HELP My Juvenile Bearded Dragon ate a huge cricket?

Question

My beardie ate a LARGE Cricket just now and I am wondering what I can do to prevent impaction....... My beardie is about 10 - 12 months old....... The cricket mutated in a couple of days form a 3 week med cricket into a mutant large one with wings and it poped out from under the paper towel and Trogdor (my beardie) ate it..... Help me I'm worried he will not be able to digest it.....

Answer 1

Those things can eat mice, so I'm sure a big cricket is nothing in comparison, don't worry about it :]

Answer 2

I won't worry too much. If he were in the wild he would eat whatever is in front of him.  As long as you see him p**p in a day or so he'll be ok since he got it down it will be digested.  If you don't see a p**p after a 2-3 days, then I would start to be concerned.

Answer 3

A year old bearded dragon should be able to eat anything it can fit in its mouth. Don't worry they eat anything and everything except lighting bugs.

Answer 4

I would say just keep watching him.  If he is a year old he should be fine.  If he would be 4-6 weeks old I would be alot more worried.  Just make sure your heat is up to the proper setting.  You can also turn off your white lights and just let your heat lamps on.  You are probably more worried then the beardie is  :)

Edit:       How long is he?  Is he shaking or are his back legs stretched out stiff?   These are signs of stomach impactation...it shows the reptile is in pain..

Answer 5

I'm not an expert on bearded dragons, but remember that they are instinctively wild animals that fend for themselves. In the wild, a dragon would most likely eat what it could find, and its body is designed to do so. Have you ever seen pictures of those thick anacondas after having eaten a large animal? It looks very uncomfortable, and hard to digest, from our perspective. However, to the snake, it's probably just a large meal!

Your dragon would probably not have eaten something it physically couldn't eat (we humans don't try to swallow cows whole even though we like beef, because we know we physically can't do it because the animal is too big!)

I'd say, just wait. Your bearded dragon (which you should post pictures of, i love dragons) probably just got a larger meal than usual. If he seems to have problems digesting, take him to a vet. However, for now, don't worry about it.

Answer 6

This is the ONLY thing that can help. Wet a paper towel with luke warm water and lay it on his basking rock or log (whatever you use). Make him lay on it under the light for a while. The warmth from the light along with the warm, wet paper towel will help him to digest the food faster.  Good luck with your beardie!

Answer 7

u shouldnt have to worry about anything a BIG GIANT CRICKET theyll digest fine