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I have a bearded dragon approximately 2-4 months old. It has developed a very fat belly, but still eats and poops every day. It doesn't seem to have any problem with paralysis of the limbs, front or back. I have given it soaks and gently massaged it's belly to encourage more pooping, but I generally only see 2-3 piles of poop per day combined from both dragons (same approx. age). Is this something I should be worried about?

I have a bearded dragon approximately 2-4 months old. It has developed a very fat belly, but still eats and poops every day. It doesn't seem to have any problem with paralysis of the limbs, front or back. I have given it soaks and gently massaged it's belly to encourage more pooping, but I generally only see 2-3 piles of poop per day combined from both dragons (same approx. age). Is this something I should be worried about?

Updated On June 4th, 2017

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Answered By Jeffrey Milner

Veterinarian

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If there is any chance the beardies are any older, I would be thinking that one could be pregnant. This usually doesn't occur until at the youngest around 10-12 months however. It is best that they don't breed until even older than this as well, so hopefully this is not the case. Other causes of distended abdomen in these lizards are gastrointestinal impactions, constipation, overeating, obesity, and certain cancers. GI Impaction seems unlikely in this scenario due to the movement of the bowels. If this is an issue with constipation, enemas can be provided though I would not recommend performing this at home unless you are very familiar with reptilian anatomy. An x-ray would really help in this case provide all the information we need. It would show us if there are any eggs, if there is constipation, any sort of tumor (probably), and many other possible issues. Hope this helps!

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