Pooping During Sleep?

[Kitlings]

Why do they do this, and is it a health issue?

My beardie is about 2 years old, spayed, not brumating. I have proper UV and a halogen heat bulb that I use during the day, and a CHE that I use at night (we are in Canada and it gets cold at night).

Starting a few months ago, I will check her tank in the morning and find that she pooped overnight. She'll just be sleeping there with poop under her tail. 90% of the time, she poops during the day, but I find it strange that she is occasionally doing this overnight. It's not normal for bearded dragons, from what I've read.

We go to bed late in this house, and sometimes the space heater stays on for a few hours after she has gone to sleep. So the room stays warm and doesn't cool down until we go to bed, which is sometimes around 3-4am. I shut her lights off around midnight, but there is still light and heat from the rest of us still staying up. Could this be throwing off her circadian rhythm or something?

Anyone else had their beardies poop in their sleep before?

edit: I gave her a warm bath yesterday and she still pooped overnight instead of during the day.

 

[GlassesTho]

My best guess would be it's the lights and heat lasting into the night that is throwing her off.

You could get a fecal done, just to be safe.

But I'd try keeping her on a set day-time light schedule, and turning the lights off at sunset. Even if I"m still awake in my room with the TV on (and it's pretty bright) or if I turn a lamp on, Skywalker snoozes through it all as long as HIS lights are off. Plus he has a few places he can crawl under if he wants. =)

 

[Kitlings]

So since making this post, I shifted her light schedule so that the lights go on earlier and get shut off earlier (closer to sunrise/sunset).

Last night, she pooped in her sleep again. It has been 2 weeks since the last time she did it (which was when I made this post).

I noticed one thing in common with those two nights... I took her out of her tank in the evening. I regularly give her free-roam time in the morning or afternoon, but occasionally I take her out in the evening. This is odd because she doesn't usually poop after free-roam time during the day. I'm going to avoid moving her in the evening from now on and see if she does it again.

 

[KozmoRox]

Hey! Kozmo has pooped in her sleep a couple of times. Once, snuggled between the cushions on my white couch and another time rolled up like a burrito in a towel. I was super concerned the first time, and somewhat the second. Both times she had loose poops. I have no idea why it happened. Maybe stress or too relaxed or an upset stomach? It hasn't happened in about a month now. I think if there aren't any other symptoms that it just may be a fluke.

Hopefully your baby is just fine