# My Beardie won't poo!!



## VictoriaB (Jun 8, 2010)

Hello!

I'm the new proud mummy to a 6mnth old girl Beardie called Peanut (my son called her that because she's small, brown, and tastes good - her brothers ate one of her feet off!!!!) LOL! She's super tame, shuts her eyes when you stroke her and isn't at all worried about you putting your hand in her viv to move stuff about. We haven't handled her thou - the guy said to let her settle for a week.

Anyway, i brought her home Saturday lunchtime and she settled in quite quickly - she ate some greens, ate ten crickets at about 5pm, had a bath in her drink pot (which was so funny to watch - she was flicking the water over her back with her 3 little feet!).She disappeared into her tunnel at about 7pm, and stayed in there all night.

Today she's been a little quiter and has basked nearly all day - she hasn't touched any of her greens at all. She did eat her crickets at 5pm (this is when the reptile shop used to feed her) but she still hasn't poo'd!! She's now got 20 crickets in her little fat belly and nothing's come out the other side! Am i worrying unneccesarily? 

Victoria xxx:blush:


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## cbhull (Jun 7, 2010)

Give her time. She maybe pooing in a spot where you cant see it? If she is still not pooing in a few days maybe then is the time to worry. Try dropping a little olive oil on her nose to lick off incase she is a little "bunged up". My beardie didnt go to toilet on a daily basis so just give her a little time.


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## HanRed (May 28, 2010)

nah...i worried about everything when skittles came. they poo every other day usually.
mine didn't eat for a couple of weeks when he came....scared the life out of me,lol. 
sometimes skittles is hungry sometimes he isn't. i'm sure peanut is fine, just keep an eye on her, try not to worry. 
beardies like there routine so he/she is probably still adjusting.
but i'm not an expert.


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## VictoriaB (Jun 8, 2010)

Thank you so much for your advice - i am worried about her substrate though too- she's on wood chip which i've read horrid things about and my heart just stops when she grabs a bug and a load of wood too!:gasp: Though she seems to spit it out... i think.

I really must get her off it i think - the reptile store swore it was great and more hygeinic - less need to change it often but i think Peanut's health is more important. Should i go to kitchen roll or perhaps desert sand? I worry her little stump (thou an old injury) might get sore on the kitchen roll?!! 

Victoria xx


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## HanRed (May 28, 2010)

i have mine on calcium sand. there's lots of pros and cons to it. try kitchen roll and see how she copes with it. i had mine on woodchippings first too, he's on the sand now and he seems much happyer on there.
woodchippings might hurt her more if she catched her stump on it.
kitchen roll is easyer to clean too.


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## xxvickyxx (Apr 12, 2007)

Hi Victoria,
dont worry about your little one, in my experiance bearded dragons dont always eat regularly and this is fine, they usually eat when they need/want to and thats the same with being lazy and just handing about. 
when they are young they tend to eat more frequently for obvious reasons but nowmines an adult he could eat about 10 locusts, few meal worms every 2 days. I think sometimes its hard to remember lol

Remember they do like there own space to feel safe and moving them around can cause them to become unsettled for a while, (i have moved house and got a new viv for mine and he hasnt eaten yet) but i know he will once hes settled. 

I have always used calcium sand the reason for this is that "if" they eat a little it isnt shouldnt be bad for them obviously too much could cause problems. However I dont feed my lizard in his viv so this isnt a problem for me. the sand i buy is about 15 pounds a bad which is quite a lot but i choose this one coz it isnt dusty...some are very dusty and make my lizard look grey and the wood and decor dull plus a cloud of dust when opening the viv yuck! 
If you buy a calci sand all you have to do is spot clean (remove poo/wee-spray wipe-cover daily or when needed then change once a month or more depending.

I think the best way for any animal to be kept in the most natural environment possible, they like sand as they dig and nestle/wiggle in it to sleep sometimes. Natural+ stimulating+fun enclosure = happy dragon  happy beadies eat  so i personally wouldnt try tissue.

Can i ask what your set up is like overall? lighting? heat? things to play on? 

so moving on...hehe remember they dont HAVE to be fed everyday so I think for now give it a day or two before offering anymore. 
do you only feed crickets? locusts are natural diet for them, meal worms, wax worms (treats only 1 or 2 daily as they are fatty) fruit beatle larvae are yummy for them too. 

beardies take the moisture out of there food more often then they would drink water so having a good varied diet is good, greens are great to but mine isnt keen. you can also by a nutritional powder and "dust" some of the food this doesnt have to be done all the time as people debate that its possible to over do vitamins etc.
As Bearded Dragons get older they don't poop as often. Adults may only poop several times a week. You can give him a warm bath to help him go. It will relax him.

are you treating his/her water with something such as repti-safe? 
If i was you i wouldnt be worried but to be on the safe side you can "bath him/her put some water in a bowl or sink about just enough so his vent is in the water about an inch and treat it with repti safe you can make it warm not hot- put him/her in there for about 5 mins to have a little soak and play about. beardies can over eat so doing this can help if they need to poo.. might even happen when in the water.
I believe its best and safest to ONLY BATH ONCE A MONTH (unless impacted- (cant poo)) as they can "take in" too much water and this could lead to kidney failure. 

I hope this information helps, if you want to ask me anything just send me a private message hun. good luck, be nice to know how things go 

Victoria xx


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## xxvickyxx (Apr 12, 2007)

just another thing....what were her pooing habits when in the shop?? do they recall her pooing regularly? 
do you know when she last pooed before coming to you. the substrate thats being used "could" have caused some trouble if lots has been eaten before you got her-plus beardies are bigs when younger so can eat themselves to death (dont painic) 
taking everything into consideration. i would say. 

*take her out the movement could be good to get things moving.
1-give her the bath
2-lay off the food for a couple of days.or poss until she has pooed
3-check your substrate- i prefer sand however, check your bark is not pine, birth or cedar the oils can be dangerous to them

it might be helpful to check this video out- I know Mark Amey personally and trust him and his advice  xx

http://www.videojug.com/film/how-to-care-for-bearded-dragons


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## Reptile_Kyle (Apr 24, 2010)

*Advice*

Try and give the beardie a warm bath!

Has worked in the past:2thumb:


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## angelofthenorth (Jun 15, 2010)

mine didnt poop for almost 2 weeks and thorght everything was wrong with him ... after 3 vet visits and lots ov expense there was absolutly nuthing wrong with him ... guess some ov them just do this but others may have a problem ... try a warm bath gently strokin his tummy from top to vent on the right side ... or vet even told me to try purified babyfood ( organic prune .. chicken n orange squash or apple ... put it on his nose n they will lick it off ..... helps in some cases but not all ............ :0)


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