BlueMorpho
Juvie Member
Striker, my 4yo female, has had diarrhea for exactly a week now. Mostly it's mushy with lots of liquid, but occasionally it has been mostly liquid with very little solid poop. It happens 2-3 times a day, when usually she poops every 2 days or so (and almost always does it in the bath). She's still eating voraciously (mostly butternut squash, various greens, and pellets a few times a week) and is very active running around her tank and digging (I added crumpled newspaper in one corner so she could burrow, thinking at first she might have been gearing up to lay eggs, and she's loving it!). I haven't felt any bumps in her belly, but not sure if I should take that as an indication that she is not gravid or if it's just too early to feel them. She has never had a mate or laid eggs before. She only seems to poop on the hot side under her basking branch, never on the cool side where the pile of digging paper is.
She's usually very sociable and loves being held and exploring the house, but in the past week she's become somewhat skittish and runs away from me (and anyone else) who tries to pick her up. She's not aggressive about it, but it's very clear that she doesn't want to be outside of her tank. If she is outside of her tank, she runs straight back to it and glass dances until I put her inside.
Because I'm on a super tight budget, I can't get her to the vet for two weeks even though it's my top priority.
In the meantime, I'm cleaning her tank daily (it's now decorated with nothing more than newspaper, a few rocks, and her big branch), taking extra care not to sterilize her equipment anywhere near Eripio's, and trying hard to avoid any other cross-contamination (including obsessively washing my hands when I touch any of their equipment). So far Eripio has been the same as ever (black-bearding and head-bobbing cuz it's spring!), but I'm a little paranoid. I'm also bathing her daily now, mostly just to keep her clean since she doesn't seem to be drinking any more or less than usual, but the poop gets everywhere if I don't clean it up right away.
The fecal exam is going to be expensive ($80), in addition to the base cost of walking in the door ($75), and if her results show anything concerning, I'll have Eri tested as well.
I bought her a new MVB two weeks ago (I used linear tubes before), and around that time she had crickets from a new source, since the place I used to get them closed. Eri ate the same crix, though, so I would have thought that he'd show similar problems if she got something from them.
Her main basking spot is higher than I'd prefer (about 98*-100*F), but she gapes and removes herself when she's had enough. Her secondary basking spot (adjacent to her log) is 85*F, and her cool side is 75.5*F.
I'm curious as to the opinions/advice of those who've dealt with intestinal parasites/bacteria or gravid females.
Does anyone know where I can get a fecal exam done for cheaper? If the diarrhea subsides before our vet appointment, should I still take her? I'm in Richmond, BC.
I'll post poop pics if I can...
Thanks in advance!!
She's usually very sociable and loves being held and exploring the house, but in the past week she's become somewhat skittish and runs away from me (and anyone else) who tries to pick her up. She's not aggressive about it, but it's very clear that she doesn't want to be outside of her tank. If she is outside of her tank, she runs straight back to it and glass dances until I put her inside.
Because I'm on a super tight budget, I can't get her to the vet for two weeks even though it's my top priority.
In the meantime, I'm cleaning her tank daily (it's now decorated with nothing more than newspaper, a few rocks, and her big branch), taking extra care not to sterilize her equipment anywhere near Eripio's, and trying hard to avoid any other cross-contamination (including obsessively washing my hands when I touch any of their equipment). So far Eripio has been the same as ever (black-bearding and head-bobbing cuz it's spring!), but I'm a little paranoid. I'm also bathing her daily now, mostly just to keep her clean since she doesn't seem to be drinking any more or less than usual, but the poop gets everywhere if I don't clean it up right away.
The fecal exam is going to be expensive ($80), in addition to the base cost of walking in the door ($75), and if her results show anything concerning, I'll have Eri tested as well.
I bought her a new MVB two weeks ago (I used linear tubes before), and around that time she had crickets from a new source, since the place I used to get them closed. Eri ate the same crix, though, so I would have thought that he'd show similar problems if she got something from them.
Her main basking spot is higher than I'd prefer (about 98*-100*F), but she gapes and removes herself when she's had enough. Her secondary basking spot (adjacent to her log) is 85*F, and her cool side is 75.5*F.
I'm curious as to the opinions/advice of those who've dealt with intestinal parasites/bacteria or gravid females.
Does anyone know where I can get a fecal exam done for cheaper? If the diarrhea subsides before our vet appointment, should I still take her? I'm in Richmond, BC.
I'll post poop pics if I can...
Thanks in advance!!