Bearded Dragon Female

Question
QUESTION: Hi Tracie,

I'm fairly certain you'll tell me our beardie is impacted, I'm just hoping there is a way to fix what is going on without going to a vet.  She is 7 years old and we have never had any health problems.  The oddest thing about her is that she brummates for very long periods (Nov-Mar) and she doesn't lay eggs every year.  We have her on Walnut shell substrate with a heater and UVB light.  The only thing we did this year differently than in the past, is pull her out of brumation early (on the advice of our local reptile store) and I think she wasn't ready and certainly wasn't warm enough to be eating.  But she did eat, a lot, even though she kept wanting to go back into her dark box.  4 weeks later, she is no longer eating.  Her legs are not working right.  She has a solid mass on her right side that if it is an impaction seems like it will be impossible to get rid of.  I have been giving her baths which she likes and which seem to help.  There is some evidence of stool passing, but not much...though she's not eating a lot either.  She doesn't want to eat, but I am forcing baby food on her because she just seems so weak and dehydrated.  It seems like she is on the road to death one minute and improving the next.  She keeps rallying and I keep doing baths with high hopes but it seems like the grim reaper is going to ultimately win. Any advice is GREATLY appreciated.

ANSWER: Hello Rachel,

Well, that is actually a fairly normal brumation phase though.  I am surprised that she did eat though when she was cooler.  The biggest mistake that is usually made with reptiles during brumation is force feeding them when they are still slown down.  That is very strange that she ate on her own.  Was she losing weight noticeably during her brumation phase?  
How long have you had her on the walnut substrate & have you ever noticed her licking it or eating it?  
It most likely is going to be an impaction, because that definitely doesn't sound like eggs in that area.  
What type & brand of UVB light are you using, a fluorescent tube bulb or a compact/coil light?  How old is the UVB light?  Are you using a bright white basking light, or just a heater?  
Are you supplementing calcium 3 times per week?  
Impactions are very difficult to treat, but, not impossible.  You will need to start this regime immediately.  Get some canned pumpkin, sugar free applesauce, & squash baby food.  Mix a little bit of each together along with a few drops of mineral or olive oil, daily.  Try to get some extra fluids into her daily, as well, along with daily baths.  Carefully massage her belly on the right side, starting at the arm pit all of the way down to the vent, in small circular motions.  
Do not feed her any solid foods at all, until we get this passed through her.  Maybe you should switch out the walnut substrate to a carpet or non adhesive shelf liner in case she has gotten impacted from that somehow.

Tracie

---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------

QUESTION: I should have just left her alone, but the store people convinced me she needed to come out....water under the bridge now.  She's been on the walnut substrate for over a year. No problems. Didn't seem to be eating it...at least not intentionally...possibly absorbed some when it stuck to her greens or something.  She did eat of her own choosing, and she never chooses to drink water, so I just make sure her greens are really wet.  Currently I have her in a little 10 gal aquarium, just on paper toweling to reduce the chance of her ingesting more substrate if that's what happened.  Her ceramic heater and Zoomed reptibulb (fluorescent tube) are on there too, so at least I know she is warmer than she was.  She does not have any extra light but is by a west facing window now so she is getting natural light in the day.  She was getting crickets dusted with calcium every couple of days and greens on the days in between.  She did look on the smaller side when she came out of brumation, but I kind of thought that was because she started brumation earlier than I expected and she wasn't fattened up as  much as earlier years.  She definitely doesn't look real good right now.  I gave her baby food - prunes with a little olive oil today, before I wrote you actually, so I guess I'm on the right track.  How much should I give her?  I'm basically force feeding her with a small syringe, but she seems to like it once I get it in her mouth. I'm massaging her too, but that lump is just so solid and the rest of her is so scrawny.  This morning she flipped on her side and I just thought she was dead.  She just stayed like that - too weak to flip back I think.  I rushed her to the bath and gave her food and she seemed to improve, but that's all relative.  Do you think she could just be dying of old age?  How many baths and how much food a day do you think I should be doing? I really appreciate your help!  Thank you!

Answer
Hello Rachel,

Oh I am sorry, I hope that it did not do her in.  No, 7 years of age is an adult dragon, but, they "should" live or "can" live up to 12+ years actually so I don't think this is old age related.
Well, if you can get several small feedings daily, that would be helpful.  I would say 1 mls 3 times per day of food should be sufficient for an adult along with a drop or two of olive or mineral each feeding.  
That is too bad the lump is that hard.  Do you think that it could also be walnut substrate too?  
How old is the Reptisun tube UVB?  How close is it to her?  The ceramic heater is ok for nighttime if heating is needed but she does need a bright white light to be used in combination with a UVB light.  I know that some natural light comes in through the window, but the glass blocks all of the UVB & it wont generate enough heat inside of her tank.  
She needs a basking spot of 95-105 on one end, with a cooler end of around 78-82 or so, measured with a digital probe or a temp gun.  The temperatures are extremely important right now.  Otherwise, her metabolism will be sluggish & she will not be able to pass the impaction at all.  
Can you post a picture of your tank setup for me so I can take a look at it?
Please let me know how she is doing.

Tracie