Runny poop, coccidia

[Tonya246]

Hey everyone just a little concern and some questions, Bob I believe is about 6 months, not exactly sure, he is 11 inches and weighed 56 grams about a week ago. Any way today is day two of some pretty runny/smelly/liquid poo, i had him to the vet last week and he tested positive for coccidia. Now im fairly new but have read the articles on this website and the vet said that it's recommended not to treat. im just wondering if you guys can help me out and tell me a bit more about coccidia. Here's his stats
His tank is a 40 gallon breeder, temps are about 100, and 85, i have a reptisun 10 tube. His diet includes anywhere from 20-40 crickets per day, sometimes more! I give him a daily salad of collard greens, dandelion greens, carrots and butternut squash, sometimes raspberries (only one, broken up) and the occasional butterworm. Also there are beardie pellets available at all times. Two days ago i introduced him to Nature Zone Bites, they are very small and he liked them but only had a tiny bit (maybe the reason for runny poo?) ANyway I guess im just wondering if the runny poo is Coccidia related and what types of things should i watch for? I believe the levels of coccidia are low which is why they are not treating but how will i know if the levels increase? Heres a pic of his poo
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Any info on coccidia would be appreciated! Thanks

 

[randommonks]

The poop actually looks normal to me, and the liquid around the poop is actually excess water. I usually look for a good amount of liquid in with my dragon's poop, otherwise it could be a sign that he's dehydrated. I've never dealt with parasites before, but maybe the coccidia infestation is low enough where it won't be detrimental to the beardie and wouldn't be worth it to put it through treatment (it sounds like it is pretty harsh on the beardie's digestive system)?

 

[Tonya246]

Hey, thanks for replying Im glad to hear the poop is okay! I've only had Bob about a month and i wasn't sure if the water was good or not! And yes the vet did say the levels were low and not doing any harm and they would only treat if he picked up another parasite, or if the levels increased, where would this coccidia come from? And how would i tell if the levels increased? I plan on taking him in once a year for a fecal to be on the safe side, i'm really attached to this little guy and only want the best for him

 

[randommonks]

Coccidia could have come from the breeding facility where the dragon was hatched, it could have come from the store where you bought him from, etc. He just has to lick something with coccidia and he could get infected. To keep levels low, it would be a good idea to steam clean or bleach-solution everything (yeah I totally just made that into a verb ) in the viv regularly to prevent a buildup of coccidia parasites in the viv itself (watch for fumes). Clean up poop as soon as you can, and use a disinfecting wipe to get rid of poopie remnants. Avoid sand and stress, since stress suppresses the immune system which could increase coccidia.

Basically you should have a pretty healthy dragon despite the small amount of parasites. You just want to keep a clean tank and bathe the little pooper well when he goes trampling all through his poop. Watch for poop where the solid, dark part is runny (other than just the liquid from excess water) rather than solid. Having a yearly fecal is a great idea, and your beardie thanks you for taking such good care of him

 

[Tonya246]

Thanks so much for your input