There are many different opinions on what causes impactions in pet reptiles and amphibians. Some people believe that substrates and hard to digest food items are the entire cause, while some people believe improper heating, lighting, and other care requirements is to blame. Both sides of the debate have good arguments, as well as bad ones. With this article I hope to shed some light on what is really the cause of impaction, and how keepers can prevent it.
First of all, what is impaction? Impaction occurs when a reptile has something that cannot be passed in it's intestines. The matter gets stuck in the intestines, and blocks food from passing. This results in vomiting, weight loss, and, if allowed to continue escalating, death. I should be more clear; impaction does not always happen if an animal ingests non-food material, but when the animal consumes enough of it. Obviously, this is a dangerous killer for pet reptiles, and it is important to prevent it.
As I mentioned earlier in this article, there are many different opinions on what causes impactions. I believe this is because there is really no one cause for impaction. Because of this, I will run through the more common causes below:
Incorrect Substrate. Pretty much everyone agrees that incorrect substrate is a big issue with impaction. What they don't always agree on is what exactly is harmful as a substrate. Most experienced people agree that crushed walnut shells, ground corncob bedding, and calcium sand are very bad substrates, but many people disagree on play sand and reptile cage carpet. They either say that cage carpet harbors bacteria that can eventually infect the reptile and results in illness, or that play sand will almost certainly result in impaction. My personal opinion is that, if you clean it extremely well and relatively often, cage carpet will not be a problem. I use it for my leopard geckos (all but the hatchlings, which are on paper towels), and have used it for years, with no problems. That said, if you don't have the time and resources necessary to clean the substrate often, it very well could result in bacterial infections. For that reason I do advise caution when considering cage carpet as a substrate. The benifit of using cage carpet is that there is zero risk of substrate impaction, although there is still a possibility of impaction from feeder insects, specifically mealworms, if improper care is given.
About play sand, I definately recommend that you check out the recommendations for sand with your species before using it. I am not familiar with the recommendations for other species of reptiles as far as what age the reptile should be before being put on this substrate, but for leopard geckos it is generally recommended that the lizard be at least 6 inches in total length before being put on this substrate. The reason for that is because baby leopard geckos are generally messy eaters, and often miss prey or at least scoop up substrate with the prey.
With most species, the risks are generally similar, at least as adults. I'm not familiar with other species, but for people who are putting their leopard geckos on sand, it is recommended that you mix sand with organic topsoil at a 1:1 ratio. This not only makes the substrate more natural looking, but it is a safer option since it is less loose than sand alone would be, making it less likely to cause impaction by being accidentally eaten with prey.
Inedequate Nutrition. This is another big cause of impactions. If a reptile has vitamin or mineral deficiencies, it decreases it's ability to digest food. This can cause impaction from feeder insects alone! Not only that, but breeding females can easily become eggbound if they have a calcium deficiency. I'm not sure if that really counts as impaction, but it is worth noting since it is very dangerous, and can very easily result in death or permanent damage to the reproductive tract. The biggest way inadequate nutrition causes impaction is that when a lizard gets a nutritional deficiency, it's natural instinct is to eat substrate. This is because the ground is rich in nutrients. It's also an issue pregnant women can get if they have a vitamin/mineral deficiency-- a craving for dirt. Of course, vitamin/mineral deficiencies on their own can be deadly, so it is best to prevent the root cause, rather than remove all loose substrate.
This can be confusing, since calcium sand is not recommended as a substrate. Well, wait a minute, it's calcium! Shouldn't that help prevent impaction, and not cause it?
Calcium sand is made up of calcium carbonate, which is literally the exact same thing you are recommended to dust on feeder insects. BUT there is one very important difference: particle size. Calcium supplements are a very fine powder, whereas calcium sand is sand-sized. The powder is unsuitable as a substrate, since it is so fine, but when used as a supplement, it dissolves easily inside the reptile, and the reptile is able to use it. The larger particles of calcium sand do not dissolve fast enough, rather they basicaly turn into concrete inside the gecko, causing impaction.
To prevent nutritional deficiencies, I recommend that you dust all food items in a calcium/multivitamin supplement mixture. You can either mix 1 part multivitamins to 2 parts calcium and dust the food with that, or you can dust two feedings with calcium for every one feeding dusted in multivitamins.
Incorrect Heating or Lighting. Reptiles are ectotherms, and as such depend on external temperature to keep their bodies functioning healthily. When a reptile is kept at temperatures that are too low-- I'd say about 10* F below the optimal temps-- it will not kill them quickly, but rather slowly cause respiratory issues-- and impactions. Reptiles need heat to digest their food, and if they don't have it, they can digest, and they become impacted. It's as simple as that.
Improper lighting can cause impaction in a similar way to that of nutritional deficiencies. And when you think about it, they are very similar. Of course, impaction caused by improper lighting only really applies to reptiles that need UVB. For these reptiles, they use UVB to synthesize their own vitamin D. Without proper lighting, these reptiles will get a vitamin D deficiency. Which brings you back to the second cause of impaction. With reptiles that need UVB, you can prevent vitamin D deficiency by supplementing food with it, but this will still result in metabolic bone disease (MBD), which can result in permanent injury, or even death to the animal. It weakens bones, and the reptile gets a hunchback look in bad cases.
Every species' requirements are different, so I recommend you check out some reputable sources before making a decision on heating and lighting. Some good places to check out are Reptiles magazine and Reptile Rapture.
Incorrect Food Items. Sometimes, a reptile will become impacted from the food they are eating. This is largely a result of incorrect care, heating, etc. Most people are most concerned about mealworms. They are relatively hard for a reptile to digest, and if the reptile already has trouble with digestion from inadequate heat, this will almost certainly result in impaction. The best way to prevent impaction from feeder insects is to provide adequate care in other areas.
Some good food items for small lizards (geckos, anoles, fence lizards, etc) are crickets and dubia roaches. Medium-sized lizards, such as Ackie's monitors, can handle these as well as pinky mice occasionally.
Dehydration. All living things need water. Without it, life as we know it is not possible. But lack of water does not kill immediately, but in stages. It slowly decreases the functionality of your body, until you finally die. It is the same with reptiles. Without water, their bodies lose functionality slowly. One of the things that can happen is that the reptile stops being able to digest food properly, resulting in impaction.
To prevent dehydration, the best thing to do is make sure your humidity is correct for your species, and to offer a water dish at all times. Some people say that a water dish in a desert animal's tank will increase humidity too much. I think that dehydration is a much bigger risk than slightly higher-than-recommended humidity levels. And honestly, I've found that the humidity is not really raised that much with the inclusion of a water dish.
Neurological Disorders, and Trauma. When a reptile has a neurological disorder, it may eat things randomly, thinking that thay are food. This will result in impaction. For reptiles that are more prone to eating things randomly, it is recommended to put them on a solid substrate only, such as paper towels.
The same thing will happen if a reptile goes through some sort of trauma. In fact, the trauma basically gives the reptile a nuerological disorder.
Tumors and Parasites. When reptiles have large tumors or parasitic infections, they can become impacted from these things alone. Parasites live in the intestines, and if there are too many of them, they can cause impaction themselves. Tumors can do the same thing. In these cases, it doesn't matter what the reptile eats; the impaction is not caused by injesting anything.
Consumption of Non-Food Items. A lot of reptiles are naturally very curious animals, and will eat items when they don't know what they are, or when they mistake them for food. Some big eaters are blue tongued skinks. They often mistake plastic plants for food, and will eat them. And that very often results in impaction.
There are only a few ways to prevent this, but after you take these steps your reptile will be much safer. For omnivorous or herbivorous reptiles, perhaps consider using live, non-toxic plants that the reptile can easily eat safely. Also consider using decorations that are too large for the reptile to eat.
Natural consumption of substrate. Certain species of reptiles, and certain ages of reptiles are more prone to becoming impacted. For instance, baby leopard geckos are much more prone to become impacted than adults, because they are still getting the hang of eating, and will often miss the food, or at least scoop up substrate with food. Baby geckos have such small digestion systems that they only need a little substrate to become impacted. Therefore, it isn't recommended to put baby geckos on sand. Make sure to check out the recommendations for your individual species, so you are absalutely sure.
In conclusion, there is no one cause of impaction, so therefore there is no one thing you can do to prevent it. But by providing proper care, and using substrates that are safe for your reptile, you can greatly decrease your risk of impaction.
Hi there! So, I've heard a lot of people disagree on what exactly causes impaction, and I wrote this article to help explain it:
There are many different opinions on what causes impactions in pet reptiles and amphibians. Some people believe that substrates and hard to digest food items are the entire cause, while some people believe improper heating, lighting, and other care requirements is to blame. Both sides of the debate have good arguments, as well as bad ones. With this article I hope to shed some light on what is really the cause of impaction, and how keepers can prevent it.
First of all, what is impaction? Impaction occurs when a reptile ingests some sort of matter that cannot be digested properly. The matter gets stuck in the intestines, and blocks food from passing. This results in vomiting, weight loss, and, if allowed to continue escalating, death. I should be more clear; impaction does not always happen if an animal ingests non-food material, but when the animal consumes enough of it. Obviously, this is a dangerous killer for pet reptiles, and it is important to prevent it.
As I mentioned earlier in this article, there are many different opinions on what causes impactions. I believe this is because there is really no one cause for impaction. Because of this, I will run through the more common causes below:
Incorrect Substrate. Pretty much everyone agrees that incorrect substrate is a big issue with impaction. What they don't always agree on is what exactly is harmful as a substrate. Most experienced people agree that crushed walnut shells, ground corncob bedding, and calcium sand are very bad substrates, but many people disagree on play sand and reptile cage carpet. They either say that cage carpet harbors bacteria that can eventually infect the reptile and results in illness, or that play sand will almost certainly result in impaction. My personal opinion is that, if you clean it extremely well and relatively often, cage carpet will not be a problem. I use it for my leopard geckos (all but the hatchlings, which are on paper towels), and have used it for years, with no problems. That said, if you don't have the time and resources necessary to clean the substrate often, it very well could result in bacterial infections. For that reason I do advise caution when considering cage carpet as a substrate. The benifit of using cage carpet is that there is zero risk of substrate impaction, although there is still a possibility of impaction from feeder insects, specifically mealworms, if improper care is given.
About play sand, I definately recommend that you check out the recommendations for sand with your species before using it. I am not familiar with the recommendations for other species of reptiles as far as what age the reptile should be before being put on this substrate, but for leopard geckos it is generally recommended that the lizard be at least 6 inches in total length before being put on this substrate. The reason for that is because baby leopard geckos are generally messy eaters, and often miss prey or at least scoop up substrate with the prey.
With most species, the risks are generally similar, at least as adults. I'm not familiar with other species, but for people who are putting their leopard geckos on sand, it is recommended that you mix sand with organic topsoil at a 1:1 ratio. This not only makes the substrate more natural looking, but it is a safer option since it is less loose than sand alone would be, making it less likely to cause impaction by being accidentally eaten with prey.
Inedequate Nutrition. This is another big cause of impactions. If a reptile has vitamin or mineral deficiencies, it decreases it's ability to digest food. This can cause impaction from feeder insects alone! Not only that, but breeding females can easily become eggbound if they have a calcium deficiency. I'm not sure if that really counts as impaction, but it is worth noting since it is very dangerous, and can very easily result in death or permanent damage to the reproductive tract. The biggest way inadequate nutrition causes impaction is that when a lizard gets a nutritional deficiency, it's natural instinct is to eat substrate. This is because the ground is rich in nutrients. It's also an issue pregnant women can get if they have a vitamin/mineral deficiency-- a craving for dirt. Of course, vitamin/mineral deficiencies on their own can be deadly, so it is best to prevent the root cause, rather than remove all loose substrate.
This can be confusing, since calcium sand is not recommended as a substrate. Well, wait a minute, it's calcium! Shouldn't that help prevent impaction, and not cause it?
Calcium sand is made up of calcium carbonate, which is literally the exact same thing you are recommended to dust on feeder insects. BUT there is one very important difference: particle size. Calcium supplements are a very fine powder, whereas calcium sand is sand-sized. The powder is unsuitable as a substrate, since it is so fine, but when used as a supplement, it dissolves easily inside the reptile, and the reptile is able to use it. The larger particles of calcium sand do not dissolve fast enough, rather they basicaly turn into concrete inside the gecko, causing impaction.
To prevent nutritional deficiencies, I recommend that you dust all food items in a calcium/multivitamin supplement mixture. You can either mix 1 part multivitamins to 2 parts calcium and dust the food with that, or you can dust two feedings with calcium for every one feeding dusted in multivitamins.
Incorrect Heating or Lighting. Reptiles are ectotherms, and as such depend on external temperature to keep their bodies functioning healthily. When a reptile is kept at temperatures that are too low-- I'd say about 10* F below the optimal temps-- it will not kill them quickly, but rather slowly cause respiratory issues-- and impactions. Reptiles need heat to digest their food, and if they don't have it, they can digest, and they become impacted. It's as simple as that.
Improper lighting can cause impaction in a similar way to that of nutritional deficiencies. And when you think about it, they are very similar. Of course, impaction caused by improper lighting only really applies to reptiles that need UVB. For these reptiles, they use UVB to synthesize their own vitamin D. Without proper lighting, these reptiles will get a vitamin D deficiency. Which brings you back to the second cause of impaction. With reptiles that need UVB, you can prevent vitamin D deficiency by supplementing food with it, but this will still result in metabolic bone disease (MBD), which can result in permanent injury, or even death to the animal. It weakens bones, and the reptile gets a hunchback look in bad cases.
Every species' requirements are different, so I recommend you check out some reputable sources before making a decision on heating and lighting. Some good places to check out are Reptiles magazine and Reptile Rapture.
Incorrect Food Items. Sometimes, a reptile will become impacted from the food they are eating. This is largely a result of incorrect care, heating, etc. Most people are most concerned about mealworms. They are relatively hard for a reptile to digest, and if the reptile already has trouble with digestion from inadequate heat, this will almost certainly result in impaction. The best way to prevent impaction from feeder insects is to provide adequate care in other areas.
Some good food items for small lizards (geckos, anoles, fence lizards, etc) are crickets and dubia roaches. Medium-sized lizards, such as Ackie's monitors, can handle these as well as pinky mice occasionally.
Dehydration. All living things need water. Without it, life as we know it is not possible. But lack of water does not kill immediately, but in stages. It slowly decreases the functionality of your body, until you finally die. It is the same with reptiles. Without water, their bodies lose functionality slowly. One of the things that can happen is that the reptile stops being able to digest food properly, resulting in impaction.
To prevent dehydration, the best thing to do is make sure your humidity is correct for your species, and to offer a water dish at all times. Some people say that a water dish in a desert animal's tank will increase humidity too much. I think that dehydration is a much bigger risk than slightly higher-than-recommended humidity levels. And honestly, I've found that the humidity is not really raised that much with the inclusion of a water dish.
Neurological Disorders, and Trauma. When a reptile has a neurological disorder, it may eat things randomly, thinking that thay are food. This will result in impaction. For reptiles that are more prone to eating things randomly, it is recommended to put them on a solid substrate only, such as paper towels.
The same thing will happen if a reptile goes through some sort of trauma. In fact, the trauma basically gives the reptile a nuerological disorder.
Tumors and Parasites. When reptiles have large tumors or parasitic infections, they can become impacted from these things alone. Parasites live in the intestines, and if there are too many of them, they can cause impaction themselves. Tumors can do the same thing. In these cases, it doesn't matter what the reptile eats; the impaction is not caused by injesting anything.
Consumption of Non-Food Items. A lot of reptiles are naturally very curious animals, and will eat items when they don't know what they are, or when they mistake them for food. Some big eaters are blue tongued skinks. They often mistake plastic plants for food, and will eat them. And that very often results in impaction.
There are only a few ways to prevent this, but after you take these steps your reptile will be much safer. For omnivorous or herbivorous reptiles, perhaps consider using live, non-toxic plants that the reptile can easily eat safely. Also consider using decorations that are too large for the reptile to eat.
Natural consumption of substrate. Certain species of reptiles, and certain ages of reptiles are more prone to becoming impacted. For instance, baby leopard geckos are much more prone to become impacted than adults, because they are still getting the hang of eating, and will often miss the food, or at least scoop up substrate with food. Baby geckos have such small digestion systems that they only need a little substrate to become impacted. Therefore, it isn't recommended to put baby geckos on sand. Make sure to check out the recommendations for your individual species, so you are absalutely sure.
In conclusion, there is no one cause of impaction, so therefore there is no one thing you can do to prevent it. But by providing proper care, and using substrates that are safe for your reptile, you can greatly decrease your risk of impaction.
First of all, what is impaction? Impaction occurs when a reptile has something that cannot be passed in it's intestines. The matter gets stuck in the intestines, and blocks food from passing. This results in vomiting, weight loss, and, if allowed to continue escalating, death. I should be more clear; impaction does not always happen if an animal ingests non-food material, but when the animal consumes enough of it. Obviously, this is a dangerous killer for pet reptiles, and it is important to prevent it.
As I mentioned earlier in this article, there are many different opinions on what causes impactions. I believe this is because there is really no one cause for impaction. Because of this, I will run through the more common causes below:
Incorrect Substrate. Pretty much everyone agrees that incorrect substrate is a big issue with impaction. What they don't always agree on is what exactly is harmful as a substrate. Most experienced people agree that crushed walnut shells, ground corncob bedding, and calcium sand are very bad substrates, but many people disagree on play sand and reptile cage carpet. They either say that cage carpet harbors bacteria that can eventually infect the reptile and results in illness, or that play sand will almost certainly result in impaction. My personal opinion is that, if you clean it extremely well and relatively often, cage carpet will not be a problem. I use it for my leopard geckos (all but the hatchlings, which are on paper towels), and have used it for years, with no problems. That said, if you don't have the time and resources necessary to clean the substrate often, it very well could result in bacterial infections. For that reason I do advise caution when considering cage carpet as a substrate. The benifit of using cage carpet is that there is zero risk of substrate impaction, although there is still a possibility of impaction from feeder insects, specifically mealworms, if improper care is given.
About play sand, I definately recommend that you check out the recommendations for sand with your species before using it. I am not familiar with the recommendations for other species of reptiles as far as what age the reptile should be before being put on this substrate, but for leopard geckos it is generally recommended that the lizard be at least 6 inches in total length before being put on this substrate. The reason for that is because baby leopard geckos are generally messy eaters, and often miss prey or at least scoop up substrate with the prey.
With most species, the risks are generally similar, at least as adults. I'm not familiar with other species, but for people who are putting their leopard geckos on sand, it is recommended that you mix sand with organic topsoil at a 1:1 ratio. This not only makes the substrate more natural looking, but it is a safer option since it is less loose than sand alone would be, making it less likely to cause impaction by being accidentally eaten with prey.
Inedequate Nutrition. This is another big cause of impactions. If a reptile has vitamin or mineral deficiencies, it decreases it's ability to digest food. This can cause impaction from feeder insects alone! Not only that, but breeding females can easily become eggbound if they have a calcium deficiency. I'm not sure if that really counts as impaction, but it is worth noting since it is very dangerous, and can very easily result in death or permanent damage to the reproductive tract. The biggest way inadequate nutrition causes impaction is that when a lizard gets a nutritional deficiency, it's natural instinct is to eat substrate. This is because the ground is rich in nutrients. It's also an issue pregnant women can get if they have a vitamin/mineral deficiency-- a craving for dirt. Of course, vitamin/mineral deficiencies on their own can be deadly, so it is best to prevent the root cause, rather than remove all loose substrate.
This can be confusing, since calcium sand is not recommended as a substrate. Well, wait a minute, it's calcium! Shouldn't that help prevent impaction, and not cause it?
Calcium sand is made up of calcium carbonate, which is literally the exact same thing you are recommended to dust on feeder insects. BUT there is one very important difference: particle size. Calcium supplements are a very fine powder, whereas calcium sand is sand-sized. The powder is unsuitable as a substrate, since it is so fine, but when used as a supplement, it dissolves easily inside the reptile, and the reptile is able to use it. The larger particles of calcium sand do not dissolve fast enough, rather they basicaly turn into concrete inside the gecko, causing impaction.
To prevent nutritional deficiencies, I recommend that you dust all food items in a calcium/multivitamin supplement mixture. You can either mix 1 part multivitamins to 2 parts calcium and dust the food with that, or you can dust two feedings with calcium for every one feeding dusted in multivitamins.
Incorrect Heating or Lighting. Reptiles are ectotherms, and as such depend on external temperature to keep their bodies functioning healthily. When a reptile is kept at temperatures that are too low-- I'd say about 10* F below the optimal temps-- it will not kill them quickly, but rather slowly cause respiratory issues-- and impactions. Reptiles need heat to digest their food, and if they don't have it, they can digest, and they become impacted. It's as simple as that.
Improper lighting can cause impaction in a similar way to that of nutritional deficiencies. And when you think about it, they are very similar. Of course, impaction caused by improper lighting only really applies to reptiles that need UVB. For these reptiles, they use UVB to synthesize their own vitamin D. Without proper lighting, these reptiles will get a vitamin D deficiency. Which brings you back to the second cause of impaction. With reptiles that need UVB, you can prevent vitamin D deficiency by supplementing food with it, but this will still result in metabolic bone disease (MBD), which can result in permanent injury, or even death to the animal. It weakens bones, and the reptile gets a hunchback look in bad cases.
Every species' requirements are different, so I recommend you check out some reputable sources before making a decision on heating and lighting. Some good places to check out are Reptiles magazine and Reptile Rapture.
Incorrect Food Items. Sometimes, a reptile will become impacted from the food they are eating. This is largely a result of incorrect care, heating, etc. Most people are most concerned about mealworms. They are relatively hard for a reptile to digest, and if the reptile already has trouble with digestion from inadequate heat, this will almost certainly result in impaction. The best way to prevent impaction from feeder insects is to provide adequate care in other areas.
Some good food items for small lizards (geckos, anoles, fence lizards, etc) are crickets and dubia roaches. Medium-sized lizards, such as Ackie's monitors, can handle these as well as pinky mice occasionally.
Dehydration. All living things need water. Without it, life as we know it is not possible. But lack of water does not kill immediately, but in stages. It slowly decreases the functionality of your body, until you finally die. It is the same with reptiles. Without water, their bodies lose functionality slowly. One of the things that can happen is that the reptile stops being able to digest food properly, resulting in impaction.
To prevent dehydration, the best thing to do is make sure your humidity is correct for your species, and to offer a water dish at all times. Some people say that a water dish in a desert animal's tank will increase humidity too much. I think that dehydration is a much bigger risk than slightly higher-than-recommended humidity levels. And honestly, I've found that the humidity is not really raised that much with the inclusion of a water dish.
Neurological Disorders, and Trauma. When a reptile has a neurological disorder, it may eat things randomly, thinking that thay are food. This will result in impaction. For reptiles that are more prone to eating things randomly, it is recommended to put them on a solid substrate only, such as paper towels.
The same thing will happen if a reptile goes through some sort of trauma. In fact, the trauma basically gives the reptile a nuerological disorder.
Tumors and Parasites. When reptiles have large tumors or parasitic infections, they can become impacted from these things alone. Parasites live in the intestines, and if there are too many of them, they can cause impaction themselves. Tumors can do the same thing. In these cases, it doesn't matter what the reptile eats; the impaction is not caused by injesting anything.
Consumption of Non-Food Items. A lot of reptiles are naturally very curious animals, and will eat items when they don't know what they are, or when they mistake them for food. Some big eaters are blue tongued skinks. They often mistake plastic plants for food, and will eat them. And that very often results in impaction.
There are only a few ways to prevent this, but after you take these steps your reptile will be much safer. For omnivorous or herbivorous reptiles, perhaps consider using live, non-toxic plants that the reptile can easily eat safely. Also consider using decorations that are too large for the reptile to eat.
Natural consumption of substrate. Certain species of reptiles, and certain ages of reptiles are more prone to becoming impacted. For instance, baby leopard geckos are much more prone to become impacted than adults, because they are still getting the hang of eating, and will often miss the food, or at least scoop up substrate with food. Baby geckos have such small digestion systems that they only need a little substrate to become impacted. Therefore, it isn't recommended to put baby geckos on sand. Make sure to check out the recommendations for your individual species, so you are absalutely sure.
In conclusion, there is no one cause of impaction, so therefore there is no one thing you can do to prevent it. But by providing proper care, and using substrates that are safe for your reptile, you can greatly decrease your risk of impaction.
Hi there! So, I've heard a lot of people disagree on what exactly causes impaction, and I wrote this article to help explain it:
There are many different opinions on what causes impactions in pet reptiles and amphibians. Some people believe that substrates and hard to digest food items are the entire cause, while some people believe improper heating, lighting, and other care requirements is to blame. Both sides of the debate have good arguments, as well as bad ones. With this article I hope to shed some light on what is really the cause of impaction, and how keepers can prevent it.
First of all, what is impaction? Impaction occurs when a reptile ingests some sort of matter that cannot be digested properly. The matter gets stuck in the intestines, and blocks food from passing. This results in vomiting, weight loss, and, if allowed to continue escalating, death. I should be more clear; impaction does not always happen if an animal ingests non-food material, but when the animal consumes enough of it. Obviously, this is a dangerous killer for pet reptiles, and it is important to prevent it.
As I mentioned earlier in this article, there are many different opinions on what causes impactions. I believe this is because there is really no one cause for impaction. Because of this, I will run through the more common causes below:
Incorrect Substrate. Pretty much everyone agrees that incorrect substrate is a big issue with impaction. What they don't always agree on is what exactly is harmful as a substrate. Most experienced people agree that crushed walnut shells, ground corncob bedding, and calcium sand are very bad substrates, but many people disagree on play sand and reptile cage carpet. They either say that cage carpet harbors bacteria that can eventually infect the reptile and results in illness, or that play sand will almost certainly result in impaction. My personal opinion is that, if you clean it extremely well and relatively often, cage carpet will not be a problem. I use it for my leopard geckos (all but the hatchlings, which are on paper towels), and have used it for years, with no problems. That said, if you don't have the time and resources necessary to clean the substrate often, it very well could result in bacterial infections. For that reason I do advise caution when considering cage carpet as a substrate. The benifit of using cage carpet is that there is zero risk of substrate impaction, although there is still a possibility of impaction from feeder insects, specifically mealworms, if improper care is given.
About play sand, I definately recommend that you check out the recommendations for sand with your species before using it. I am not familiar with the recommendations for other species of reptiles as far as what age the reptile should be before being put on this substrate, but for leopard geckos it is generally recommended that the lizard be at least 6 inches in total length before being put on this substrate. The reason for that is because baby leopard geckos are generally messy eaters, and often miss prey or at least scoop up substrate with the prey.
With most species, the risks are generally similar, at least as adults. I'm not familiar with other species, but for people who are putting their leopard geckos on sand, it is recommended that you mix sand with organic topsoil at a 1:1 ratio. This not only makes the substrate more natural looking, but it is a safer option since it is less loose than sand alone would be, making it less likely to cause impaction by being accidentally eaten with prey.
Inedequate Nutrition. This is another big cause of impactions. If a reptile has vitamin or mineral deficiencies, it decreases it's ability to digest food. This can cause impaction from feeder insects alone! Not only that, but breeding females can easily become eggbound if they have a calcium deficiency. I'm not sure if that really counts as impaction, but it is worth noting since it is very dangerous, and can very easily result in death or permanent damage to the reproductive tract. The biggest way inadequate nutrition causes impaction is that when a lizard gets a nutritional deficiency, it's natural instinct is to eat substrate. This is because the ground is rich in nutrients. It's also an issue pregnant women can get if they have a vitamin/mineral deficiency-- a craving for dirt. Of course, vitamin/mineral deficiencies on their own can be deadly, so it is best to prevent the root cause, rather than remove all loose substrate.
This can be confusing, since calcium sand is not recommended as a substrate. Well, wait a minute, it's calcium! Shouldn't that help prevent impaction, and not cause it?
Calcium sand is made up of calcium carbonate, which is literally the exact same thing you are recommended to dust on feeder insects. BUT there is one very important difference: particle size. Calcium supplements are a very fine powder, whereas calcium sand is sand-sized. The powder is unsuitable as a substrate, since it is so fine, but when used as a supplement, it dissolves easily inside the reptile, and the reptile is able to use it. The larger particles of calcium sand do not dissolve fast enough, rather they basicaly turn into concrete inside the gecko, causing impaction.
To prevent nutritional deficiencies, I recommend that you dust all food items in a calcium/multivitamin supplement mixture. You can either mix 1 part multivitamins to 2 parts calcium and dust the food with that, or you can dust two feedings with calcium for every one feeding dusted in multivitamins.
Incorrect Heating or Lighting. Reptiles are ectotherms, and as such depend on external temperature to keep their bodies functioning healthily. When a reptile is kept at temperatures that are too low-- I'd say about 10* F below the optimal temps-- it will not kill them quickly, but rather slowly cause respiratory issues-- and impactions. Reptiles need heat to digest their food, and if they don't have it, they can digest, and they become impacted. It's as simple as that.
Improper lighting can cause impaction in a similar way to that of nutritional deficiencies. And when you think about it, they are very similar. Of course, impaction caused by improper lighting only really applies to reptiles that need UVB. For these reptiles, they use UVB to synthesize their own vitamin D. Without proper lighting, these reptiles will get a vitamin D deficiency. Which brings you back to the second cause of impaction. With reptiles that need UVB, you can prevent vitamin D deficiency by supplementing food with it, but this will still result in metabolic bone disease (MBD), which can result in permanent injury, or even death to the animal. It weakens bones, and the reptile gets a hunchback look in bad cases.
Every species' requirements are different, so I recommend you check out some reputable sources before making a decision on heating and lighting. Some good places to check out are Reptiles magazine and Reptile Rapture.
Incorrect Food Items. Sometimes, a reptile will become impacted from the food they are eating. This is largely a result of incorrect care, heating, etc. Most people are most concerned about mealworms. They are relatively hard for a reptile to digest, and if the reptile already has trouble with digestion from inadequate heat, this will almost certainly result in impaction. The best way to prevent impaction from feeder insects is to provide adequate care in other areas.
Some good food items for small lizards (geckos, anoles, fence lizards, etc) are crickets and dubia roaches. Medium-sized lizards, such as Ackie's monitors, can handle these as well as pinky mice occasionally.
Dehydration. All living things need water. Without it, life as we know it is not possible. But lack of water does not kill immediately, but in stages. It slowly decreases the functionality of your body, until you finally die. It is the same with reptiles. Without water, their bodies lose functionality slowly. One of the things that can happen is that the reptile stops being able to digest food properly, resulting in impaction.
To prevent dehydration, the best thing to do is make sure your humidity is correct for your species, and to offer a water dish at all times. Some people say that a water dish in a desert animal's tank will increase humidity too much. I think that dehydration is a much bigger risk than slightly higher-than-recommended humidity levels. And honestly, I've found that the humidity is not really raised that much with the inclusion of a water dish.
Neurological Disorders, and Trauma. When a reptile has a neurological disorder, it may eat things randomly, thinking that thay are food. This will result in impaction. For reptiles that are more prone to eating things randomly, it is recommended to put them on a solid substrate only, such as paper towels.
The same thing will happen if a reptile goes through some sort of trauma. In fact, the trauma basically gives the reptile a nuerological disorder.
Tumors and Parasites. When reptiles have large tumors or parasitic infections, they can become impacted from these things alone. Parasites live in the intestines, and if there are too many of them, they can cause impaction themselves. Tumors can do the same thing. In these cases, it doesn't matter what the reptile eats; the impaction is not caused by injesting anything.
Consumption of Non-Food Items. A lot of reptiles are naturally very curious animals, and will eat items when they don't know what they are, or when they mistake them for food. Some big eaters are blue tongued skinks. They often mistake plastic plants for food, and will eat them. And that very often results in impaction.
There are only a few ways to prevent this, but after you take these steps your reptile will be much safer. For omnivorous or herbivorous reptiles, perhaps consider using live, non-toxic plants that the reptile can easily eat safely. Also consider using decorations that are too large for the reptile to eat.
Natural consumption of substrate. Certain species of reptiles, and certain ages of reptiles are more prone to becoming impacted. For instance, baby leopard geckos are much more prone to become impacted than adults, because they are still getting the hang of eating, and will often miss the food, or at least scoop up substrate with food. Baby geckos have such small digestion systems that they only need a little substrate to become impacted. Therefore, it isn't recommended to put baby geckos on sand. Make sure to check out the recommendations for your individual species, so you are absalutely sure.
In conclusion, there is no one cause of impaction, so therefore there is no one thing you can do to prevent it. But by providing proper care, and using substrates that are safe for your reptile, you can greatly decrease your risk of impaction.