Newbie with stool & shed ?

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Hi to the forum! Am a first time reptile owner to an estimated 5-6 month old beardie named "Josie", & have had her for 2 weeks. I was wondering if there Could be a connection to shedding, rehoming & ?new veg/food regimen (vs parasites, etc) and changes in her stool.

Head is gray/white X 6 days; 1 day sluggish/in hide/longer sleep, but appetite remained good. At time of whitish head appearance, stool appearance changed. Stools 1-2X daily (generally 1)-- stools now have pink to orange tint in initial urate along with what appears to be mucous & a "looser" consistency w/water surrounding the stool. Yesterday's stool had same urate appearance, but texture was more firm. Second stool had no "distinct" initial urates, but was formed, & seemed to have a broken whitish mucous "capsule of sorts" w/ milky discharge surrounding the poo. Stinky, but didn't curl my toes (haha).

Have pics of all, but trouble uploading & lost 4 texts in an attempt to send yesterday. ? I welcome any ? & input!
Thanks so much :0)
 

mamacita05

Member
Original Poster
AHBD":12efsk1w said:
Hi there, nothing sounds out of the ordinary so I wouldn't worry. :) Crazy sheds are the norm with beardies and consistency + frequency of poos can change according to what they eat. Here's how to post pics :
https://www.beardeddragon.org/useruploads/ Then use the XIMG to upload them

Thank you so much for the reassurance! It's as if I'm a first time mom all over again: watching, documenting, reading & wanting Josie to thrive! I introduced new veg & greens 1 at a time to see how she did...wasn't sure if it was "the perfect storm" of all factors overlapping. I did hold her veg (yellow squash & yam) the past 2 days (bok choy & turnip greens only) to see if that helped-- stool is more firm ???
Shall I refrain from those veg? Also to note, we purchased her from an exotics store, & they fully set up the viv for us-- it did have the bark substrate initially. Have been avidly cleaning with Flukers... what would you say is best disinfectant, & how best to clean her driftwood? Steamer?

Few other quickie ?; if you could look at pic of viv, is setup ok? Basking temp is in mid 90's to ~100 on driftwood; she does gape, so temp ok?

Live in northeast & want to buy/order protein source other than crickets-- recommendations? Looked at Dubais site, but wouldn't guarantee live shipment (is that normal for my area/this time of year?). Other suggestions/fav ordering sites? Doing well w/crickets; want something healthy, less stinky (easy to keep) & for variety...

Sorry to inundate; thanks for everything! (Pics to follow; stool from oldest to most recent) :0)

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ryknoll3

Member
Your setup looks pretty good. Temps can be 100-105 on the basking spot. What is the UVB they have you set up with? Looks like a tube, which is good, but what bulb is in there.

Are you running another bulb besides basking in that dome?
What is it? No colored heat lamps should be used.

I get my dubias from dubideli.com. They have good prices and a live guarantee as long as you order with heat packs if it's going to be below 40. If you're not home when the mail comes, you can have it held at the post office.

I wouldn't worry too much about poop consistency early on. Your dragon is getting settled into new home and those things can change how they poop.

Your veggie selection sounds good. I'd keep offering greens and veggies. You can mix it up a bit too.

I love how they shed in different chunks at a time. That's a very pretty leatherback you have there.
 

mamacita05

Member
Original Poster
ryknoll3":2jvskk86 said:
Your setup looks pretty good. Temps can be 100-105 on the basking spot. What is the UVB they have you set up with? Looks like a tube, which is good, but what bulb is in there.

Are you running another bulb besides basking in that dome?
What is it? No colored heat lamps should be used.

I get my dubias from dubideli.com. They have good prices and a live guarantee as long as you order with heat packs if it's going to be below 40. If you're not home when the mail comes, you can have it held at the post office.

I wouldn't worry too much about poop consistency early on. Your dragon is getting settled into new home and those things can change how they poop.

Your veggie selection sounds good. I'd keep offering greens and veggies. You can mix it up a bit too.

I love how they shed in different chunks at a time. That's a very pretty leatherback you have there.

Aww, thanks! Josie is a pip! Bulb is a 36" UVB Reptisun T8 25watt over a metal screen; only have 100watt Zoomed basking spotlamp in dome-- (was a 100watt nocturnal infared heat lamp in other dome, but I have discontinued its use). She has been a crazy, active girl; jumping, & digging inside her hide... anything to provide for the digging? Anything to wear down the nails w/o trimming? Don't want to stress her even more just yet!

Will order some dubias; giving her 3/8cup greens/veg along with ~30 crickets daily...(reptical dust daily, & herptevite included 2X/week)-- amounts ok?? Treats?

All input is so valued; thanks to all !!
 

ryknoll3

Member
I would strongly suggest moving that UVB under the screen or upgrading to a t5 fixture. T8 lamps through a screen give off little to no UVB unless the dragon is almost touching it. A t5 bulb would give you good UVB at 8-10" through the screen and 12" or so if inside the enclosure.

I had the same t8 bulb inside the enclosure, with a reflector I was only getting a UV index of 2.5 when it was 7" from the basking spot. I upgraded to a t5, and put it inside and have a a UV index of 4-6 now, and Moe of a gradient throughout the enclosure which is much better.

On the 2 days you dust with vitamins, skip the calcium. No need to do both. 5 days for calcium, 2 days for vitamins.

You don't really want loose substrate, so unless you had an adult female who would lay eggs, in which case you would provide a lay box, don't worry about the digging. Maybe a small fleece blanket or something they could snuggle into if they want. As for nails, if you use a rough textured tile substrate, that can wear the nails and minimize clipping.

As for feeding, there's not a set amount of feeders. Just as much as it'll eat in 10-15 minutes twice a day.
 

mamacita05

Member
Original Poster
Ryknoll, truly appreciate all of the advice/suggestions! Will order a t5 today. Originally went to purchase a leopard gecko -- had done research, went to reptile expo, but bought from reputable seller in their store. Walked out w/ beardie of unknown age and "preset" tank that had t8 bulb, infared lamp, bark substrate and uth which actually malfunctioned & temp gun readings were ~125 degrees over the bark substrate! Needless to say, I'm so grateful this sweet, spunky tangerine gal is well despite my steep learning curve & incorrect habitat. All hail the bd.org ?
(& psst! Where do you order crickets & silkworms from?)
 

dezismom

Juvie Member
welcome mamacita, your Josie is a beauty!
I have been loved by a Beardie namd DeziLu for three years, and am a total Beardie fan...they are capable of deep love and affection!
The stools in photos are ok...my Dezi can also produce some funny looking stools, even some orange-ish ones, with white chalk like firm stool mixed with watery stuff. This all is normal, as they do both wee and poo from the same vent. (kinda like birds)
Since you are educating yourself to be a good beardie owner, you probably know this already, but plenty of heat and UVB light are big deals for Beardies. Always change out the UVB light after six months, even if it still works, as the UVB gets weaker with age, and is not enough after six months. A calcium supplement is also good. Love and snuggles are also required!

this is my big boy Dezi..2 ft long, and still growing! Dezi says, welcome, Josie! may you have many happy years of snuggles with your new mamacita!
82765-6136402441.jpg
 

mamacita05

Member
Original Poster
dezismom":3ktetvtr said:
welcome mamacita, your Josie is a beauty!
I have been loved by a Beardie namd DeziLu for three years, and am a total Beardie fan...they are capable of deep love and affection!
The stools in photos are ok...my Dezi can also produce some funny looking stools, even some orange-ish ones, with white chalk like firm stool mixed with watery stuff. This all is normal, as they do both wee and poo from the same vent. (kinda like birds)
Since you are educating yourself to be a good beardie owner, you probably know this already, but plenty of heat and UVB light are big deals for Beardies. Always change out the UVB light after six months, even if it still works, as the UVB gets weaker with age, and is not enough after six months. A calcium supplement is also good. Love and snuggles are also required!

this is my big boy Dezi..2 ft long, and still growing! Dezi says, welcome, Josie! may you have many happy years of snuggles with your new mamacita!
82765-6136402441.jpg

AAAHHH!!! Thank you so much for your kind words and knowledge...Dezi is one hunk of a sweet beardie boy ??; the pic is fantastic!

Regarding the lighting, I was aware of the need for the bulb change, but i so welcome every tidbit! I'm wanting to upgrade my UVB from a Reptisun 10.0., 25watt, t8, 36" bulb to a Reptisun 10.0, t5 HO bulb as I have it atop a wire screen. Will my current zoomed housing work (I have read the lengths are different, & the bulbs are "fatter" ??) My tank measures 36"X 18" X 16" (40 gal or so)-- What wattage and length of t5 HO bulb is best for my enclosure?
As each day passes, we are having to rebuild the entire tank (which was costly, & setup by the private, reputable seller ?) Despite feeling schnookered, sooo glad this little lizard gal is with us; a built in comedy show ❤️
 

ryknoll3

Member
No, unfortunately t5 fixtures and t8 fixtures are not compatible. They use different spaced contact pins on the end of the bulb and the ballast in a t8 fixture isn't strong enough to drive the t5bulb.

You would want a 24" t5 fixture with 22" bulbs for a 36" enclosure. That allows for a gradient from basking levels of UVB to nothing.
 

dezismom

Juvie Member
Sorry you got snookered, but happy for your Beardie to be in a better place! I have always used a reptisun 10 24" bulb, in a standard 24"fishtank housing. The tank is a 40 gal. reptile (longer, wider and lower than a 40 gal fish tank) that we purchased at a petsmart, as a set up for Beardies. All the other stuff that came with it--bulbs, heat lamps, sand, etc, was useless as I learned more from this site, and was replaced quickly, so that felt like we were a bit snookered as well! But I love the wire top, because it has two pieces, and I can leave the lamps on the back piece, and have access to my boy. The heat lamp is an infra red bulb by "all living things" that has no visible light, so can be left on night and day.
I have another set up in the RV, for travel, and it has a single wire lid that is a real pain to take off all the hot lamps, just to feed or take out Dezi. Luckily, he spends alot of time out basking in the sun when we are in the RV. It is small enough that I feel safe with him out free, because I can watch him. We had the bunk above the cabin completely redone and rewired for Dezi! The guy said he had never had to redo an RV for a Dragon! :)

Thanks for calling Dezi a hunk...Gave me quite a laugh. He is a big old "hunk of burning love!" I do not know what I would do without him...he is my constant companion, goes everywhere I go, (in a fancy dog tote with a warm water bottle in the colder days) loves car rides, we are never apart. Hubby calls him 'my familiar'. I know your Josie will be the same.

A very good book that I recommend is "The Bearded Dragon Manual" by several Beardie vets and experts, published by the Herpetocultural Library. Pet shops did not have it, I bought mine on Amazon. Well worth the effort. Covers everything you need to know, and lovely photos.

here is Dezi, King of the RV
 

AHBD

BD.org Sicko
Actually I've used the t8's for years and if the screen is not the fine mesh they get plenty of uvb for good health at that distance. The type of screen does make a difference though, if it's tighknit like flyscreen it blocks much more. If it's like this with the larger holes it's fine and blocks very little uvb


https://www.beardeddragon.org/media/30004/full

Regardless of uvb readings these bulbs are fine at that distance with this type of screen. Otherwise my dragons would all have had MBD. It doesn't hurt to upgrade the next time you need a new bulb but you don't need to get rid of this one right now.
 
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