Bloated Bearded Dragon

[Forrest T.]

I have a female bearded dragon, of whom I do not know the age of. Her name is Pogona, and she is the joy of my life. I have done much study on this reptile. I take great care of my beardie to ensure she is in good health. However, I noticed she is quite bloated in the stomach region. She loves food, so I am not sure if it is just because of fullness, or something more sever. She was once gravid, but that was months ago, and she would have laid another clutch by now, so I do not believe she is egg bound. She is active and, again, loves her greens and protein. Her tank is cleaned regularly, and she rarely defecates in her enclosure. I have done research to determine the cause, but I cannot seem to find out what it is, so I assume it is just because of her immense appetite.

Thank you for your time,
Forrest

 

[Dino4242]

I have a female bearded dragon, of whom I do not know the age of. Her name is Pogona, and she is the joy of my life. I have done much study on this reptile. I take great care of my beardie to ensure she is in good health. However, I noticed she is quite bloated in the stomach region. She loves food, so I am not sure if it is just because of fullness, or something more sever. She was once gravid, but that was months ago, and she would have laid another clutch by now, so I do not believe she is egg bound. She is active and, again, loves her greens and protein. Her tank is cleaned regularly, and she rarely defecates in her enclosure. I have done research to determine the cause, but I cannot seem to find out what it is, so I assume it is just because of her immense appetite.

Thank you for your time,
Forrest

 

[Dino4242]

HI there, I know you said ur not sure how old she is, but how ling have you had her? How many clutches does she have a year? How far appart are her clutches? What are you feeding her and how often?

 

[Forrest T.]

I have Pogona for around six months, and the original owner said she was around one year old. For me, she has only laid one clutch. I feed her collard and mustard greens, butternut squash, and gut-loaded crickets (around ten) on a daily basis. She also is fed soldier worms for calcium. Thank you for your response.

 

[Sadie]

There could be many reasons for bloating - when was the last time she went to the bathroom? Is she trying to get out of the tank? Have you tried putting in another lay box for her to see if she will dig to lay eggs? Have you felt for eggs? If you need to take her to the vet use this website to find a reptile vet www.arav.org
Make sure your basking temps are being taken w/ a digital probe thermometer and you have a good UVB -- NO COILS -- they are inadequate --- if you need more help w/ this please ask --

How To Help A Bloated Bearded Dragon​

If you are concerned about impaction in your dragon and want to ensure that it is comfortable and healthy, then look out for the following symptoms, which may be able to help you identify if your bearded dragon needs to get to the vet quickly. These symptoms include:

• Food regurgitation
• Appetite loss
• Lethargy
• Not moving at all
• Not pooping for weeks

Egg binding is also serious in dragons. You can look for certain signs and symptoms to identify if you should take your dragon to the vet for an xray and treatment. Symptoms include:

• Female tries laying eggs over a number of attempts
• Swollen abdomen with breathing issues
• Unsettled
• Lethargic, even unresponsive
• Digging a hole, backing up, and straining to lay eggs

 

[Forrest T.]

There could be many reasons for bloating - when was the last time she went to the bathroom? Is she trying to get out of the tank? Have you tried putting in another lay box for her to see if she will dig to lay eggs? Have you felt for eggs? If you need to take her to the vet use this website to find a reptile vet www.arav.org
Make sure your basking temps are being taken w/ a digital probe thermometer and you have a good UVB -- NO COILS -- they are inadequate --- if you need more help w/ this please ask --

How To Help A Bloated Bearded Dragon​

If you are concerned about impaction in your dragon and want to ensure that it is comfortable and healthy, then look out for the following symptoms, which may be able to help you identify if your bearded dragon needs to get to the vet quickly. These symptoms include:

• Food regurgitation
• Appetite loss
• Lethargy
• Not moving at all
• Not pooping for weeks

Egg binding is also serious in dragons. You can look for certain signs and symptoms to identify if you should take your dragon to the vet for an xray and treatment. Symptoms include:

• Female tries laying eggs over a number of attempts
• Swollen abdomen with breathing issues
• Unsettled
• Lethargic, even unresponsive
• Digging a hole, backing up, and straining to lay eggs

Thank you very much for all of your help. She is active and she loves food. I do not feel any eggs, so I do not believe she is egg bound. I will keep and eye on her at all times.