So Sauron has been having loose stool and i want to have a fecal done, the only problem is that i can only really get him to poop when i give him a bath. Im currently working 6 days a week and the vets office is an hour away so when he poops normally i can never get the fresh sample up there in time. Can the sample be collected from his bath water or will it be no good? I'm off today so id really like to get it done today if at all possible.
It's not ideal but if you can scoop it out without much water it may be OK. Does your vet have a lot of experience with bearded dragons? If so, there is a way to massage their vent to stimulate a poop on site but it's risky if the vet doesn't know how to do it. Otherwise I would try setting up a routine by putting him in an easy to clean area (bathroom floor, kitchen floor etc) with the door closed at the same time each day until he goes (within reason). I've found that to be a reliable way to get them to go as they learn that the door will open if they poop.
Thank you for the advice. Thankfully he pooped just now but ill definitely have to try that out in the future. Is it necessary to refrigerate the sample if I'm going to take it up there within the next 30 minutes? Im not too crazy about putting this in my fridge lol.
OK great! You'll want to refrigerate it if you are storing it but if you're bringing it right over, it should be fine in a ziploc bag at room temp for a bit.