Foul poop

[Zombiepanda]

So it's days 4 and my new guys poop is still pretty undigested and dear god in heaven does it smell. Like I was asleep on the couch near his tank and woke up by the smell bad. Yesterday I didn't let him out at all so he had plenty of time to digest and I only fed him a few supers and he ate no greens.

Is there a chance this is leftover from the previous owners? Relocation stress? Or likely a parasite? Also if it's the latter is there a send off test I can do?(my one local vet suuuuuuucks)

 

[CooperDragon]

That's a warning sign but it could be stress related or just an upset stomach. I would give him a few weeks to settle in and see how things are. If it's still clear the room stinky a test should be done. There are mail in tests but I don't have details on them unfortunately. For now though I'd just give him a nice healthy diet, good lighting, and some time to settle.

 

[Zombiepanda]

That's what I'm hoping for!! I currently owe our very sucky vet a good chunk from Mags. And I'd like to avoid even dealing with them at all.

I know the last people were feeding him right before lights out, but idk how long it takes old food to clear the system. Thank goodness for tile though because I'm pulling it out each time and scrubbing it clean!

Also cannparasites be passed to humans?!?! He was playing on my kitchen counter this morning

 

[Zombiepanda]

Oh and idk if this makes any difference or not by they had his temps in the low-ish 90s. And I went and got a new bask bulb today which has my temps up to 104-98

 

[AHBD]

Parasites can definitely be passed to humans, please don't let any reptile on your kitchen table/counter and never bathe them in the sink. Salmonella + giardia are just 2 of the many infections that reptiles commonly carry.

 

[CooperDragon]

Yeah you want to be careful especially with a new dragon. Keep a bottle of F10SC handy so you can sanitize surfaces quickly and easily. That will take care of most things along with hand washing after handling. I like using a turkey roasting pan as a bathtub because it's portable and I can easily clean/sanitize it compared to using a sink. The difference in temperatures and lighting should help his digestion significantly but it may take a bit for them to help.

 

[Zombiepanda]

Oh dear lord!!! I'm gonna catch it!!!! ????

I'll call the vet tomorrow. I read that ammonia and bleach are great cleaners?? I ask because I have those on hand

 

[CooperDragon]

No need to panic, you'll be fine. Ammonia or bleach (not together!) diluted with water will disinfect surfaces for you too. I would get some F10 when you can though because it's much less harsh (when diluted) while being quite effective. I usually spray surfaces down with a vinegar and water combo (about 50/50ish) to get all the solid bits up then spray some disinfectant down and let it sit for 10 min or so. With tiles I'll do the vinegar clean then toss them in the oven for an hour or so on low to disinfect.

 

[Zombiepanda]

lol yeah no way! I'd love to make it through the cleaning without suffocating. I have tons of medical grade antibacterial wipes, but idk if that helps or not. I've been pulling his tiles out and scrubbing them with antibacterial soap and putting them back but maybe I should switch to newspaper til I get him treated

 

[CooperDragon]

Yeah antibacterial wipes are fine. You may want to give the surfaces a rinse with some water about 15 min after cleaning them to reduce any residue but that comes from my own paranoia more than any real risk. Newspaper is good as a temporary substrate but tiles are so easy to clean and sanitize I doubt it would cause an issue to continue using them.

I would get some of this and a decent spray bottle though. A small bottle like this should last over a year. https://beanfarm.com/products/f10sc-veterinary-disinfectant-100-ml-3-4-oz

 

[Zombiepanda]

I'll definitely get some ordered!! Gonna hijack my moms amazon lol I'm also hoping that a good cleaning, getting him on a better setup than he previously had, and raising his temps up a few degrees will help.

lol I honestly thought that adopting a full grown guy would help alleviate some of those crazy paranoias.. nope. I instantly started scoping him out for everything too!!

 

[CooperDragon]

lol yeah the worry never goes away. The adults are a bit easier to handle though because they don't require many bugs or as many meals. Good lighting, a good diet, and clean conditions can really go a long way to help them though. They can bounce back from some awful conditions if they're given the right care. Tough little guys for sure.

 

[Zombiepanda]

seriously I worry about him already so much!! Will an older adult go through relocation stress the same way a baby would? Today he hasn't eaten anything and minimal yesterday.

 

[CooperDragon]

Yeah they can all go through relocation stress. The degree depends on the individual personality more than the age though. It can be tougher to get an older dragon to settle in if they haven't had a good life previously though. It really depends on the case. Just try to read his behavior the best you can and accommodate him. You'll both figure out what works over time.

 

[Zombiepanda]

Today was an almost normal and only half as smelly poop!!! Yay!!!!!