Tried everything, nothing is working.

[lecko167]

It's been 3 weeks since my beardie, Bruce, used the bathroom. The vet said not to worry about it as he's been going in and out of brummation. However, he's been out of brummation for about a week and a half and still nothing. His last poop was 3 weeks ago and he's been continuously eating since then. He gets a long soak every other day and I gave him mineral oil with his salad this morning but it hasn't done anything.

Also, he does this everytime. I've had to give him mineral oil the last 3 times he's went to the bathroom and I waited 2 weeks each time before giving him mineral oil.

He's in a 55 with a 150 watt basking light, reptisun mounted on the inside of the cage, ceramic tile, and a ceramic heat emitter at night. He does not get superworms or mealworms.

Should I be worried about his 'issue'? Since he does this everytime I'm at a loss as to what I'm doing wrong.

 

[Claudiusx]

Hi there,

Going three weeks without pooing is definitely something that should be addressed.

What are the temperatures in your tank? Basking SURFACE, hot side, and cool side?
And how are you measuring your temps? A digital with probe, dial stick on, or a temp gun?

What substrate are you housing on?

-Brandon

 

[lecko167]

He's on ceramic tile as a substrate. No sand.

I measure temps with a digital probe thermometer. Basking spot stays 95-99 and the cool side stays around 77. At nighttime the ceramic heat emitter keeps where he sleeps around 80.

 

[ShannyBeard]

He's on ceramic tile as a substrate. No sand.

I measure temps with a digital probe thermometer. Basking spot stays 95-99 and the cool side stays around 77. At nighttime the ceramic heat emitter keeps where he sleeps around 80.

I would increase the basking surface temp to closer to 105*F and let his night time temps drop to around 70*F if that is possible. How cool/warm is your house at night? If your dragon is not sick or immuno-compromised, he can take night time temps down to 65*F with no problems. As long as you don't have advice telling you otherwise, related to any health problems that I am not aware of.

How close can he get to his UVB? IIRC a 55 gallon has high sides to it, right?

 

[lecko167]

I used to use nothing at night and let the temp drop down to 65 (that's how cold my house is) but that kept throwing him into brummation. The uvb is mounted on the inside of the tank so he can get within 6" of it.

How can I increase his basking temp? It's only 95 with a 150 watt light. An uth wouldn't reach through the ceramic tile and 150 watt bulb is the highest I can find.

 

[ShannyBeard]

How can I increase his basking temp? It's only 95 with a 150 watt light. An uth wouldn't reach through the ceramic tile and 150 watt bulb is the highest I can find.

I have 100 watt bulbs in my 40g breeder and I have to have the light on a dimmer because it would get over 120 degrees basking otherwise.

Are you certain of the accuracy of your thermometer?

 

[lecko167]

Yes. Like I said, the temp of my room is about 65 and the bulb is nearly 2 ft above my beardie since he's in a 55.

 

[ShannyBeard]

Yes. Like I said, the temp of my room is about 65 and the bulb is nearly 2 ft above my beardie since he's in a 55.

Ok, then you can raise the basking spot temperature by either lowering the heat light so it is closer to the basking spot, or you can raise the basking spot so it is closer to the light.

 

[AtlasStrike]

When I had Charlie in a 55, I had to put the lamps basically inside the tank to get the temps in an acceptable range. But, raising the basking spot is easy, just grab some bricks from home depot and stack them.
You can see how the lamp is attached to the middle support of the tank here, and the bricks give that side of the tank some height. You might want to use some carpet or tile on top of the bricks though, cause they are a huge pain to clean.

 

[AHBD]

I agree with Atlas Strike, excellent idea with the bricks, they are so easy to stack and they can be picked up very cheaply or free. They hold heat ,they form natural steps, your dragon gets exercise and wears the claws down all at the same time.