Healthy Poop?

[ClydesGirl]

I got my first bearded dragon just about a month ago and I believe he was a month or two old at the time. I have some concerns over his poop and was wondering if someone can explain to me what is "normal" so I can figure out if there is a problem. First of all, he doesn't poop every day. More like every other day or even every third day sometimes. The first couple of times he pooped it seemed more "solid" and pretty much black with chalk-like urate. Since then, it seems to be a bit runnier and maybe a tinge greener, but still has chalk-like urate. Last night he pooped in his bath for the first time and in the water it was not well-formed, it was very loose and seemed to just mix into the water right away and definitely looked greener all thinned out like that. i am trying to find a local vet that I can take a fecal sample to, but I was hoping someone can tell me if any of this sounds like any cause for concern. Not having had him long and never having had a bearded dragon before, I really don't know what is normal.

 

[ErinMeetsMachine]

the poo does seem to not look well-formed when it's in the bath tub.

if you want to answer the following questions it might help a bit, sorry if you have already answered, i can just look there if you tell me where it is.

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?
Do you use a separate basking bulb? What kind and what is the wattage?
What are the basking temps?
What is the cool side 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)?
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 bath your dragon? How often?
Do you mist your dragon or offer water other than in the bath?
Does your dragon share an enclosure with another dragon?
Have you gotten a vet check and fecal done?

 

[ClydesGirl]

How old is your dragon? I am not sure of his exact age, I would guess 2-3 months.

How long have you had your dragon? Almost exactly one month.

How long is your dragon? Nine inches from his nose to the tip of his tail.

What is the sex of your dragon? Unknown

What size enclosure do you have your dragon in? 20 Gallon Long

What type substrate do you have on the bottom of your tank? Non-adhesive shelf liner, was on reptile carpet earlier.

Do you use UVB lights? Yes

If so, Is it a coil, compact, fluorescent tube, or Mercury Vapor bulb? florescent tube

What is the brand name and number of your bulb? Wattage (if MVB)? ReptiSun 10.0 18"

How old is your UVB bulb? Nearly brand new

How close can your dragon get to the UVB? about 8-10 inches on his basking rock

Do you use a separate basking bulb? What kind and what is the wattage? 75W basking bulb

What are the basking temps? 99-105

What is the cool side temp? 82-86

Do you take the temps with a stick on thermometer, a digital thermometer with a wire and a probe end or a temp gun? digital thermometer with probe

Where exactly are you taking your basking temps? right behind his basking rock

Do you use a heat rock or heat pad? there is a heat pad under the tank (outside the glass), under his basking rock so he can't lay directly on it

What do you feed your dragon? Please be specific. How often do you feed and what time do you feed (morning, afternoon, night)? He eats about 40 3/8" crickets a day. 15-20 in the morning after his lights have been on for about 1.5 hours and 15-20 in the early evening about 3-4 hours before his lights go out. I also feed him a salad at lunch time made of dandelion greens, endive, and mustard greens. He usually eats a bit as soon as I give it to him and then more throughout the rest of the day.

Do you gutload (feed) your crickets, worms, etc? Yes I give them Fluker's Cricket Food

Do you use vitamin or calcium supplements? What brand(s)? How many days a week do you use each of them? I dust his crickets with Fluker's brand phosphorous free calcium powder with D3 every day. I dust the crickets with Herptivite multivitamin every other day or sometimes every third day, so 3-4 times a week.

Is your dragon having regular bowel movements (poops)? As mentioned in my original post, he only has bowel movements every other day or sometimes every third day.

Do you bath your dragon? How often? Yes, 2-3 times a week.

Do you mist your dragon or offer water other than in the bath? Not anymore. I did have a water bowl in his viv for the first week or two, but since he didn't drink out of it and it seemed to raise the humidity, I removed it. I do add a little water to his salad so it's wet when he eats it and he can get some water that way.

Does your dragon share an enclosure with another dragon? No

Have you gotten a vet check and fecal done? No. I have been trying to find a vet in my area that treats reptiles.

 

[ErinMeetsMachine]

It sounds like you're doing great! A lot of people would suggest to get rid of the heat pad though. With those temps, there is no reason to keep one and beardies can't feel heat through their bellies anyhow. The temperatures you have are perfect for your dragon to thermoregulate and there is no reason your little guy shouldn't be digesting his food properly. I think I remember Spot pooping more than that, but I don't see it being anything to raise alarm to.

 

[ClydesGirl]

Well, I really just want to know what "normal" poop looks like so I can figure out if there is anything usual about Clyde's. Is the color and consistency what it should be? What about the smell. I'd say his is a little on the stinky side. Not like it stinks up the room, or even his viv, but when I'm cleaning it up, it's pretty gross smelling up close.

 

[ErinMeetsMachine]

the smellier they are the most chance there is of parasites. From what you explained there probably aren't any, or minimal. by smell alone haha. But younger dragons do tend to stink more than older ones because the crickets definitely don't leave their poo smelling too great at all! the urate should be white, if there is a yellow cap on it, it usually means that they are being supplemented too much calcium. The poo itself changes. it should be well-formed with insects fully digested. Do you see any big chunks of bugs? seeing a cricket let or head is normal though. Does that help?

 

[ClydesGirl]

Urate is white and chalky, haven't seen any yellow in it. Also haven't seen any undigested cricket parts in the poop. It has been a little on the watery side and not very well formed, so that's what had me concerned.

 

[ErinMeetsMachine]

I'm sure they are healthy. You have been doing everything right. If you want to post a picture that might help, but it doesn't sound like diarrhea or anything unhealthy to me. the urate sounds good and the fact that the poo is fully digested is also a huge plus.