Possibly Gravid Beardie

[RyuksMama]

So, I’m either a paranoid first time beardie owner or my dragon just gets sick a lot and it always resolves on its own. Its likely that I just get paranoid with any little change in behavior. So, starting from the beginning, my little girl Ryuk had gotten really lethargic and sick, vet had thought it to be follicular stasis, quarantine prevented us from ever going to get surgery or confirmation scans to prove that it in fact was what it was. It has been quite a while and quite frankly if she had follicular stasis she would’ve died from it already without treatment. (Thank god she’s still here with us) My assumption was that it either was not ever follicular stasis and whatever it was resolved, or she reabsorbed the follicles. Regardless, she had started doing a lot better for a while. Well now she has all of the sudden stopped digesting her food properly. She still has an appetite and eats plenty though. I took in a fecal sample to be tested and they said she does not have parasites. Her temps are what they have always been between 95-100 and someone said to try bumping her temps a bit so I tried 100-105 for a bit but she stopped basking. I moved her temps back down but now her poops have become small and infrequent. I have gotten a lay box for her and she has shown no interest in it at all until today. Today I decided to let her stay in there for a few hours and she started to dig in little cave and then stopped and was trying to get out of the lay box for the rest of the time. This is the first time she has ever dug in it at all. Could this be starting signs that she is about to lay? Could the poop problems be related to her just being chocked full of eggs? Also note that after the follicle issue had resolved and she started feeling better she gained quite a bit of weight, her belly does look lumpy like there may be eggs in it. She just overall doesn’t seem to be enjoying herself recently and has stress marks and just isn’t happy. Should I continue putting her in her lay box? How often and for how long? She licks the sand a lot while she is in there and that also worries me about impaction. How could I prevent Impaction from her “smelling” around and licking the sand? She is already having poop problems id hate to add onto it with sand. Im sort of at a loss with what to do and nobody can quite help tell me what’s going on with her so far. Any advice would be welcomed.

 

[CooperDragon]

It does sound like she may be trying to lay eggs. Hopefully it goes smoothly for her. Give her time in the lay box every day or several times a day depending on her interest level. Don't worry too much about the sand licks. A little bit should just pass through if everything else is OK. The digestion issues can be related to this from what I've read.

 

[RyuksMama]

It does sound like she may be trying to lay eggs. Hopefully it goes smoothly for her. Give her time in the lay box every day or several times a day depending on her interest level. Don't worry too much about the sand licks. A little bit should just pass through if everything else is OK. The digestion issues can be related to this from what I've read.

I sure hope so. Im beyond ready for her to just lay her first clutch of eggs. I feel like we have had so much trouble just because she is so young and has never laid before. Hopefully if we can get one first clutch the future ones will go smoothly and she won’t keep having problems like this. Not that I love her any less but all this is why I was praying she was a boy. Haha.

 

[Drache613]

Hello,

I agree, many times they will have issues with their stools & maybe digestion when they have
eggs or are near laying.
Sometimes it takes them a little while to get the hang of things, if they have never laid eggs
previously.
As long as the lay box is acceptable & she doesn't have some type of issues with an odd shaped
egg, eventually she will lay them.

Tracie

 

[RyuksMama]

Hello,

I agree, many times they will have issues with their stools & maybe digestion when they have
eggs or are near laying.
Sometimes it takes them a little while to get the hang of things, if they have never laid eggs
previously.
As long as the lay box is acceptable & she doesn't have some type of issues with an odd shaped
egg, eventually she will lay them.

Tracie

How worried should I be about her constipation? She isn’t basking and she hasn’t pooped in a few days. She normally goes daily if not multiple times a day. She hasn’t gone in a few days and I can just feel this rock hard line of food backed up in her lil belly. I have been giving baths daily and carefully massaging it. She just falls asleep in the water lol. She hasn’t shown any interest in her lay box today. She hasn’t shown any interest or tried to dig around in her tank at all. That one time she dug a tiny bit was all there was. I definitely feel some eggs in there. Dunno if they’re fully developed but they are there you can see them around the sides of her belly when she lays certain ways. What else can I do to help with her constipation until she lays ir it resolves. I have no access to a vet right now I’m terrified she is going to get impacted and it become serious. I’ve been holding off quite a bit on food.

 

[Drache613]

Hello,

How long has it been since she has gone to the bathroom, a few days?
If you are concerned about her being constipated you can incorporate some unsweetened
apple sauce, canned or fresh pumpkin & or squash along with a drop or two of olive or
coconut oil.
She just may not be quite ready to lay but hopefully soon. If you can feel & see the eggs
then they are probably calcified most of the way now.
Let us know how she is doing.

Tracie

 

[RyuksMama]

Hello,

How long has it been since she has gone to the bathroom, a few days?
If you are concerned about her being constipated you can incorporate some unsweetened
apple sauce, canned or fresh pumpkin & or squash along with a drop or two of olive or
coconut oil.
She just may not be quite ready to lay but hopefully soon. If you can feel & see the eggs
then they are probably calcified most of the way now.
Let us know how she is doing.

Tracie

She hasn’t gone in about 5 days and she normally goes daily if not more than that. She isn’t basking and has barely moved around at all. Even when I put her in the bath she falls asleep and I have to hold er little nose above water. I’m getting very worried about her. We don’t have a good vet in my area. The one I took her to is god awful and just tried to milk you of money with unnecessary and dangerous treatments. Its the only one in my area and it’s two hours away. Any other one is about 6 hours away and we would have to spend the night there. I’m freaking out and don’t know if I should be. I don’t feel the hard lump anymore so hopefully the olive oil I gave her has broken it down a bit. She is still showing no interest in her lay box. She dug once and not since.

 

[RyuksMama]

Hello,

How long has it been since she has gone to the bathroom, a few days?
If you are concerned about her being constipated you can incorporate some unsweetened
apple sauce, canned or fresh pumpkin & or squash along with a drop or two of olive or
coconut oil.
She just may not be quite ready to lay but hopefully soon. If you can feel & see the eggs
then they are probably calcified most of the way now.
Let us know how she is doing.

Tracie

Update! She went to the bathroom! She has pretty dark stress marks but isn’t black bearding. She still isn’t basking much and is sleeping a lot. Not showing any interest in the lay box still. Going to keep trying. Im nearly positive she is pregnant.

 

[Drache613]

Hello,

That is great she went to the bathroom then, how is she doing today?
If she does have eggs, they are infertile correct?
Hopefully her beard stays a good color & doesn't go dark. She probably is a little stressed
but if she is close to laying she should lay them soon.
Let us know how she is doing.

Tracie

 

[RyuksMama]

Hello,

That is great she went to the bathroom then, how is she doing today?
If she does have eggs, they are infertile correct?
Hopefully her beard stays a good color & doesn't go dark. She probably is a little stressed
but if she is close to laying she should lay them soon.
Let us know how she is doing.

Tracie

Yes they’re infertile. She is doing alright today but still not basking and still not digging. I’ll keep you updated.