Leopard gecko with weird poop?

[MyLeoPeso]

I went today to handle my leopard gecko and noticed his last two poops have had half the urate yellow. She's still eating normally, acts normally, just the poop. The one before these two had a little of the brown part light brown, but after some research I thought it was just extra calcium. Does anyone know what this could be?:?

 

[MyLeoPeso]

Also, I just offered her a mealworm and she ate it, spit it out, then tried to eat it again, and spit it out. After this she walked away.

 

[JessJohnson87]

Sometimes yellow urates can mean that they have an excess of vitamins. How often are you dusting?

http://www.geckosunlimited.com/community/leopard-geckos-health-and-diseases-/79813-urate.html In this thread Elizabeth posted something in her caresheet about yellow urates. As far as spitting out the worm, maybe she wasn't hungry. Mine has done that before with a cricket and a mealworm so I just took the food away.

 

[MyLeoPeso]

I don't dust her crickets/mealworms with calcium with d3 or pure vitamin that often. I usually dust her crickets/mealworms with pure calcium once a week. She also has a very small dish of pure calcium, but she hasn't eaten any out of it. Also, the insect loading formula I feed the crickets with has vitamins in it.

 

[JessJohnson87]

How many times has it been yellow? I would just keep an eye on the color and if it's still yellow after a couple more poops, I would take her to a vet just to be safe.

 

[MyLeoPeso]

Ok, I think I've solved it. I read that it can be caused by dehydration, and this could've been the cause. When I went to handle him, his water bowl was dried up (which I offered water immediantly.) It could've been dried up for a day, seeing I feed her every other day. Sorry if I say 'he' it is a female, but I got in the habit of calling her a he.

 

[JessJohnson87]

Do you have a moist hide to?

 

[MyLeoPeso]

I usually bathe her regularly and moisten the substrate, but just a little (don't want any respitory infections) but don't have a moist hide. I'm planning on getting one this following week, when I can get some moss. And it's only been twice, both from today.

 

[JessJohnson87]

I made mine out of a plastic food container and you can use paper towels until you get moss and the moist hide goes on the warm side, they won't get a respiratory infection if it's on the warm side of the tank.

 

[Elizabeth Freer]

Here's the quote from the Large Urate thread which Jess linked earlier:

You may wish to consider the type and frequency of your supplements. Too much D3, too many vitamins? That schedule also depends upon the diet you feed your feeders. This info quoted from a respected exotics veterinarian may help.

#105---Yellow Urates: Potential Causes......January 2015
Contributed by a vet who also keeps leopard geckos:

"Urate color depends upon things like diet, health, et cetera. Generally urates are very white. More pigmented (especially green) urates can indicate an issue. It is possible that if the animal has not passed stool or urates for some time there can be a little staining of the urate portion of the waste products. I also think that this is sometimes the case if the stool is loose. Then there is a greater chance for pigments to bleed from feces to urates. If it is just little off-color I would keep an eye on it and if it is infrequent I wouldn’t worry. If we are talking dark yellow or green that's biliverdin and it implies that there is something more serious going on.

Reptiles lack an enzyme called biliverdin reductase that allows them to convert biliverdin to bilirubin (as mammals do). So their bile is green. If the liver cannot handle removing it from the bloodstream efficiently, levels can exceed the renal threshold and spill into the urates. That would result in the urates being a greenish yellow to green color. What confounds this is that there's some mixing of feces and urine/urates in the cloaca so that some fecal pigments can stain the urates a light yellow color."

 

[MyLeoPeso]

Okay. I added a moist hide on the warm side of the tank. It looks kind of big and bulky, but I put her in it and she was able to get out by herself (I made it that kind of one with the hole in the roof) and I bathed her. And also, her poop was either extremely light yellow or no yellow at all :yahoo: !

 

[MyLeoPeso]

Thanks for your help. If she has another problem, or another gecko has one, (considering maybe a house gecko) I'll come back to GU. :lol:

 

[Yoshi'smom]

We are always glad to help and you are always welcome to ask questions! Glad to hear everything seems to be ok and was just a one time deal. I would still keep an eye on it for a bit, just in case.

 

[MyLeoPeso]

Ok.. The poop is back. She turned a light brown color a few days ago, but as I expected, it was just a overdue shed which she shed today. Her tail is lighter than usual, and so are her feet, but I'm not sure if she's just going through pueburty or she's got stuck shed. I let her into her moist hide (now has moss) and she came out the same after about a hour. I can't find any lines where the shed would be stuck, and I'm worried. I'm researching if there's a reptile/exotic vet in my area, and a qualified one. Any links or suggestions? :?

 

[JessJohnson87]

ARAV

I found that one very useful in finding one near me. Depending on the age, they do change the older they get. Once they're adults, I have read they can change color based on mood, husbandry and other things. Keep an eye on her for a couple more days and see if her color changes, but I would still find a good reptile vet near you for the furture.

 

[MyLeoPeso]

Today she turned the color they turn before they shed. Is it possible that she had TWO sheds waiting? And she hasn't pooped again yet.. Here's the questionnaire.


Basic Information
Species of lizard: Leopard Gecko
Gecko's name: Peso
Morph: Normal
Gender: I believe she's a female, maybe incorrect because she's only a sub-adult.
Age: Not sure, around 8 months or so
Weight: 42 grams

Enclosure dimensions (length x width x height): 29 gallon long
Substrate provided: Dry Eco Earth

What type and brand of thermometer (digital with probe, temperature gun, LCD strip, analog (circle), combo digital thermometer/hygrometer, stainless steel aquarium type, other): Digital with probe (zoo Med)
What is the ground temperature right on the substrate under the warm dry hide: 80 Degrees F
What is the air temperature on the warm end about 4 inches up from the ground: 72 Degrees F
What is the air temperature on the cool end about 4 inches up from the ground: 66 Degrees F
What device(s) are used to maintain the temperature (Under Tank Heater, heat light, Ceramic Heat Emitter, Flexwatt heat tape, hot rock, other): UTH

Insects and worms, list type: Mealworms and the occasional hornworm, mostly crickets
Regular diet fed to the insects: T-Rex's ILF
Regular diet fed to the worms: Quaker's Pure Oats and the occasional piece of fruit

How often do you feed your gecko? Every other day
Please list any supplements (with brand names) used. How are they given and how often?
Zoo Med's Repti-Calcium Without D3- Once a week
Zoo Med's Repti-Calcium With D3- Once every two weeks
If your gecko is sick, please describe the signs and how long your gecko has been showing these signs:
She's had yellow poop for two days, she turned light gray sometime today.
Additional Information

General
Gecko's total length: 5 Inches
Length of your reptile when you first acquired it: Not Sure
Source (pet store, breeder, previous owner): PetSmart
Captive bred or wild caught: Captive Bred

Vivarium
Number of hides: 3
Location of hides: One on the cool side, two on the warm side
Is there a humidity hide? location? Yes, on the warm side
Please describe any other furnishings: Her water dish, a large rock, reptile hammock
List recent changes in the environment, if any: None, other than spot cleaning

Lighting
Artificial lighting None
Incandescent ("screw-in type bulbs): wattages: None
Fluorescent (tube bulbs): None
Access to ambient daylight from a distant window: She's located on the left of a sunny window.

Heating
Ventilation space for your UTH by elevating the tank above the shelf (some UTHs come with sticky feet for the tank corners): I have her on a stand made for UTHs. About a foot.
Are you using a thermostat(s)? No, I have a timer
Which hide does she/he spend most of her time? Warm hide
Is the temperature decreased at night? by how much? About 10-20 degrees F

Humidity
Is the humidity measured? Occasionally.
Humidity range: 15% or less

Diet
Are the insects and worms formally “gutloaded” 1-2 days prior to feeding off to your gecko? If so with? Listed above, usally gut loaded longer
What calcium brand are you using? with D3, without or both? Both, Zoo Med Repti-Calcium
Is the calcium in the tank with D3 or without? Without
Multivitamins (include brand name)? Exo Terra Multivitamins For Reptiles
Please list any recent additions/changes in the diet: None

General Health
Is your gecko’s general activity level normal, decreased, or increased? Slightly decreased because of season.
Is your gecko’s appetite normal, decreased, or increased? Slightly decreased
Have you noticed any of the following?
Weight (loss or gain): none
Discharge from the eyes or nose: None
Increased breathing rate or effort: None
Change in the droppings: Yellowish Urate
Urates
---white or yellowish:
---size of urates as compared to size of feces: Urate is much smaller, only about 1/3 of size
Abnormal skin color or shedding: Very very light white skin.
Parasites on the skin or in the feces: None
Weakness: None
Regurgitation: None

Previous problems and/or illnesses

Other Critters in Same Cage or in Household None
List other animals that are kept in the same cage: Crickets? Otherwise none
Recent acquisitions (new pets within the past 6 months): None
Are any of your other pets ill? No

 

[JessJohnson87]

I would ditch the eco-earth and use paper towels or slate/tile, she could ingest some of that and become impacted. The temps on top of the substrate are too low, they need to be 88-92* and I would keep the UTH on 24/7 not on a timer. A thermostat will help keep the temperatures regulated and prevent burns, the heat pad's can get up to 100+*.

 

[MyLeoPeso]

I know that it was a bit too cold at that time. It usally stays between 86-93*, and I've kept her on Eco-Earth for her entire life and she's never became impacted, and she loves to dig in it.It also is a bit easier with spot cleaning, and usually if I do see her eat a bit of Eco-Earth, I find it packed neat and tidy in her poop. Ok, now to what happened. She pooped again, this time a light yellow, mostly white. And, I just finished being with her for around three hours. I stood next to her cage with her in a small tub with only enough lukewarm water to cover her feet, and she shed. I think what happened is she moistened the skin in the moist hide, making it look like she shed, but didn't. I noticed that happened when I first put her in. I'll keep an eye on her now, but if I don't reply, it's because she's doing fine. Thanks again to GU.

*I'll look into finding a thermostat. And another reason I like Eco-Earth is she can dig to regulate her tempature. If the heat pad gets a bit too hot, she'll cover it with Eco-Earth and then sit there. If it's too cold, she'll dig and lay on it.

 

[JessJohnson87]

If shes doing fine on the eco-earth, that's cool. I notice sometimes mine will turn a greyish yellow in-between sheds. The sometimes he's a brighter yellow. Mine will dig around in his moist hide, I have moss in there, and sometimes he will burrow in it. I think it's cool to see them burrow like they do in the wild. I had him out on the couch tonight and he burrowed underneath the blanket.

 

[Elizabeth Freer]

Hi ~

Much of your husbandry is good. I have some questions and suggestions.

Since Peso is just 8 months old, she should be eating every day at least until she is 12 months. Then it depends upon her weight, before you decide to cut back to every other day. She is doing most of her growing from now until 18 months old.

Here's a sexing link: Sexing Leopard Geckos

Are you feeding free range crickets and mealworms or are you using a feeding bowl? I'm concerned about the Eco Earth substrate.

You are feeding Peso variety. That is excellent.

Please link T-Rex's ILF. It would probably be a good idea to feed this to the mealies too. There are better mealworm diets than oats which benefit the mealies and ultimately Peso.

The amount of powdered supplements depends upon the quality of the dry diet you feed the bugs and worms. Something is causing the yellowish urates. Healthy urates are pure white.

Does your Exo Terra multivitamins contain vitamin D3? How frequently are you using them? Then you're using Zoo Med's D3 Repti Calcium and plain Repti Calcium.

Is your UTH 1/3 or 1/2 the floor area of your 29 gallon?

I suggest keeping Peso's UTH on 24/7 and using a Hydrofarm thermostat instead of a timer. It has a variance of +/- 3* at most. Peso will be more comfortable with a constant heat source year round. The Hydrofarm MTPRTC is the only inexpensive thermostat with a digital readout and a small metal probe. It costs about $35 from Amazon.