Time between poops. Possible Brumation or Impaction?

[ArdorAndZeal1]

hmm -- well the basking is good. Maybe with the good amount of time basking and the olive oil treatment + we will get some poop tomorrow.

 

[PuffPuff11]

I figured I should start my own.... I really think he is brumating.... I have already read the article....

He would probably never get up if i didnt wake him up!

kski.... so your dragon hasnt pooped in like 4 days even with baths? but other than that just acting pretty much normal just a little sluggish?
to me it doesnt seem like he is brumating considering he stays awake and is basking... something puff hasnt really done in a few weeks... he just lays there...

 

[akingsley9000]

Hey guys,

Hows he doing today?

It sounds like you are on the right track. The only thing i have to suggest is that when he does finally poop get it to the vet for a fecal. If he is going into brumation, at least you will know that he is free of parasites.

 

[beardie osk]

Hello Kski,

I'm glad you have read all about brumation and it appears you've been doing a great job.

I can give you info on my 2 boys who are 18 mo.+, and their journey, neither one has gone into full brumation..... slowed down, but not full. I've even fed them with a (needleless) syringe and they always pooped daily, one boy usually pooped in his bath, the other in the viv and smeared it everywhere As they grew, they slowed down in their "daily constitution" because the need for high amounts of food decreased, so now, they poop weekly. I've tested their poop, everything is fine and it makes my life easier. You just want to check their urates to make sure their getting enough fluids, (white plug on whether it's hard or soft)

I know of folks who have prevented their beardies to fully brumate.......... some never do............. while others sleep for months. About your bd hide/cave, I have a boy that would stay in his 24/7, so I stuff up the holes during the day with soft cloths, then he's able to bask on the top and theirs no beardie anger. Then I open the "doors" when it's close to bedtime.

One note about syringing, (I have to do this daily), please only put the food on their lips and let them lick it off as oppose to putting the syringe in the mouth and giving 1cc all at once. I've had to give medication deep in the stomach with a syringe, but feeding the same way is a high risk for aspiration, they can't handle all that amount at once in their mouth unless your completed in their stomach, which is a special technic. It sounds drastic, but I learned the hard way, They soon learn to lick from a syringe or spoon, so spoiled! FYI: Unsweetened applesauce, mineral oil gtts, or pumpkin are great laxatives, as mentioned.

I hope I havn't been redundant,

Keep us updated........Bugs and wishes to you and yours,

 

[pbolin]

I am having the same problem with my 11 month old BD. I don't know whats up either. He poops only in the bath about 1x a week. Sleeps alot but looks and acts fine when you get him out. What's up???????

 

[kski]

Well here we are, I'm at lunch at 2 pm EST day 5, and still no poop. My wife gave him a shot of the baby food and olive oil mix this morning when his lights kicked on, then I just did it again just now. We did the prying open of the mouth last night but apparently he likes the baby food and all I had to do today was put it near his mouth and he just started licking like crazy. It's funny that I did that then read what you wrote.

His colors are still very bright and he still seems happy and alert. No strange swellings anywhere, his head still looks normal no sinking in or anything. When I came home he was in his hides again but bright and awake. I put a tiny salad in his cage now too after the shot. I feel bad depriving him of any food when there might really be nothing wrong with him. And after I gave him the mix I put him on his bricks and he stayed on for about 10 minutes then climbed down. This is driving me absolutely crazy!! I'm worrying about him so much!

Oh yeah! I forgot to mention something. Last night when we gave him the mix the first time he struggled a bit and tried to back away from us. Well my wife was holding him down a little with her hand and Slevin's scales actually left a whole bunch of little puncture holes in her skin. It looks crazy, like a cheese grater scraped her hand in that one spot. I didn't know their scales were that strong and sharp. Just a little side story lol. Well I'll update you guys when I get back from work at 7!

 

[Judah'sHuman]

Hey guys! I know how you feel when your little one is not acting right and they dont make noises or anythign we tend to worry so much. It is hard, but keep calm I think offten they give us more scare than what is nessasary.

Judah is about 1 year old now and he is doing about the same thing. Slowing down, wanting to sleep or stay in his hide. He will stay in basking spot if I put him there, but otherwise he would stay in his hole all day if I let him. His eyes will be open the whole time though (untill it is just about bed time) and he is alert when I come and talk to him. All the temps are normal, he has top notch lighting, hes not impacted, and when I take him out he is alert and loves to run around. But since he is not eating as much of his greens his goes for about 3-4 day with out pooping. He has been doing this for about 3 or 4 weeks now, he is pooping about once a week. All of his behavior says trying to Brumate but not fully, I believe this is because he is still young. I have been doing the Baby food and olive oil approximately every 4 days to keep him pooping and babyfood everyday (he loves babyfood carrots). So I give him warm bath and massage his belly. BTW mine has never ever pooped in the bath, little bugger I wish he would! So i do that then give him the Slurry, then if he still hasent pooed, towards bed time I put him on a heating pad on my belly while watching tv. Sure enough he poops on me and the heating pad. ewwwww I firmy believe this is happening because he is not eating as many greens (but will eat crickets) and since he is sleeping later and staying in a colder spot he is not digesting the food he does eat, as fast. All of this started when the days here in Seattle started getting shorter, it changes quite drasticly here. Summer it stays light till 10pm and now it is down at 5:30 ish. If he seems chipper for the most part other than being a little "sleeper" and will run around when you take him out, it sounds liek he is trying to Brumate. As long as your fecal comes back ok, and your doing the babyfood and Olive oil, bath thing, all you can do is wait. Oh I also give Judah a small amount of Probiotics, this will build ther immune system to help ward off parasites. Also, if they get a little stoped up, it will help keep bad bacteria from building up in the gut. While it is sitting there in the gut it can start to rot. You can purchase Probiotics at any healthfood store, get the capsules and add about 1/3 of the capsul powder to you baby food slurries. Just FYI... DO not feed your dragon Yogurt! Even thought this does have live active clutures (Probiotics & acidophilis) it has not been established if BD's can digest dairy products.

Good luck!
Stacey

 

[kski]

Well I'm back from work and still no progress. Still the exact same, sitting up on his bricks, holding his head up, bright colors, gaping into his basking light, no beard. My wife gave him a bath when she got home from work at 4. The salad is still mostly there. She did give him 4 crickets just to see if he would eat them, and he is very interested in food now. He wasn't earlier this week. After she gave him those 4 he kept looking around for more like he always does. After he realized that no more crickets were coming he started stomping around where his hides usually are. He's the cutest thing when he does that and we've been able to see him do it a lot this week lol. So it appears that his appetite is back now...so. What the hell do we do now? He doesn't seem interested in greens as much as usual though and we're afraid to feed him much. Even though there could really be nothing wrong. This is frustrating.

Do you guys think that we should just give him more of the squash baby food without the oil in it just to get something in him? There's too many what-ifs with this situation. He seems so healthy, with the exception of the not pooping, especially since he has his appetite for crickets back. We still have a vet appointment and we're gonna go no matter what now but it's not until Wednesday so should we try feeding him and risk packing him up further or just keep not feeding him? I'd feel so bad if this was all for nothing and he's just sitting there wondering why we're not feeding him. So frustrating!!

 

[Judah'sHuman]

I think you should just be feeding him the Baby food, and no you should no feed him crickets untill he dose poo in order to avoid further impaction or more constipation. He will be perfectly fine just eating the babyfood for a few days, and no you dont nessasarily need to keep putting oil in it. Also try the Probiotics in the baby food

 

[kski]

Okay so we won't do anymore crickets until he goes. Is it still okay to put a fresh salad in everyday? And how much baby food should we give a day/feeding. Preferably in a CC measurement lol. We'll probably do it with the syringes unless there's a better way.

Thanks!

 

[Judah'sHuman]

Well when Judah was 7-8 months would just latch on to the syringe and would eat about half or 3/4" of a whole the tube soemtimes 2 tubes full! Little piggy. (Sorry but my Syringe is in mL and Teaspoons. I believe 1cc is 1mL but i maybe wrong on this) In My Syringe I give him about 3mL-7mL Now he wont latch on to it he will only lick it off his nose. Sometimes he will open his mounth and sorta take it and I squirt just a very small amount on to his tounge, but just a little so he doesnt choke. But really it is how much ever he will eat! If he will eat a whole syringe great! if he wants more awsome! As far as salads: According to the Major impaction guide it says no solid foods. It would prolly really be best to just go with the baby food for now untill you see the vet and they are sure there is no blockage. You said he wasnt really eatting them anyways right? He proll wont miss them for a few days. get a good assortment of babyfoods like Chicken, Carrots, Squash, Green Beans and he will be happy. So since your prolly gone at work most of the day: feed him as much as he will eat in the morning before you go to work and as much as he will eat when you come home. You can also add a pinch of Vits and water to the mix (called a Slurry)

Im rottin for you guys I hope he poos soon!

 

[kski]

YES!!!!!!!!

On what was gonna be Day 7 we have poop!! According to my wife it looked normal, normal size but more watery than normal probably due to the oil and baby food. Eurates were good looking too. Right when he pooped she gave him his hides back too and that's where he is now, though bright, alert, and awake. We're so happy! We're holding him off on his crickets for now though because he shot right into his hides which is pushing me even more toward brumation. But we're gonna watch him close, we're gonna put salads back in now too. Think we should continue the baby food till after the appointment on Wednesday?

Thanks for all the advice we got!! And the thoughts too. We'll let ya know what happens tomorrow too.

Thanks again!

 

[beardie osk]

Yipee!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Isn't it amazing how we all get excited over pooping :shock:

I would see how he does with the salad because they really get used to being hand fed and then get lazy. See how he does, and hold off on the baby food. You always have that as an option.

Are you holding off on the crickets because he may be brumating?

 

[Judah'sHuman]

That is fanstasic! I would hold off on the crickets until you see the vet. Salads are good, just stay away from the things that are a little harder to digest like the carrots, green bean etc. as i mentioned before. You can keep giving him the baby food try some chicken baby food for the protein in lue of crickets. Dont force the issue, if he is trying to brumate he needs is bowles to be clear. Also, when they get stopped up like that they can get irregular and you dont want to get gun hoe thinking that all is normal in the digestive tract. I know Im prolly beating a dead horse but I still highly recomend the probiotics. If he is going into brumation it will help buidl the immune system for his time of sleep, in which the immune system can be worn down and can lead to parasites or imbalance. I dont know if I recomended it before but there is a Special Herp Probiotic called Acidophiliz you can buy if your worried about giving him the Human version.

Here is a bit of info on it for you you can get this at Reptile Supply.com it only $6.00 (way cheeper than the human version @ healthfood stores)
Pet Authority Acidophiliz+ contains highly potent lactobacillus acidophilus cultures (the healthy cultures found in yogurt that provide essential friendly bacteria) maturing in a natural medium of papaya puree and yucca shidigera. This combination of natural ingredients has been used successfully as a daily dietary supplement to help maintain good health and to help combat unhealthy bacteria.
Provides:
8 essential vitamins
Calcium & Enzymes

The combination of these dairy free natural ingredients has been used as a daily supplement to help maintain good health and as a homeopathic remedy to aid various digestive ailments including diarrhea.

Happy pooping!

 

[kski]

I have a new thread posted as an update to his situation and he does indeed have parasites. Coccidia. If you wanna check out the new thread it's viewtopic.php?f=6&t=91064&hilit=.