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Help...Impacted maybe...

A

a1littlesister

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Costello has been doing a lot of window dancing for about 3 days now...then he will lay flat on his basking rock trying to get his underside as close to the heat as possable. He hasn't really gone poop in 3 days either..I have soaked him for the past 2 days in very warm water. Today he raised his tail like he was gonna go then just a wee bit of the white came out and that was all. And he is not eating much at all. Could he be impacted from something and if so is there something I can give him or should I call his vet tomorrow. And he is really grumpy but calms down when I rub his lower tummy area right above his legs. Any suggestions please. Thanks
Alexa
 
Before doing anything I would suggest calling your vet and asking them first, but from what I have read around keep soaking him, get a heating pad to warm up his belly, and give him some mineral oil to try and lube anything that needs to come out. Can't say how well this works personally, but this is just some stuff that I have read. Anyone else having more experience in this would be better suited to answer than me. I have not had success in this area. I had a few babies get impacted back in the day when I first started, I didn't know better, and that did not turn out pretty. That is what I tried tho, but they were too far gone when I got home. I started to make some progress with this method, but it was too much and too far gone by the time I caught it. I wish you luck and hope this is of some help to you.
 
I'm hoping I got this in time if that is what is wrong. He can still use his back legs like crazy. I don't have mineral oil could I use a bit of olive oil. I have given that to my dogs and cats to help pass hairballs but dragons are different and I know he don't have a hair ball.
 
well i decided to go ahead and give him a shot of olive oil. He wasn't very happy about it. Hope it don't hurt him but maybe it will get things moving. I'll soak him again in the morning then call the vet if nothing happens.
 
Hello

Hello,

What would have caused the impaction? Loose substrate such as bark or calcisand? Too large of prey?
Remember, just give a few drops of olive oil, & bathe him, massaging him on the right side of the belly gently prodding all of the way down towards the vent.
You can also as suggested, put a heat pad on low & put a towel in between him & the heat pad, overnight, to help keep things moving a little better.

Tracie
 
I can't figure out what would cause the impaction....he is on slate tile and I'm very careful what I feed him. The only thing I can think of is maybe he ate some dried out reptical. I soak it and put some in his salad...but sometimes he throws it everywhere and could have gotten some that was dried. He eats large crickets only. He is about 14"long...not small. I'll soak and massage this morning and if nothing we are calling the vet. Thanks for the info I was just rubbing right in the middle not the right side.
 
Is he drinking at all when you bathe him? I wouldn't think the Repcal would cause impaction, IMO I would think it would simply digest, even if it was dry....but I guess odd things can surprise you sometimes..... Olive oil should loosen things up regardless.

How big are the "large' crickets? I've seen "large" crickets sold ranging anywhere from 2/3" or so up to full-grown monster sized, lol.
 
The large crickets really vary in size...most are maybe 1/2" that is the largest. I did soak him this morning and he did a really small poop but not like he should since it has been 4 days now. I did give him a superworm the other night. First time he had one....maybe that did it. but it was a Small worm. He is still window dancing like crazy though and won't sit still on his basking rock or a heating pad. I'll give him another soak in a bit let him window dance maybe that will move things around a bit..
Thanks for your response.
 
Hello

Hello,

I agree, I don't think the repcal would cause the impaction, either. As stated, crickets do vary in size. Personally, the adults may be too large for a 14 inch dragon possibly. Are they smaller than the space between his eyes?
Try getting him to swim around a bit, that can help move things through as well.
Let us know how he is doing. You could mix in a few drops of olive oil with some warmed up applesauce, too. He would probobly like the applesauce.
Normally, I don't suggest introducing superworms into their diets until they are at least 15-16 inches long, just because of how their intestines are designed. That is possible that could have done it. Any time you introduce a new food into their system, you never know how they may react to it. All dragons are different.
Good luck.
Keep us posted.

Tracie
 
I'll try the applesauce....I can't get into the vet till late tomorrow afternoon so I'm gonna keep trying. The crickets are smaller than the space between his eyes. But there has been a couple time he has gotten a bigger one before I could catch it but has had no problems. I feed the bigger ones to my STO (short tailed possum). I offered him more crickets today and he still won't eat. One thing is he hasn't gotten paralyzed like I have heard could happen. I'll try applesauce right now and then another soak. Thanks so much for the help.
 
Hello

Hello,

Keep me posted on how he is doing. I hope he will be ok. Any luck on a stool yet?

Tracie
 
I've had less than 14" dragons munch on dry Repcal pellets before without any problems. If he munched up that super really well it should not have caused any problems either. The only times I had to deal with the impaction was in dragons about 6 inches long. Usually you are in the clear at Costello's size. Least I would think. Maybe he is just constipated or trying to get extra attention from you. Is he the one in the newer tank? Or did he get to stay in the one you raised both in? Maybe he is just stressing with the window dancing, took him a lil longer to figure out this was his new home? If he were impacted for several days now, he'd most likely have a buldge at the site of the impaction. Kinda like a hunch back. After that his back legs would cease to function. It usually happens faster than it is happening in Costello. In mine, I went away one morning and came back the next day early evening and they were starting to get the hunchback. One passed that night. The next was I'd say about 36 hours after that one, and the 3rd hung on until day 4. It all happens pretty fast. But I didn't think one his size would have much problem. Maybe he just has a partial blockage? I wouldn't worry too much, you'll have him at the vet soon. It doesn't sound like its really bad just yet. Let me know what the vet says.
 
Costello is the one in the old cage...he did poop just a bit and did eat that applesauce olive oil mix...so must not be a complete blockage if he is able to get something out. But still not interested in eating crickets. He is a bit more laid back today....I measured him last night he is 15" or close to it. I don't feel a bulge at all and I have poked and rubbed deep in that area and feel nothing..I'll see what the vet recommends...but if he eats and passes more poop today I'm gonna wait..it's snowing out and I hate to take him out in this cold. Appointment isn't till 4:30 so he has time...I'll soak again. Thanks so much for making me feel a bit better about him.
 
Hello

Hello,

Glad to help. How is your boy doing? That is good news he had something pass through, did it have any urates to it?
Maybe he has just been a little dehydrated possibly, that will slow things down a bit. Keep us posted on him.
HMM, snow, huh? Well, that is up to you. How far is the vets from you? You could wrap him up in a towel. Fill an old sock full of rice, & microwave the rice for a few minutes. That will hold heat for several hours. Just keep the towel in between him & the sock. They do get hot, so you don't want to burn him. If you go, let us know how it goes.
Glad he had some of the applesauce & olive oil mixed. Sometimes, things just get slowed down in the GI tract from dehydration or a change in diet.

Tracie
 
Success....I soaked him again and got a good poop this time...this one had something like a little piece of gravel at the beginning of it...I know this sounds terrable but I did inspect to see if something hard was in there. My husband seems to think that maybe some of the slate tile could have chipped off and he ate it. We are now gonna take it all out and sand the edges down. I am gonna offer him more applesauce and olive oil again just to be sure and wait on the vet till it warms up a bit. Monday it was upper 60's today it's snowing. Thanks so much for the suggestions
 
That is awesome!! I'm so happy for him! I would not worry too much about him not being very interested in crickets. As they get older they start to prefer the veggies for the most part. Some start earlier than others. I have a 9 month old that used to go crazy for crix all the time, now he attacks his veggies bowl before I even set it down.
 
I talked to the Vet and he wants me to bring both Abbott and Costello in on Wednesday for a fecal. They have only had one and that was awhile back. And he wants me to watch Costello closely and make sure there is no blood in his poop since I told them what it might have been. He really hasn't eaten his veggies either but he could have been bloated or something. He said if he still hasn't eaten by Monday don't wait till Wednesday bring him in. As far as the frantic window dancing he was doing....I noticed while he was doing that Abbott was waving and dancing also...I think they can see eachother so I hung a sheet across the room as a test to see if it lets up...It did. I'll probably have to get that decorative paper and cover the fronts of the cages so they can't see eachother. To have been raised together they sure developed an instant hate towards eachother. I really appreciate everyones suggestions and reassuring...it all helped.
 
Hello

Hello,

So Abbott & Costello are both male? Yeah seeing each other would probably do that for sure. It will work them up. They are just hitting that age that they just wont tolerate each other.
Well, that could constipate him if he isn't getting enough fluids or vegetation. I hope he starts eating soon. Are you giving him any nutritional slurries? Have you tried other feeders, too?
I hope he didn't ingest a piece of tile, but, it is possible. Poor guy, but I think he should be ok, just make sure no blood is coming out!
Let us know how it goes. Good you talked to the vet also.

Tracie
 
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