Red tinted urates - parasites or something else?

[J4ckdaw-]

Hi there, my 5mo old bearded dragon (141 grams, 15") has been having issues with his stool and urates for a while now- started around mid June when he first had diarrhea. Later on, he began to develop red tinted urates even after I stopped feeding my crickets the Fluker's orange cube diet. This is a new batch of crickets, they've never eaten the orange cubes and are always gut loaded pre-feeding. He is still having the issue with urates to this day though his diarrhea has gone, nothing has changed in his diet- he eats collard greens and butternut squash in his salads with a side of 10-15 BSFL and the occasional dried bug for treat days. I haven't changed his calcium dusting methods, I haven't changed his diet or enclosure, he hasn't eaten anything he wasn't supposed to- what could be wrong?

My first guess is parasites- he's had these symptoms for weeks and it hasn't stopped, I'm going to have his first fecal test done soon hopefully. I know I have said I would in the past but the nearest exotic vet is 3 hours away from me and I have been unreasonably busy with my work life lately. He doesn't have stunted growth- he is not lethargic, he does not regurgitate food and otherwise he seems perfectly healthy... Do you guys have any other ideas on what this might be? Could it be parasites?

 

[KarrieRee]

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Hi there, my 5mo old bearded dragon (141 grams, 15") has been having issues with his stool and urates for a while now- started around mid June when he first had diarrhea. Later on, he began to develop red tinted urates even after I stopped feeding my crickets the Fluker's orange cube diet. This is a new batch of crickets, they've never eaten the orange cubes and are always gut loaded pre-feeding. He is still having the issue with urates to this day though his diarrhea has gone, nothing has changed in his diet- he eats collard greens and butternut squash in his salads with a side of 10-15 BSFL and the occasional dried bug for treat days. I haven't changed his calcium dusting methods, I haven't changed his diet or enclosure, he hasn't eaten anything he wasn't supposed to- what could be wrong?

My first guess is parasites- he's had these symptoms for weeks and it hasn't stopped, I'm going to have his first fecal test done soon hopefully. I know I have said I would in the past but the nearest exotic vet is 3 hours away from me and I have been unreasonably busy with my work life lately. He doesn't have stunted growth- he is not lethargic, he does not regurgitate food and otherwise he seems perfectly healthy... Do you guys have any other ideas on what this might be? Could it be parasites?

Could be the butternut squash -- your dragon has good poop going on -- unless its real watery / runny and smells to high heaven I would not worry about parasites -

 

[J4ckdaw-]

The only difference to his diet was the squash- I used to feed him spaghetti squash but I learnt that it had a pretty high water content so I switched to butternut maybe a week or so ago, he had red tinted urates before I started giving him butternut squash as well. I mean- poop will smell like poop but I've started to notice how nauseatingly bad it's gotten, there are no days when it doesn't smell like that.

 

[KarrieRee]

The only difference to his diet was the squash- I used to feed him spaghetti squash but I learnt that it had a pretty high water content so I switched to butternut maybe a week or so ago, he had red tinted urates before I started giving him butternut squash as well. I mean- poop will smell like poop but I've started to notice how nauseatingly bad it's gotten, there are no days when it doesn't smell like that.

Time for a fecal test --- please contact your vet ask to drop off a stool sample for a parasite test and go from there

 

[xp29]

If it smells run you out of the room bad it could be parasites. You don't necessarily have to drop the fecal of at the exotic vet. Any vet "should" be capable of doing it, a lot of them will send it out anyways (the better option in my opinion). Maybe just call around and ask how they handle it. Don't let them gouge you on the price though, we've seen some folks here that have paid well over 100 bucks. Here where I live in vegas it's like 45 dollars if I drop it off, another 70 if I actually take my beardie in for a check up.

 

[KarrieRee]

No enemas --- my fecals run around $45 they just went up was $35 --

 

[J4ckdaw-]

Ok, I am aware to not have enemas done but thank you for the reminder!

 

[J4ckdaw-]

If it smells run you out of the room bad it could be parasites. You don't necessarily have to drop the fecal of at the exotic vet. Any vet "should" be capable of doing it, a lot of them will send it out anyways (the better option in my opinion). Maybe just call around and ask how they handle it. Don't let them gouge you on the price though, we've seen some folks here that have paid well over 100 bucks. Here where I live in vegas it's like 45 dollars if I drop it off, another 70 if I actually take my beardie in for a check up.

Lucky- a regular checkup or physical exam costs $220 where I live, that's good to know. Thank you

 

[Claudiusx]

Did you stop feeding your crickets those cubes like I mentioned to you in your other thread...?

Parasites don't typically cause discolored urates. Discolored urates 99 times out of 100 come from over supplementation, or from certain processed foods fed to feeder insects.

-Brandon

 

[J4ckdaw-]

I've stopped feeding them the cubes, they get their hydration from soaked cotton balls instead and are gut loaded 24/7. I read somewhere that parasites can cause discolored urates- I've stopped giving him as much calcium powder as before (not to little either) but enough to sustain him safely or so I think, every feeder meal is 10-15 lightly dusted crickets and 10-15 BSFL two times a day but I could be giving him a bit much... What do you suggest I do to rule this out?