Egg Binding

[AxisPearl]

I have a bearded dragon who is almost 2 years old. I thought she was a male for those 2 years, and only just now gave her a dig box when she tore up the carpet. She dug around in it for about 2 days, then stopped. I haven't found any eggs. She's a little bit underweight so I'm especially worried about her. She's gradually stopped eating except for when I offer bugs, which I expected with a gravid female, but she usually poops every day and she has eaten food for about a week and hasn't pooped the entire week. I'm worried that she might be egg bound. She seems generally responsive and perky, and there's no signs of impaction either.

Basking spot temp: 102°
Cool side temp: 68°
UVB is a spotlight over the food bowl where she frequents. Brand new bulb.
On reptile carpet in a 45 gal, working on upgrade to 120.
Dig box is 6" deep with moist 50/50 coco fiber and walnut shell sand.
Staple foods are 3/4" dubias and large mealworms - collard greens, kale, mustard greens

 

[Sadie]

I have a bearded dragon who is almost 2 years old. I thought she was a male for those 2 years, and only just now gave her a dig box when she tore up the carpet. She dug around in it for about 2 days, then stopped. I haven't found any eggs. She's a little bit underweight so I'm especially worried about her. She's gradually stopped eating except for when I offer bugs, which I expected with a gravid female, but she usually poops every day and she has eaten food for about a week and hasn't pooped the entire week. I'm worried that she might be egg bound. She seems generally responsive and perky, and there's no signs of impaction either.

Basking spot temp: 102°
Cool side temp: 68°
UVB is a spotlight over the food bowl where she frequents. Brand new bulb.
On reptile carpet in a 45 gal, working on upgrade to 120.
Dig box is 6" deep with moist 50/50 coco fiber and walnut shell sand.
Staple foods are 3/4" dubias and large mealworms - collard greens, kale, mustard greens

Can you feel eggs? Please lower the surface basking temp to 95-100 older dragons do not like real hot temps- and make sure your using a digital probe thermometer to get that temp- UVB is a spotlight? Is that a MVB?
Please get a lay box w/ this
LAYBOX

potting soil that doesn't have any type of chemicals or fertilizers in it, mixed with sand, etc. Be sure it is at least 10-12 inches deep & that the mix is damp enough to where it will hold up to her making a burrow but not sopping wet to have standing water.
Coco fiber and walnut shell sand is toxic to the dragon ---

 

[AxisPearl]

Can you feel eggs? Please lower the surface basking temp to 95-100 older dragons do not like real hot temps- and make sure your using a digital probe thermometer to get that temp- UVB is a spotlight? Is that a MVB?
Please get a lay box w/ this
LAYBOX

potting soil that doesn't have any type of chemicals or fertilizers in it, mixed with sand, etc. Be sure it is at least 10-12 inches deep & that the mix is damp enough to where it will hold up to her making a burrow but not sopping wet to have standing water.
Coco fiber and walnut shell sand is toxic to the dragon ---

Yes, I already have a lay box. Dig box lay box, same thing. Coco fiber and walnut shell is not toxic to the dragon. That's what everyone I've seen recommendeds. It's damp enough to hold on its own but doesn't have any standing water.
The bulb is a UVB.
I've never felt for eggs before, so I don't really know where or what I'm supposed to be feeling for. When I tried, I didn't really feel anything out of the ordinary, but I could be incorrect on that.

 

[Sadie]

Yes, I already have a lay box. Dig box lay box, same thing. Coco fiber and walnut shell is not toxic to the dragon. That's what everyone I've seen recommendeds. It's damp enough to hold on its own but doesn't have any standing water.
The bulb is a UVB.
I've never felt for eggs before, so I don't really know where or what I'm supposed to be feeling for. When I tried, I didn't really feel anything out of the ordinary, but I could be incorrect on that.

Walnut shell is one of the worst things a dragon can be on coco fibre is dry and dusty and can cause RI infections - feel her abdomen for marbles- I will have someone else give you more info on walnut shell and coco fibre
@Drache613

 

[GSieg]

So you can't feel the eggs so much honestly, reptile eggs are soft shelled, you will see a lumpiness to the underside of the abdomen however. You may notice her seem to shake or strain. Her feces will have a pink hue to the uric part of it and will be abnormally smaller, this can go on for a few weeks. If you are worried about egg binding keep an eye on her cloaca, it will look swollen usually.

Hydration is a little more important than usual for her, make sure she has plenty of water. This will help things move the way they are intended to. Provide her will extra calcium as well, her body is going to get it from somewhere, even cannibalizing her own system.

The substrate is pretty important, think of packed soil you see in a garden, something that will hold a cave if she digs one. I use plantation soil with a little sand and terrarium clay mixed in. You want to make sure the nesting box is big enough for her to get down into and fully disappear into her "cave" she needs to feel like it's a safe spot.

Now with that said, some females will lay eggs without a nest box at all. Just keep an eye on her, gravid females will tend to eat a little less. She should seem alert and her usual self for the most part (maybe a little more glass surfing), if she starts acting lethargic get her to a vet ASAP.

 

[AxisPearl]

Thanks for the info. She laid ~12 healthy eggs a few days ago and is doing great. Yippee