Purple urate????

[Abbipetty]

Uhm? I’m very confused… my beardie has passed purple urates?? Like, I thought it was a flower somehow at first, that’s how odd the color is. She has had hard urates the past few times she’s gone the the bathroom, but none that were oddly colored like this? She passed one that was grey, one that was orange, and one that was like a rust color, and then now purple? I cut back on calcium supplement because I thought that was the issue but maybe not? She’s been black bearding today, but she normally does when she needs to poop, so that’s not a huge worry to me, but she’s closing her eyes, which is a little concerning to me as she looks a little uncomfortable. Her black beard looks like it’s fading a little, but it’s still pretty dark. Anyone know what could be going on? The photos don’t really capture how purple it is but yeah.

 

[KarrieRee]

Uhm? I’m very confused… my beardie has passed purple urates?? Like, I thought it was a flower somehow at first, that’s how odd the color is. She has had hard urates the past few times she’s gone the the bathroom, but none that were oddly colored like this? She passed one that was grey, one that was orange, and one that was like a rust color, and then now purple? I cut back on calcium supplement because I thought that was the issue but maybe not? She’s been black bearding today, but she normally does when she needs to poop, so that’s not a huge worry to me, but she’s closing her eyes, which is a little concerning to me as she looks a little uncomfortable. Her black beard looks like it’s fading a little, but it’s still pretty dark. Anyone know what could be going on? The photos don’t really capture how purple it is but yeah.

What are you feeding the dragon? Its ok for the poop to be off color but not all the time-- what are you using for a UVB coil or long tube fixture - what are the surface basking temps and how are you getting them? What is her diet please?

 

[Drache613]

Hello,

If her urates have been hard then she needs more fluids in her diet. Does she get oral fluids during the
week or does she eat her greens regularly? You could get a plastic dropper to use for dropping water onto
the end of her nose to help with hydration.
Oversupplementation can cause harder & or discolored urates quite often. What brand of vitamins or other
supplements do you give her?

Tracie

 

[Abbipetty]

What are you feeding the dragon? Its ok for the poop to be off color but not all the time-- what are you using for a UVB coil or long tube fixture - what are the surface basking temps and how are you getting them? What is her diet please?

i use the reptisun. T5 HO 10.0. Long fixture. It’s on top of the mesh, about 7-8 maybe 9 inches from basking. Basking is anywhere from 99-105, the temps always been a pain for me, but I try to make sure it’s always at at least 100. I’m using digital probe thermometers, and I have an infrared but it’s result vary. She normally eats collards, turnip greens, peppers (usually yellow, sometimes red but hasn’t had red in a week or so.), cucumbers, bok Choi, kale on occasion. Occasionally some mint. Nothing purple that I can recall.

 

[Abbipetty]

Hello,

If her urates have been hard then she needs more fluids in her diet. Does she get oral fluids during the
week or does she eat her greens regularly? You could get a plastic dropper to use for dropping water onto
the end of her nose to help with hydration.
Oversupplementation can cause harder & or discolored urates quite often. What brand of vitamins or other
supplements do you give her?

Tracie

I give her Repti calcium without d3. And the flukers multivitamin once a week.I do suspect I may have been over supplementing calcium, as I used to put it in all of her greens and her bugs. I have since cut back and only put it on her bugs now, whenever she has them, about once a week. This was a few weeks ago when I first noticed her hard urate, that I stopped putting all of the calcium in her stuff and since, she still normally passes at least one hard urate every time she goes. It was first just white, then once it was like an orange yellow, then it was white, now the purple. She had passed a small grey urate a few months ago, but vet said she wasn’t concerned. I normally do try and make sure she stays hydrated by dropping water in her nose, normally she’ll drink it, but recently she’s been just shaking it off of her nose. She does have greens everyday, on very rare occasions I’ll skip it if she’s had bugs that day.

 

[KarrieRee]

i use the reptisun. T5 HO 10.0. Long fixture. It’s on top of the mesh, about 7-8 maybe 9 inches from basking. Basking is anywhere from 99-105, the temps always been a pain for me, but I try to make sure it’s always at at least 100. I’m using digital probe thermometers, and I have an infrared but it’s result vary. She normally eats collards, turnip greens, peppers (usually yellow, sometimes red but hasn’t had red in a week or so.), cucumbers, bok Choi, kale on occasion. Occasionally some mint. Nothing purple that I can recall.

This infrared is a colored bulb? She needs a solid clear bright white basking bulb- NO colored NO off white NO daytime NO yellowish bulbs -- if you need more help please ask -- the screen on the tank is a fine mesh? Or wide hole type? The urate should be moist firm and white --

 

[Abbipetty]

This infrared is a colored bulb? She needs a solid clear bright white basking bulb- NO colored NO off white NO daytime NO yellowish bulbs -- if you need more help please ask -- the screen on the tank is a fine mesh? Or wide hole type? The urate should be moist firm and white --

Infrared thermometer not bulb! Sorry I should’ve specified. It is a zen habitat enclosure, it’s not super fine, but it’s not super wide holes either. You can look it up online to get a better idea of what I mean if you want! She’s been hiding in her cave all day today, but she does that on occasion, she’s not black bearding anymore so that’s good.

 

[KarrieRee]

Infrared thermometer not bulb! Sorry I should’ve specified. It is a zen habitat enclosure, it’s not super fine, but it’s not super wide holes either. You can look it up online to get a better idea of what I mean if you want! She’s been hiding in her cave all day today, but she does that on occasion, she’s not black bearding anymore so that’s good.

I have two Zens - the UVB needs to go inside the tank shes not getting enough UVB -- pic of the tank for reference

 

[Abbipetty]

I have two Zens - the UVB needs to go inside the tank shes not getting enough UVB -- pic of the tank for reference

Okay! I was wondering. I will put it in there!! Thank you!

 

[KarrieRee]

Okay! I was wondering. I will put it in there!! Thank you!

Sounds good -- distance directly above a piece of basking decor 12-15 inches

 

[Drache613]

Hello,

I agree, stronger UVB exposure should help out quite a bit. As an adult, she should get calcium
3 times weekly but it doesn't have to be an overload. Perhaps she isn't absorbing things properly
with weak UVB exposure.
What type of foods do you give the insects regularly?

Tracie

 

[Abbipetty]

Hello,

I agree, stronger UVB exposure should help out quite a bit. As an adult, she should get calcium
3 times weekly but it doesn't have to be an overload. Perhaps she isn't absorbing things properly
with weak UVB exposure.
What type of foods do you give the insects regularly?

Tracie

Okay- I moved the uvb inside, and it’s about 17 inches from the bridge below. Her heat lamp is still directly over her hammock, which is where she normally basks, and I’m hesitant to move it as I’m worried she won’t have a place with a warm enough temp. Any advice on if I need to move anything around or if it looks fine would be appreciated!! Thank you guys!! I use the repashy gut load and feed them left over greens!

 

[KarrieRee]

Okay- I moved the uvb inside, and it’s about 17 inches from the bridge below. Her heat lamp is still directly over her hammock, which is where she normally basks, and I’m hesitant to move it as I’m worried she won’t have a place with a warm enough temp. Any advice on if I need to move anything around or if it looks fine would be appreciated!! Thank you guys!!

The 17 inches is to high please lower the UVB to 12-15-or get a higher piece of basking decor which I recommend its easier to adjust decor than the UVB - and she needs to be able to sit directly under it

 

[Abbipetty]

The 17 inches is to high please lower the UVB to 12-15-or get a higher piece of basking decor which I recommend its easier to adjust decor than the UVB - and she needs to be able to sit directly under it

Okay I moved the light down so it’s about 15 inches from the bridge now!

 

[KarrieRee]

Okay I moved the light down so it’s about 15 inches from the bridge now!

Good watch her behavior and her poops ---