Pregnant Beardie With Runny BM

[MissCalypso]

Just got my first beardie from a rescue two days ago. She's gravid - was in a tank with two males for about 4 months. The rescue owner said she might be pregnant (we were able to feel bumps on her abdomen). The first day, I got her to eat 2 mealworms and she wasn't interested after that.

The next evening, she began "glass dancing" and was becoming restless. I tried feeding her but she was not interested. I gave her warm baths to keep her hydrated and calm. I know many beardies defecate in water, but she has not yet. I'm giving her regular baths to keep her calm. I noticed that her bowel movements (BMs) are runny and I don't see normal urates. Her feces has been runny and smell horrible every time, once or twice a day.

I went to our local pet store that specializes in reptiles, and they confirmed that she definitely has eggs and that they felt like a good size and thought she was close to laying. They said she looks to be healthy, just a bit on the thin side. We also asked about her BMs and they advised us to see a vet if her BMs are still runny after she is no longer pregnant, to rule out any infection.

The only other thing she's eaten is Romaine lettuce, no matter what else has been offered, including super worms. Is this possibly normal because she is pregnant and stressed about her new environment? There are pictures below of her BM and her abdomen.

I would also like to know -

-I was only able to get her lay tub ready this evening, but she has been restless yesterday and this evening. By the time I got it ready, she was no longer looking for somewhere to dig, and then went into her hide. Any advice for tomorrow?
-I would think it's normal for her to be stressed now with pregnancy and a new environment. If it's serious, how serious is it? I need to know if I need to take her to the vet ASAP or if it would it be better to wait until after she's laid her eggs.

Abdomen-

Stool-

 

[Skipper7]

Leave her in the lay bin for an hour once or twice a day. If she is dancing, she is most likely ready. If she doesnt lay after 3-4 days I would take her to the vet. If she suddenly becomes VERY lazy, it could be a sign of egg binding with may require surgery. If you are worried about her being sick otherwise, a vet visit isnt a bad idea. Especially with a bunch of babies in tow

Try to get as much calcium in her as you can. Try to bulk her up a bit after laying.

(EDIT: The urates being pinkish is typical of gravid females)

Best of luck with her and the babies

 

[MissCalypso]

Skipper7

Thank you so much. The employees at the pet shop said it is not unsual for her to not want to eat while she is getting ready to lay, which I suspect may be the reason for the way her BMs is. What would you recommend trying to feed her? We've tried grated butternut squash, tiny bits of carrots and romaine lettuce. I know lettuce is not a good source of vitamins or calcium, but that is the only thing she will eat otherwise. I powder my worms when I try feeding her (multivitamin calcium powder) to try to make sure she isn't drawing out the calcium from her bones. What would you recommend I feed her for after she finishes laying? She is thin and I really want her to be healthy.
If her eggs are fertile, how would you recommend incubating them?

 

[AHBD]

Beardies usually lose their appetite before laying, so that's normal. Put her in the laying tub like Skipper mentioned. She won't need a vet unless she becomes extremely lethargic + looks very ill. Then you'd know that she is eggbound....until then it's natural for her to be stressed + looking for a laying site. Can you post a pic of her lay box ? The sand/soil should be about 10" deep, damp enough to hold it's form and for you to pile it a bit higher on one side and start a tunnel for her by hand.

Once they lay they need a good drink, then pretty much all the food she wants, this could be broken in to 2 meals a day with 1 meal calcium dusted.

 

[MissCalypso]

UPDATE

Calypso has just finished laying her eggs!
They all look very healthy and large. I'm so proud of her and happy that she's healthy. She is not acting lethargic at all - all she wants to do now is drink and move around. I gave her a bath to clean and relax her. I cut some collard greens and carrots, and grated some butternut squash for her salad which is dusted with calcium.
I plan on letting her rest for about an hour before I offer her some insects, as I expect her to be tired from all her hard work.

Thank you so much! Pictures will come soon.

 

[AHBD]

That's good, everything went smoothly. Here's a link from the breeding forum on how to incubate them.
viewtopic.php?f=4&t=166108