Not only are bearded dragons prevalent among reptile keepers, but also they are considered ideal beginner-friendly pet reptiles. But with each pet, there comes a few responsibilities. When I first adopted my beardie, she had an impaction for days and weeks. At those times, I was apprehensive and spent over $5000 on vet visits, examinations, and treatment. In addition to a proper diet, massage in warm water helps the Bearded Dragon poop a lot. Therefore, you must learn how to massage a bearded dragon to poop if you keep one. 

It is essential to take a daily note of what type & color your beardie poops and when they’re going to the bathroom. It is usual to defecate for adult beardies once a week or two weeks. But, it may vary from individual to individual. Some adult bearded dragons over one year of age may poop once 3-4 days. My long friend ” vet” taught me how to massage a bearded dragon to poop which I’ll discuss in this article. In this article, I’ve given two different but easy-to-follow ways to massage a beardie to poop. But if you’re in a hurry, here’s a direct answer.

How To Massage A Bearded Dragon To Poop? First, put your beardie in warm water, then gently massage his belly from its throat to the tail base every 5 mins. Avoid water asphyxiation and if he passes stool, check for any complex particle that caused impaction. To prevent this, add a few drops of olive oil and 10% fruits like watermelon to their diet. 

Now, after knowing what you need to do, don’t leave. Either bookmark this article or read it thoroughly to do it correctly without hurting your pet and get results sooner. There are many tips and notes to keep in mind if you bathe and massage your beardie, like being careful when cleaning them and not monitoring your pet while massaging may result in water asphyxiation. Let’s first talk about 

3 Things To Keep In Mind While Massaging Bearded Dragon To Poop 

1. Never induce bowel movements before Massaging your bearded Dragon.
   
2. It is better to take your beardie to a veterinarian, even after reading this article, if you’re not confident about massage. Veterinarians will help you massage your bearded Dragon while giving instructions to you for the future.
   
3. I recommend giving 1-2 baths daily for 3-4 days. Each bath & massage session should last at least 30 minutes. 
   
4. Avoid making sudden changes in their diet. If you did one in the past, it could be the reason for the impaction, or your bearded Dragon is not pooping. First, consult a vet. 
   
5. Make sure your beardy’s diet is on a fixed feeding schedule and regulated. Few fruits help in preventing constipation. But the best ones! and why are they so? Will be discussed later in this article. 

Now, let’s learn how to massage a bearded dragon to poop. 

2 Ways To Massage A Bearded Dragon To Poop!

Gentler Side Massage Without Water ( For Minor Impaction or Beardies Who Haven’t Pooped For At Least 10 Days)

What do You need? 

• Olive Oil. 
• Fruit Like Pumpkin, Prune, or Watermelon In Pureed Form. 

How To 5 Steps

1. Firstly, massage your beardie’s side from head to tail. Make sure not to press too hard, as it’s easy. 
2. Continue for 10 minutes with 1-2 minute intervals. Massage gently with each stroke as impaction already presses on your pet’s spine and other internal organs. 
3. After the massage, let your reptile rest. I would advise you to drop olive oil on your beardie’s nose. This will result in your beardie instinctively licking off the droplet while cleaning his nose.
4. To help more, consider offering small bites of watermelon, prune, apple, or pumpkin. During impaction, beardies often avoid eating fruits. Go with baby pureed from the mentioned fruits. 
5. If your beardie doesn’t poop within three days, consult your veterinarian first. 

Benefits & What To Expect

Benefits Of Olive Oil For Beardie’s Impaction: Olive help is very beneficial for bearded dragons suffering from impaction. There’s no harm in adding a drop of olive in their food to prevent or cure impaction, as long as it doesn’t get into their nostrils. Ensure only organic olive oil, not mineral or vegetable oil. Olive oil is more effective in treating reptile impaction if baths are accompanied. 

Benefits Of Fruits For Beardie’s Impaction: Believe it or not, fruits are one of the fast-acting laxatives for reptiles like bearded dragons. When my vet told me to add some fruits, I was shocked and confused. Soon after, I did my research and found that small amounts of fruits can clear impaction in beardies. Even though there’s no hard proof, I’ll share my experience.

At first, I tried it out with an apple, but my bearded Dragon hated it. Then I switched to pumpkin and pruned too, but my beardie didn’t even look at it. I needed a better choice, so I tried watermelon. My beardie loved it. And I loved it too because it helped with impaction, and my beardie defecated within three days. 

What To Expect: With this method, you’ll be able to treat and prevent mild impaction anytime. Therefore, you should expect your beardie to poop within 2-3 days, or even sooner. There’s nothing wrong with giving your beardie a quick massage once/twice a month to prevent impaction and ensure healthy bowel movements. 

Abdomen Massage With Water & Pressure Exerted (A Bit More Than the Previous One)

Note: This is the massage I highly recommend because I had great success with it.

What do You need?

• Lukewarm water
• Dry Towel
• Canned Pumpkin Diluted With Water
• Olive Oil

How To 7 Steps

1. Take the beardie out of its enclosure and soak it in shallow, lukewarm water. 
2. Keep it for only 30-60 mins while massaging your pet gently. Soaking water will help with the dehydration problem if it is the cause of impaction. 
3. Start massaging the sides using your fingers for a few minutes. 
4. Now place both thumbs on your beardie’s back and rest under its belly to massage the abdomen. 
5. Rub your beardie’s abdomen in a circular motion with a bit of pressure. Make sure you’re not too hard or fast with the stress. 
6. Continue doing so, along with previous message patterns. Also, massage your beardie from the throat to the tail while exerting a slight pressure gently downward on the chest. 
7. Always use your hand as a support to keep your beardie standing upright. 

Benefits & What To Expect 

Benefits:  This massage technique is the quickest in making your beardie defecate. This is how I was taught to massage my beardie by my friend. I accompanied this massage by feeding my pet my canned pumpkin diluted in water. It keeps my beard healthy and prevents impaction. With this massage, your beardie will be successfully passing a fantastic amount of stool if it has been impacted for over two weeks. Avoid forcing and be patient.

My Final Thoughts With Summary 

At first, or being a beginner, it may take several tries before you achieve success. I highly recommend you be patient and repeat the bath for at least 15-30 minutes after a few days. Add olives to their food and ensure fruits cover at least 10% of their daily servings. If your beard doesn’t poop for more than two weeks, visit the vet for an X-ray and the proper supervision. Most vets do X-rays for free, and I was charged.

They may combine soaking with an injection to get your bearded Dragon to start pooping again. Hence, it’s best to follow advice and instructions given by your vet itself if both types of massage don’t help. If your bearded Dragon doesn’t poop for more than two weeks, take it to the vet. Do this sooner than later because impaction can develop into a problematic situation where surgery needs to be done.