What You Need To Know About Impaction In Your Bearded Dragon & How To Avoid It!

If you have a Bearded Dragon, here`s some very important information about their digestive system. Impaction starts when something blocks their digestive tract and though it can be a solid mass, it can be a semi-solid  indigestible mass as well.

Be very aware, if your beardie gets an impaction, it is an extremely serious problem and can be fatal, if not treated quickly. Usually, what causes impaction is; your beardie ate something too big for him to digest properly. You need to learn which insects have hard shells or exoskeletons as these bugs are hard to digest. This is most common in juvenile dragons.

Another common mistake many first time owners  make is not keeping their environment the proper temperature, which can cause impaction. First timers also make the mistake of choosing the wrong substrate, and again, this can cause impaction. The most dangerous substrates include;  corncob, calcisand, wood shavings and walnut shells.

Some signs that your beardie is impacted are as follows; he will not use the bathroom regularly; he walks irregular or trembles his legs slightly; a small lump appears in the spinal area. If it becomes extremely serious, your beardie may develop partial paralysis.  as per  http://dswain.articlealley.com

You will need to treat your dragon quickly, especially if paralysis has set in. For less serious cases, you can bathe him in warm water as this can sometimes resolve the problem. As you bathe him, gently rub his abdomen, in an effort to get his digestive tract moving again, but ALWAYS consult your vet on how to treat impaction in your beardie.

One of the most important things to remember to prevent impaction in your dragon is to NEVER feed him food that is too big for him, hence insects should NOT be bigger than the space between his eyes. You will also need to avoid those dangerous substrates, especially with juveniles, they can easily swallow items accidentally.

The last thing is make sure you make their enclosure the proper temperature. This is CRUCIAL for their digestion and overall health. For more info, you can visit: www.bearded-dragon-care.net

Image source  en.wikipedia.org   used with permission

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