Funny Colored Poop

[kheaven35]

hey guys, I have a beardie named Stanley who has been having some funny colored poop lately. For about a week its been a light brown color and it's freaking me out. Could it be a parasite?

A little about Stanley......he is about 4 1/2 months old. The temps in his tank are very normal, i use carpet not sand in his tank. He eats crickets as well as mealworms on a daily basis. I give him a variation of veggies on occasion. The poop problem didn't start to happen until after I had last bought him crickets so I'm thinking it might be that batch of crickets but not sure. Please let me know if you have any idea what could be causing it and what I should do about it. thanks!

 

[daner923]

Can you post a picture? Also, can you answer these questions? Just right off the bat, mealworms are NOT a good idea to feed to a beardie- they cause impaction and are low in nutritional value. I would ditch them right away.

How old is your dragon?
How long have you had your dragon?
How long is your dragon?
What is the sex of your dragon?
What size enclosure do you have your dragon in?
What type substrate do you have on the bottom of your tank?
Do you use UVB lights?
If so, Is it a coil, compact, fluorescent tube, or Mercury Vapor bulb?
What is the brand name and number of your bulb? Wattage (if MVB)?
How old is your UVB bulb?
How close can your dragon get to the UVB, and where is the UVB bulb located?
Do you use a separate basking bulb? What kind and what is the wattage? Is it a white or colored bulb?
Di you have any type of night time heat source (ceramic heat emitter, colored bulb, etc)?
How long are lights on each day?
What are the basking temps?
What is the cool side temp?
What is the night time temp?
Do you take the temps with a stick on thermometer, a digital thermometer with a wire and a probe end or a temp gun?
Where exactly are you taking your basking temps?
Do you use a heat rock or heat pad?
What do you feed your dragon? Please be specific.
How often do you feed and what time do you feed (morning, afternoon, night)?
How many live feeders do you offer at time?
Do you gutload (feed) your crickets, worms, etc?
Do you use vitamin or calcium supplements? What brand(s)? How many days a week do you use each of them?
Is your dragon having regular bowel movements (poops)?
Do you bathe your dragon? How often?
Do you mist your dragon or offer water other than in the bath?
Have you gotten a vet check and fecal done?
Does your dragon share an enclosure with another dragon?

 

[kheaven35]

It is a boy
4 and a half months old
about 7 inches long
i bought him in mid January
he is currently in a 10 gal tank with reptile carpet
I use a ZooMed powersun 100W bulb which i bought new when i bought the baby in january
its currently over his basking spot and he can get as close as about 7 or 8 inches from it
during the winter i use either a heat emitting bulb or heating pad for the tank at night
the temp under the bulb is around 104, mid 80s on the cool side of the tank
night time it gets to low 70s when the night bulb or pad are not on
i use digital thermometer but also have a stick on thermometer in the tank at all times
i feed him small crickets in the morning and evening dusted with calcium
a small dish of meal worms are kept in there
he does bathe himself in a shallow water dish in the tank but i bathe him at least once a week
he poops everyday just lately its been a light brown color
he is the only one in the tank
i have not had him to a vet since i got him

 

[daner923]

Definitely stop feeding the mealworms. Also, turn off the heating pad and night light. They like total darkness to sleep, and heat pads can burn them. As long as it stays above 65F, you're fine. The MVB is a bit close - try to move it to about 12 inches away. Honestly though, we generally don't recommend a MVB in anything less than a 40 gallon tank - otherwise it is too intense for them. He will need that size tank very soon anyways. If it isn't hot enough, add another heat bulb for basking. Take out the water bowl and up the baths - the water bowl raises humidity too much, which can cause respiratory infections. What kind of greens are you offering? You should offer baths every 2-3 days instead. I should add he is pretty small for his age. Max was almost 12 inches by then. Otherwise, sounds pretty good. Maybe it's just a small fluctuation in his digestive system - you know, just like people sometimes have different colored poo.

 

[kheaven35]

I feed him a mix of veggies a few days a week that is sold as freeze dried from petsmart. I'm a college student with no car so I don't really have access to a walmart or someplace to get him fresh veggies

 

[daner923]

Hmm... Can you re-hydrate the veggies by soaking them? Just a thought. Veggies are normally one of the primary sources of hydration for a beardie. They still lose a lot of nutrients freeze-dried... Either way, he should have them available at all times, not just a few days a week.

 

[kheaven35]

oh yes, sorry for the confusion there. I do re-hydrate them as best as i can with water

 

[daner923]

Ok good. Just make sure they are available all the time. As for the poo, again not sure. If it is well-formed and doesn't smell really terrible, it's probably nothing.