Bearded Dragon diarrhea :(

[XxGruntxX]

So just over a month ago I got a bearded dragon, still to young to tell whether boy or girl but I call it a him. He's still rather young, we got him from a pet store so we don't know the exact age but he is just over 9in long head to tail. He eats mainly crickets dusted with calcium powder, about 10-15 a day and then I feed him kale or endive right after until he refuses any more. He also gets some fruit like apple or blueberries every other day. He lives in a 40 gallon tank on newspaper and for the past 2 days he's had diarrhea and it smells so bad. Hes never had this before. I haven't fed him his kale or endive in those 2 days, I wouldn't think it'd be from that, but diet change? He's eating fine, looking and being really active.

 

[Drache613]

Hello.

What type of diet change have you made for him?
I would hold off on the fruit as often, as it can sometimes cause looser stools. Maybe just 1-2 times per week would be sufficient.
Also, try mustard greens, collard greens, arugula (rocket), dandelion greens & only use kale sometimes as it has higher oxalates which can bind calcium. The endive is fine though. Just choose one or two of those for the mix.
If it is that smelly though, that normally is indicative of parasites most of time. Can you get a fecal done just to be sure that isn't the culprit?
Is he losing any weight?
What are the temperatures in his tank & what type of thermometer are you using?
Do you use a UVB light also?

Tracie

 

[npgeorgeuw]

Since you've had him/her for awhile it's never a bad idea to get a fecal done. Should be standard practice for any animal in your care that is not on de-wormers (whether said animal is furry or scaley) but I prescribe to the "ounce of prevention" mantra and consider it money well spent.--Tracie or others on here might be able to advise you on less costly options as well. Odds are your dragon is carrying some form of beastie unless it came from a breeder that does fecals religiously and subscribes to only the best of sanitary practices and even then things aren't a guarantee.

Having said that it's hopefully just a bit of dietary change or indiscretion by your dragon.

 

[XxGruntxX]

He hasn't had any diet change other than the kale and endive not being fed to him for like 2 days and I gave him a blueberry + a teeny piece of banana before all this started. I will be cutting back on the kale, thanks for the heads up. His tank temperature is about 95-100°f. He is currently living in a smaller tub because I just made a habitat in his tank and he will be put back in tomorrow, but he still has his lamps, the diarrhea did start before this though. I use a zoo med thermometer, that measures heat and humidity because that came with the tank, as well as a uvb bulb and the heat lamp, I do however want to get better stuff but the wallet is saying no right now. Its on the third day now, he deffinatly looks skinnier but he now refuses crickets and will only eat a few pieces of endive, but he can't survive on only that. When I do offer him crickets, he'll lick them and then rufuse and close his eyes. I tried feeding him a cricket without the calcium, to see if that was why he was being weird, but he refused that too.He is also shedding, but that shouldn't affect him, or could it?

 

[XxGruntxX]

If it is that smelly though, that normally is indicative of parasites most of time. Can you get a fecal done just to be sure that isn't the culprit?

Would a fecal just be at the vet and hand over some of his poo? He's acting so different and its only the third day, he hasn't pooped yet today but I'll be sure get a checkup if its diarreah again.

 

[npgeorgeuw]

Typically, yes, you'd go to the vet. If you go to the vet they may require a full examination and/or office fees before they will do the fecal, just depends on that particular vet. It can be difficult to find a good reptile vet (read: impossible in some places) so whatever vet you choose you should work as a team with the vet and weigh their advice against what you find elsewhere, be polite with the vet/veterinary team but keep in mind that this is your animal and ultimately (like when you go to the doctor) it's your responsibility to be informed--For example some treatment and advice for coccidia is borderline antiquated and the use of some antibiotics (amikacin) may be lethal without supporting care like fluids. If something does show up on the fecal I can't recommend more than you treat for one thing at a time (letting them recover in between) to minimize the shock to your beardie's system.

There are other non-veterinarian options for testing and treating but I would only recommend those for people who are more experienced and/or work in animal husbandry/health.

 

[XxGruntxX]

Thanks so much, I'll get him in ASAP!

 

[XxGruntxX]

GOOD NEWS! He just a a solid (small but solid) poop! He also is accepting crickets again... Wonder why he was acting so sick then?

 

[npgeorgeuw]

GOOD NEWS! He just a a solid (small but solid) poop! He also is accepting crickets again... Wonder why he was acting so sick then?

let us know how that fecal goes, if nothing's found, no harm, no foul...

 

[XxGruntxX]

Okay, I'll try and find a vet who can in my area