Possible impaction

Question
Just purchased an bearded dragon for my high school class last week.  It has eaten minimal greens, and one feeding of crickets (about a dozen). He ate the crickets last Friday, and he has not passed any stool since he arrived with us last Wednesday (5 days).  We have given him 4 baths within the past 4 days, and I spent about 30 minutes massaging his lower abdomen earlier today in his bath.  I am trying to avoid a run to the vet because I am on a limited budget.  AUGH!  I did notice that the area around his anus is rather swollen, making it easy to see the folds of his anus.  Anything else I can try for the next 24 hours before a trip to the vet?  Thanks.

Answer
Hello Aaron,

The best thing to do for an impaction is to feed soft foods only.  
Use canned pumpkin, sugar free applesauce, squash babyfood & a couple of drops of olive or mineral oil.  Mix that up & feed a couple of cc's (mls) to him daily.  A nice warm bath, is very helpful too.  Massage his belly on the right side, starting at his arm pit down to his vent, carefully.
Make sure the crickets are smaller than the space between his eyes, as well to help avoid impaction.
Do you have him on sand?  If so, take him off of the sand, & replace it with paper towels, or non adhesive shelf liner.  
Try this & let me know how he is doing.

Tracie