–8 PM schedule
• Two T8 ReptiSun 10.0 UVB (24", 17W) bulbs, no screen
• 150W heat lamp + optional 50W heat lamp on cool side in colder seasons

Temperature & Humidity:

• Basking: 95–100°F (prefers 95°F), cool side: 78–81°F
• Humidity: ~35%, up to 42% at night

Substrate: Ceramic tile
Diet:

• 4–6 crickets, 3–4x/week; daily collards
• Treats (blueberries, hornworms) every few weeks
• Calcium 4x/week, multivitamin 1x/week

Her Normal Poo
View attachment 96015

Please upgrade your T 8's to one 24" zoo med - or Arcadia 12% 24 watt or 24" Sunblaster fixture- the distance for those T 8's should be 6-8 inches directly over the basking decor- a T 5 in the tank distance 12-15 inches- expiration for the T 5 approx 10-11 months T 8's every 5 months- also it's not uncommon for dragons to take that long to poop- feed her some canned plain pumpkin that will make her go make sure she's hydrated

 

[Shotty.Sub]

Please upgrade your T 8's to one 24" zoo med - or Arcadia 12% 24 watt or 24" Sunblaster fixture- the distance for those T 8's should be 6-8 inches directly over the basking decor- a T 5 in the tank distance 12-15 inches- expiration for the T 5 approx 10-11 months T 8's every 5 months- also it's not uncommon for dragons to take that long to poop- feed her some canned plain pumpkin that will make her go make sure she's hydrated

Hi, thank you.

So, her basking spot is about 6-8 inches from those lights. Should I still upgrade them?

When I feed her the canned pumpkin should I use a syringe and is there a recommended amount?

 

[AHBD]

It's O.K to not feed them if they want to brumate. She's not truly brumating but since she's not eating a lot and is spending time where it's cool and she is not moving much then she won't poo much if at all for that period of time and that's O.K
Can you post a pic of her to show her body condition ? Also, if she really wants to sleep you can lessen the number of hours her lights are on down to about 6-8 a day.

 

[KarrieRee]

Hi, thank you.

So, her basking spot is about 6-8 inches from those lights. Should I still upgrade them?

When I feed her the canned pumpkin should I use a syringe and is there a recommended amount?

Yes I would upgrade the uvb

 

[Shotty.Sub]

Yes I would upgrade the uvb

Thanks!
When I feed her the canned pumpkin should I use a syringe and is there a recommended amount?

 

[Shotty.Sub]

It's O.K to not feed them if they want to brumate. She's not truly brumating but since she's not eating a lot and is spending time where it's cool and she is not moving much then she won't poo much if at all for that period of time and that's O.K
Can you post a pic of her to show her body condition ? Also, if she really wants to sleep you can lessen the number of hours her lights are on down to about 6-8 a day.

Hi, I can send some pictures, anything in particular I should take a picture of?

 

[KarrieRee]

Thanks!
When I feed her the canned pumpkin should I use a syringe and is there a recommended amount?

You can see if she will eat it by herself- if not add some water to it making it kinda funny that will help push things along - maybe try 2ml - see how that goes - keep feeding till she goes- she may have a blow out

 

[AHBD]

Hi, I can send some pictures, anything in particular I should take a picture of?

A full body picture from above to show her condition.

 

[Drache613]

Hello,

I agree, when they brumate, they usually don't eat much of anything. The 120 gallon tank is a
terrific sized tank.
Posting some pictures of your dragon & the tank setup would be great just so we can see the
lighting placement, etc.

Tracie

 

[Shotty.Sub]

Thank you everyone, it's a relief to hear she's probably ok. We love her, she's very calm & sweet with everyone, even our toddler.

I'll take some pictures tomorrow. I live in Eastern U.S. and she's already going to bed. She's been trying to fully brumate sleep, but I've been stopping her to try and get a poo out of her. I heard their tummies can explode if they aren't cleared out?

I'm going to start the pumpkin tomorrow too.

 

[AHBD]

Yes, she should be O.K
And no, their tummies can't explode and they won't die from rotten food in the tummy either. Both are myths, misinformation . My dragons have never done any type of cleansing before brumating and all their lives they slept pretty much 3 months solid every year once they became adults. All woke up and had no problems.

 

[Drache613]

Hello,

You can certainly make sure she is well hydrated right now & decrease er feedings, if she is even
wanting to eat before letting her sleep awhile, no problem.
She will be fine if she is healthy right now. I as well, have never had any issues with any of our dragons
if they ate some & didn't go potty before they went down.

Tracie

 

[Shotty.Sub]

She seems to just want to go to sleep and brumate now? Should I wake her up for some photos and applesauce anyways?

Also, I was a tad worried about parasites because she had diarhea. But, I got her stool tested twice and it was negative. Maybe overhydration?

 

[AHBD]

If she's been tested for parasites twice and was negative you can just let her sleep. Brumation is natural