watery poop

[angel]

So the last 2 days Suga has had very watery poops, IM hoping this is dietarty related and easily fixed.
For the past 2 years she has been getting plain lettuce salads with red pepper {which she loves}, so when i aquired her last week we started her on a better diet she now gets salads with arugula and spinach red pepper sometimes, plums sometimes and peas most days. we also increased her crickets she was getting 6 once or twice a week {unbelievable i know} now she gets as many as she wants she ate about 14 yesterday.
She is small and 3 years old, her cage is set up as I recieved it as she has had some relocation stress {another possible cause of the watery stool?} so here is what it is she is in about a 25g tank, calci substrate , 100watt house bulb for basking I dont have the themometers yet ordered them the other day they were sold out of the one i wanted, water dish , couple small rocks for basking, uvb uva light just says reptile so not sure if thats a brand or what?
she has a a beth day before yesterday and two days before that. she is active chasing crickets down seems happy and normal other than the stool problem, Anyone have better idea what could be wrong, She isnt as black as she was whaen we got her home seems to be settling in.

 

[renich]

Did she happen to just have a soak before the watery poop? Does it have a foul odor? Beardies that are well hydrated tend to have runny poops. So, if she just had a bath and then pooped, it could be a reason.

BTW, spinach is not good for beardies. The amount of calcium that binds to it cannot be digested by them. On another note, be careful with kale too. All in all, it is OK on occasion, but i would not keep it as a regular staple. Kale has the oxalate issues as spinach, causing calcium absorption to be lowered. Kale does have a lower amount than spinach. So, with proper UV light and temps, it is said to be OK to offer on occasion.

Consider collard greens, dandelion greens, mustard greens, carrot tops, parsley as regular greens.

Also, you may want to consider replacing her UV light. If you are unsure of the make and model, it may not be producing the needed levels of UV. Another thought, do you know the when it was replaced? UV lights are recommended to be replaced every 6 months.

I'm partial to the ReptiSun 10.0 tube light. It is said that it produces the best UV light out there on the market. Here's a link of what I am talking about:
Bearded Dragon Light

 

[crypticdragons]

a drastic change in both environment and diet can cause loose watery stools and lethargy. It is basically relocation stress and is normal. give her a week or two and i bet things will be much better. Thats my opinion anyway.

Now after 2 weeks if things havent changed for the better i suggest taking in a fecal sample to a vet and having it checked out.

 

[ladyknite]

Arugula, Bell pepper, plums and peas also have high water content that when combined can contribute to loose stools.

My concern is a 100 watt bulb in a 25 gallon tank. That seems a bit high to me. And of course the calci sand substrate.

 

[angel]

Thank you She hasnt gotten much spinach so I will stop giving it to her she likes the arugula, she didnt have a bath that day and she has had watery stool for 3 days now, It did have red specs in it but she did have red pepper previous so now i have only givin her arugula snow peas and zucchini hopefuly thats all the red was and not blood.

Im not sure when her uv was changed but im headed to the store today so I wil see if tehy have the bulb you recommended. thank you.

 

[angel]

i agree with the calci sand I hate it, and we are wanting to put her in a bigger tank im waiting on my thermometers to come in I think its not warm enough she always seems cold to me. we just werent wanting to change everything around she is still adjusting. We are going with tile its what we had with our last beardy and loved it easy to clean looks good too. I personally dont like using household bulbs for there basking light i think you loose too much heat with them so i will be getting her a proper one. The old owners have a heat mat on the bottom of the tank they said it was just replaced , Iv never used one and not sure if its really needed??????

 

[renich]

Heat mats are said to be bad for beardies. They cannot detect heat from the bottom and there have been cases where they have been burned by them.

If he feels cold to the touch when you pick him up, I think it is safe to say that it is not warm enough in his viv. Hopefully, your thermometer will arrive soon.

 

[rugbychic07]

lettuce has no nutritional value and it is full of water as well i wouldnt say its bad but i do believe it could cause diarreha (watery poo) bubba loves dandelion greens mustard greens and collard greens but they are hard to find cept in early summer (thats the season for them) i dont know were you are but mylocal produce store (produce junction i love that place) always has it and on ocassion wallyworld (walmart)

 

[TheVirus]

They cannot detect heat from the bottom and there have been cases where they have been burned by them.

Hey Renee,

In my experience, and opinion, dragons can detect heat from their belly. Its also a way dragons absorb heat and is often over looked in beardie husbandry.

You see burns when theres a lot of heat in a small area. If the heat mat heats unevenly, the dragon is still forced to use it in order to survive. Its brain is telling them to heat up, and unfortunately, its the only option they have. They don't understand crazy differences in temps because it is not natural.

You also see it when a large snake or lizard is forced to bask under a single bulb (especially spot bulbs). Its the same concept except a different heat transfer. The animal doesn't understand small beams of light. It still feels the need to heat up, even though its under the bulb and burning. The middle of the back is heating up, but the rest of the body is cold. Its why people with large reptiles use banks of bulbs.

 

[crypticdragons]

they can and do detect heat from underneath them they just (as tim stated) do not register heat that quickly. by the time they realize they are burning it is too late.

 

[angel]

I got the thermometer today as wel as the exo terra150w basking light, they only had 1thermometer though so i put it on the basking side for now will have to get another later on. its at 86 F right now but rising I just put the bulb in so the other light wasnt this hot. what temp should basking side be i know when I had my juvy it ws quite hot Adults are a little cooler arent they?
The heat mat isnt that warm at least from what i felt i guess thats why i thought it was useless maybe it is warm enough to keep the chill off though, she tends to burrow down in the sand at night and flatten out trying to get to the bottom of the tank, Shes had heat mats a coupe years with the last owner and i havent seen any burns or od scars or anything so she seems ok, I just dont know if I woud buy one personally.
Thanks everyone for the help on here , best forum I have found.

 

[renich]

Tim, thanks for the clarification. I must have had a brain freeze.

I like to keep the basking spot for adults between 95F and 100F. The cool end, around 85F. Night temps can drop as low as 65F.