Poop

[kreinmiller]

Newbie here....I have a few questions about poop!

--Is it normal for my 3 year old beardie to poop daily?
He only pooped about 2 times weekly when I first adopted him, but for the past 2 weeks he's been pooping nearly everyday. And what I feel like is a normal amount? Sometimes a little more.

--What constitutes normal?
It's normally a dark green/brown blob (often fibrous?) within the white urate, some days more liquidy but I assume that depends on water intake.

To give some dietary information, he gets fresh veggies every morning. Typically a leafy green (usually collard or dandelion greens) a veggie, usually green pepper, okra or squash, a bite or 2 of a fruit, and then parsley or endive. (He gets quite a variety because we also have birds that we prepare food for). I only offer bugs every other to every 3 days and typically he'll eat about 10 large dubia roaches and occasionally I've give a couple of super worms too.

Am I over feeding? He doesn't always eat a lot of veggies. Some days he'll give take a bite of this or that, and some days he eats nearly all of it.

Thanks!

 

[Claudiusx]

Hi there,

His diet sounds fine! The variety in the salads is great. Are the large dubia you are feeding adults? If adults that's probably a bit too many for him imo. Dubias being so high in protein carry the risk of causing gout to develop in older dragons. So I like to limit them a bit more than that. But really, the diet sounds fine for the most part.

There is nothing wrong with going more often. Adults can go quite awhile without going at times but it's better for them to be more efficient at removing waste..

What are the temps in his tank?

-Brandon

 

[kreinmiller]

Are the large dubia you are feeding adults? If adults that's probably a bit too many for him imo. Dubias being so high in protein carry the risk of causing gout to develop in older dragons. So I like to limit them a bit more than that.

What are the temps in his tank?

This last time was actually the first time I had adults (like with wings?) but usually they're just the "large" option without actually being full grown (if that makes sense?). Typically they range in size from dime size to double that. When I fed the adult ones this week I only gave him 5. I also couldn't possibly see how his small body FIT more but he wanted me.

I haven't had success feeding crickets. He either won't eat them or only eats a couple so it was a waste to keep them.

What is your opinion on frequency of superworm feeding? He LOVES them but I usually only give a few when I offer them.

I know hornworms shouldn't be given too much (haven't tried them yet) and I've seen mixed reviews on mealworms and most solider fly larvae I've seen are pretty small? Like small lima bean sized? so I don't know if those are too small? I have been wanting to offer a variety of things to keep his diet varied, but I can pick up new stuff regularly! (I work inside of That Fish Place-That Pet Place)

 

[Claudiusx]

Yeah that makes sense
You could do a mix of dubia and supers at each feeding. I usually feed my adults supers, but the numbers they get are limited. It's not necessarily how often you feed them that matters, it's more so the quantity you feed that matters.

But the best you can do is offer a variety. Mealworms are fine if they are part of a varied diet. Same with hornworms. Silkworms and butterworms are other good options.

The bsfl are pretty small for an adult so they would tend to eat quite a bit. For the reason I dont typically give adults bsfl but you could if you wanted.

-Brandon

 

[MrSpectrum]

OK, I'll admit it--I got sucked into this thread because of the title...
Some folks here are obsessed with Scatology! :lol:

To give some dietary information, he gets fresh veggies every morning. Typically a leafy green (usually collard or dandelion greens) a veggie, usually green pepper, okra or squash, a bite or 2 of a fruit, and then parsley or endive. (He gets quite a variety because we also have birds that we prepare food for).

Can't tell from that how much parsley he's actually getting, but it shouldn't be much/regular. :wink:
http://www.thebeardeddragon.org/bearded-dragon-faq.php#27

 

[kreinmiller]

Can't tell from that how much parsley he's actually getting, but it shouldn't be much/regular. :wink:
http://www.thebeardeddragon.org/bearded-dragon-faq.php#27

Ah thanks for the info! I hadn't realized. He only gets a tiny bit occasionally but I can't actually remember ever seeing him eat it. I will discontinue. My canaries LOVE parsley. :lol:

 

[MrSpectrum]

My canaries LOVE parsley. :lol:

AFAIC, they can have it... :|

 

[kreinmiller]

Woo! Finally got him to eat crickets! While I am well aware Dubia's are the best option, I wanted to also get some crickets into his diet to save a little since they're vastly less expensive.

Now he gets Dubia's once a week and cricket once a week with various snacks of superworms, hornworms and BSFL.

My questions is how many crickets seems appropriate? With the large dubia's I try to keep it at 10 but last time I fed crickets he ate 15 large and wanted more. I've read on here of people feeding their young ones 30-40 at a time. I know their needs are different though so I don't want to over do it?

 

[KarrieRee]

Dubias are more filling than crickets thats why he will eat more ---- I never fed my beardie crickets after starting on dubias at 3 months of age -- he was not fond of crickets so I am not sure how many he should eat at a time- I just know my older dragon will put away 5-6 LARGE dubias and those are like the X tra large ones - so that is alot at one time - as far as crickets some others on here would haft to answer that feed crickets now to their older beardies--- and to say he doesnt eat dubias all the time - depending on how many eats at a time he may not eat them again for say another week or so ---
Karrie