What to do? Just found out male is a female.

[PuffMagic]

Hello! We took Blaze into the vet yesterday just for a check up because she never has gone to the vet as far as we know. She is about 4yrs old and we have had her for the past year and thought she was male the whole time until yesterday. The vet said she is in amazing health and to keep up the good work!

Now on with the question. She has never laid eggs. The vet said to give her more daylight to help the process. He said up to 18hr days of light. He said to do this gradually so 30minutes every so often. How often should we increase her light and is this the correct thing to do? Also is there anything else we should be doing for our female? I have only every owned males so I am not sure what the difference is in care. I am sure the basics are the same and obviously we are doing something right if she is in amazing health but I don't know much about this laying infertile egg thing.

Any information would be appreciated along with the answer to my main questions :study:

 

[sluedu09]

This is interesting to me too...I have a female and she has never laid eggs. Toni was just at the vet on Wednesday and she didn't seem to concerned with it. She didn't feel any eggs in her and told me that sometimes they just don't lay any. Toni's about five years old. Did your vet tell you that they are supposed to lay even if they are not pregnant?

 

[PuffMagic]

Hmmm very interesting. My vet did say even if she wasn't pregnant that she should lay infertile eggs. He had a certain name for it if she doesn't lay eggs she could become _________ can't remember whats it called but apparently she could get ill if she has eggs stuck in her?

Let's hope someone on here can clear this up for us.

 

[UTreptiles]

I think the term you are looking for is eggbound? How old is your dragon? You don't normally run risk of egg binding unless they are young (less than 18 months). Females really do not require any "special care" beyond normal. Except that you need to increase calcium intake during the breeding/laying season which is normally during the summer months after a cool down winter type brumation. If a dragon does not brumate and is not introduced with a male they can go without laying eggs during the season I believe. When/If she becomes gravid (carrying eggs), you will know it for sure usually. The eggs look and feel like a bunch of marbles in her belly.

18 hours seems like longer than necessary. Brumation start can be activated with as little as a 2 hour time difference for lights on/off. I leave lights on 12/12 during the summer and 9/15 in the winter. 18 hours just seems excessive and energy wastefull. The dragon will try to go to sleep long before lights out in that case. My dragons even go to sleep before the 12 hours is up.

 

[Neromom39]

Just curious, is your vet a herp vet? Most vets that specialize would know what type of schedules dragons should have. Not to say that your vet isnt a good one, but if he doesn't specialize, I would be sure to ask as many questions as I could think of and if any of the answers don't seem right to you, then come back to this site and pose them to the forum like you just did. You've been on here enough to know that there is a lot of experience and advice.

I bet it felt great to hear that your beardie was in excellent health Although probably somewhat surprising to find out he was a she :shock:

 

[PuffMagic]

I think the term you are looking for is eggbound? How old is your dragon? You don't normally run risk of egg binding unless they are young (less than 18 months). Females really do not require any "special care" beyond normal. Except that you need to increase calcium intake during the breeding/laying season which is normally during the summer months after a cool down winter type brumation. If a dragon does not brumate and is not introduced with a male they can go without laying eggs during the season I believe. When/If she becomes gravid (carrying eggs), you will know it for sure usually. The eggs look and feel like a bunch of marbles in her belly.

18 hours seems like longer than necessary. Brumation start can be activated with as little as a 2 hour time difference for lights on/off. I leave lights on 12/12 during the summer and 9/15 in the winter. 18 hours just seems excessive and energy wastefull. The dragon will try to go to sleep long before lights out in that case. My dragons even go to sleep before the 12 hours is up.

Eggbound was correct thank you! Blaze is about 4yrs so eggbinding wouldn't be the case for her. Thanks for clearing that up. Basically you answered all my questions. I will continue with the care I have been giving her with an increase of calcium in the summer months! The only thing I see that I am doing different is that I leave my lights for both my dragons on 12/12 all year...should I be changing this when winter comes?

Just curious, is your vet a herp vet? Most vets that specialize would know what type of schedules dragons should have. Not to say that your vet isnt a good one, but if he doesn't specialize, I would be sure to ask as many questions as I could think of and if any of the answers don't seem right to you, then come back to this site and pose them to the forum like you just did. You've been on here enough to know that there is a lot of experience and advice.

I bet it felt great to hear that your beardie was in excellent health Although probably somewhat surprising to find out he was a she :shock:

My vet deals with all animals of all types, he worked in a zoo for most of his vet career but no he does not specialize in herps. Usually after I visit him I am on here double checking his info b/c I find most of the time it is more here say then facts. But he is very good with noticing health problems. It was so good to hear she was in great health...also very shocking to here he was a she haha its hard for me to stop calling her a him. :?




Thanks for everyones help with this matter!!

 

[UTreptiles]

You can keep the light cycle the same year round. I just adjust light cycles during the winter because I breed them and this helps them go into brumation and stay in it for the few months required for breeding purposes.