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Bearded Dragon and Oxytocin?

Iggy189

Iggy189

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I thought I would post this. My female dragon Sunkist is gravid but hasn't laid. She's eating normal, active, and displaying no signs of wanting to lay. She's not digging, restless, or any of those sympthoms. I know she's gravid because I can see bulges on her sides like a bag of marbles lol and the vet confirmed it as well.


I took her into the vet 2 wks ago and he examined her and told me to trying a different type of substrate in the nesting box. I had already tried sand and vermiculite. I also tried an in cage nesting box and an out of cage nesting box both with a heat lamp over it. I also put her in warm water everyday I really didn't know what else to try what came to mind was that she might be egg bound. She is permanently housed with the male, so I'm not exactly sure but it had been over 5 wks when i took her in to the vet it's 2 wks since that so she's over 7 wks!

So today is two wks and I took her in because she still hasn't laid. I dropped her off with the nest box because the vet wanted to keep her for a couple hours. He's injecting her with oxytocin to induce contractions he told me most likely two doses and some calcium.

So im here now writing this anxious all I can think about is picking up my dragon and a clutch of eggs if everything goes as planned. Has anyone every had there beardie get injected to induce contractions if so how did everything go?
 
Never tried it or had to. Do you have a picture of your nest box you were using? I've used practically the same setup since the beginning and for the most part the females lay rather quickly. I recently switched the substrate from mixed sand/dirt to the coco fiber compressed stuff...forget what its called.....maybe eco earth? I use a rubbermaid tub. Use 2 or 3 of those compressed bricks...soak, let expand, and place in the tub. Sloped/deeper on one side. On the deep side cover the top...you can do this by using half of the lid, just cut it in half, and use that one half to cover the high side. Then from slightly above the container angle a dome light down into the tub for some heat. Put the female in and let be...no distractions.

Warm messaging baths also may help to get her to pass the eggs while bathing. I would try the tub setup if yours was different. I have had a couple females that took a day or two to lay for the first time, but for the most part within a few hours of being put in the tub, they are done.

Also, can you feel the eggs in her belly....do they feel like firm marbles?
Good Luck
Chris
 
chris allen said:
Never tried it or had to. Do you have a picture of your nest box you were using? I've used practically the same setup since the beginning and for the most part the females lay rather quickly. I recently switched the substrate from mixed sand/dirt to the coco fiber compressed stuff...forget what its called.....maybe eco earth? I use a rubbermaid tub. Use 2 or 3 of those compressed bricks...soak, let expand, and place in the tub. Sloped/deeper on one side. On the deep side cover the top...you can do this by using half of the lid, just cut it in half, and use that one half to cover the high side. Then from slightly above the container angle a dome light down into the tub for some heat. Put the female in and let be...no distractions.

Warm messaging baths also may help to get her to pass the eggs while bathing. I would try the tub setup if yours was different. I have had a couple females that took a day or two to lay for the first time, but for the most part within a few hours of being put in the tub, they are done.

Also, can you feel the eggs in her belly....do they feel like firm marbles?
Good Luck
Chris
Click to expand...

I don't have a pic of it, but I can describe the nesting box. It's a 18 gal sterilite container half filled with moist vermiculite. I put the top on in vertically so that half of it is covered. I also have a heat lamp on one side.

I also tried an in cage nest box. I first tried moist vermiculite and then tried sand which was also moist. She had no interest at all in any of it. During all this time I give her a warm bath daily and nothing. I can feel there eggs and they do feel firm. Thanks for the reply Chris I have to say you have some beautiful beardies. :)

I picked her up from the vet and the oxytocin didn't work. He injected her twice and said the only thing that came out was fecal matter. He tried to push the eggs out and nothing. He then did an xray and he says she has 4-5 eggs and that it seems as where her pelvis is the canal where the eggs are supposed to come out through is too narrow. He says my only option at this point is surgery. So I will be taking her in very soon and I'll update this thread when I do.
 
It seems extremely odd that she would have 4-5 eggs in there. I've never in 16 years had a beardie lay less than 13. I don't know if I'd look for a second opinion...are you sure this is a qualified herp vet ? I mean no harm...just that surgery is so invasive and expensive. I might learn something I've never heard of before ....a dragon with so few eggs, not in distress and not looking to lay. Just sounds odd.
 
Just my suggestion...do your research. I don't want to see you make the wrong decision, but do some reading on it. Just remember this also, vets are there to make money. I'm not saying all vets are bad or good, just they want to make money and your animal is what's going to allow them to do that. I wish the best for you and the dragon.
 
Ashley,did you see the X-rays yourself ? If not, you should ask to see them or take them [ maybe ] for a second opinion...if you want. Not trying to cast doubt, but like Chris says, it's best to look at all your options. Just like human docs make mistakes and at times even do procedures unnecessarily...it happens.
 
Oxytocin is a mammilian hormone that has been approved for use in multiple animal species to increase uterine contractions, and has been used by vets for egg-bound birds and reptiles. It does seem like a last-resort tratment, so hopefully your vet does know what he's doing. All my fingers and toes are crossed for your girl :)

The first clutch one of my girls laid was small too, only 8 total, but she had no problems laying.
 
angie.h said:
It seems extremely odd that she would have 4-5 eggs in there. I've never in 16 years had a beardie lay less than 13. I don't know if I'd look for a second opinion...are you sure this is a qualified herp vet ? I mean no harm...just that surgery is so invasive and expensive. I might learn something I've never heard of before ....a dragon with so few eggs, not in distress and not looking to lay. Just sounds odd.
Click to expand...

This female laid a cluth of 16 eggs before I got her over a yr ago. I've never heard of a clutch of 4-5 eggs either. The vet was referred to me by Jonathan from Breeder's Circle.

chris allen said:
Just my suggestion...do your research. I don't want to see you make the wrong decision, but do some reading on it. Just remember this also, vets are there to make money. I'm not saying all vets are bad or good, just they want to make money and your animal is what's going to allow them to do that. I wish the best for you and the dragon.
Click to expand...
I've been researching the surgery and trying to find other owners input on it.

angie.h said:
Ashley,did you see the X-rays yourself ? If not, you should ask to see them or take them [ maybe ] for a second opinion...if you want. Not trying to cast doubt, but like Chris says, it's best to look at all your options. Just like human docs make mistakes and at times even do procedures unnecessarily...it happens.
Click to expand...

When I first took her to the vet he broke everything down and told me the steps he would take. He said give her 2 more wks try a different type of egg laying box with another substrate, then he said the oxytocin injections, and last surgery. From the beginning he's been very helpful and has explained everything to me how it is.

LauraB said:
Oxytocin is a mammilian hormone that has been approved for use in multiple animal species to increase uterine contractions, and has been used by vets for egg-bound birds and reptiles. It does seem like a last-resort tratment, so hopefully your vet does know what he's doing. All my fingers and toes are crossed for your girl :)

The first clutch one of my girls laid was small too, only 8 total, but she had no problems laying.
Click to expand...

The vet explained that to me he also mentioned that it's not as effective in reptiles, but it was worth giving it a try since the surgery is expensive and risky for my beardie. That's the first time I hear of such a small clutch.
 
You said that the female is permanently housed with the male. Is he possibly stressing her out and making her feel as though the conditions are not ideal to lay her eggs? I'm usually on the side of housing beardies separately for risks like that.
 
frillielover17 said:
You said that the female is permanently housed with the male. Is he possibly stressing her out and making her feel as though the conditions are not ideal to lay her eggs? I'm usually on the side of housing beardies separately for risks like that.
Click to expand...

I didn't see your reply until now. She was permanently housed with the male, but I separated them when I noticed she was gravid and wasn't laying. I ended up taking her in to get the surgery done. He removed two large eggs (around the size of a peanut m&m) and two smaller ones (around the sz of a m&m mini). The eggs were hard and a yellowish color. She's fully recuperated and doing good I'm taking her in most likely this weekend to get the stitches removed. He said that the eggs were outside her oviduct, so there was no way she would have laid them.
 
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