Poop Problems and Possible Fingerpainting

[JellOh]

So, Merlin seems to have an odd problem of getting his poop absolutely everywhere. He makes a mess about 5" in diameter with a little bit of normal poop flung somewhere in the viv. Yesterday he pooped on a notebook of mine (thanks) while out and about it was fine, as was the one a day or to before when he went while taking a bath. It's unlikely that it's a parasite problem as he just got a stool sample checked out on 8/11. Do you think he's just finger-paint with his tail to mess up his viv? Or should I be worried about really loose stole? His tail does have dark and discolored spots on it that could be poop, which is why I think he might be messing about with it. What do you guys think? If he is tailpainting is there anything I can do to stop him, as its a pain to clean up. Ahh, Beardies

 

[CooperDragon]

Be as thorough as you can about cleaning out the tank after this happens. You won't want the bacterial buildup which can cause sickness. I suggest providing a daily bath at around the same time every day. This will encourage him to poop in the bath (easy to clean up) and get him on a schedule which should (eventually) prevent him from going in the tank for the most part. They respond to routine pretty well so if you can get a routine going, it should help.

 

[JellOh]

I took out the shelf liner and it is soaking in a tub of water and white vinegar. I might still just cut him a new one, though. I'll definitely start bathing him at the same time everyday now. Do you think it was just him walking around in it then? Also, how should I go about cleaning it off his tail?

 

[CooperDragon]

They tend to run around and drag it with them sometimes. I'd give him a good bath and you can use some mild soap (I use Dr Bronner's baby mild) to help clean him off. If this continues you may want to get a small steam cleaner (~$40) to help sanitize everything.

 

[DragonsForBreakfast]

Use a soft toothbrush with the soap! It gets between the scales better than a washcloth.