New guy's poop (finally) - bloody urate??

[Echoezra]

To jo. I just meant that the whole thing doesn't really have to be orange to show deyhydration. I am almost 100% positive that it is just dehyration from stress and from the urate being inside the body so long.

BTW, I was asking before about when it's white at one end and discoloured at the other, what does that mean, as far as the timeline goes?

 

[Elizadolots]

I believe that's the hint that it's poop that's been held in for awhile. The urate has been produced all along and the older the urate is, the darker it is. The white urate is the most recently produced. You've been waiting for him to poop, so it's logical that the urate would show signs of being inside for an extended length of time.

 

[jojackson]

Sarah, these links may be of help to you. cheers

http://www.azeah.com/Care-Sheets.asp?id=208

http://herptiles.consulnetjdm.dyndns.org:8081/poop.html

 

[Echoezra]

I guess what I didn't catch and was after was is it (the urate) oldest near the poop? And if so, when it's whiter at the far end, does that mean his hydration is improving?

 

[Echoezra]

Also, what about the second poop pile to the left? That was larger & didn't have any urates attached? What was up with that, why separate?

 

[jojackson]

The animal only has one opening, poop without urate is fine.
Your lizards poo portrait shows a small amount of solid nitrogenous waste (urate) and a good volume of urine (excreted urea and ammonia). Without adequate access to water, the urate fraction would increase, and urine production would decrease, as a means of conserving water. Urate in dehydrated animals tends to get harder and drier as the condition worsens.
Hence I dont think your lizard is badly dehydrated enough to produce red urate, and I believe its worth investigation, if only for peace of mind.

I guess what I didn't catch and was after was is it (the urate) oldest near the poop? And if so, when it's whiter at the far end, does that mean his hydration is improving?

I dont think it really works quite like that.

 

[Elizadolots]

Actually, in the sense that what is nearest the end is what was most recently produced, it does.

 

[Echoezra]

Quick little positive side note - just found another poop from my little guy Zelig - the urates are white as snow.
and he was the one I was worried about, the one I've never seen drink or anything.

 

[Elizadolots]

YAY! The joy of good chameleon poop cannot be understood by people who don't keep chameleons.

 

[Echoezra]

Lol, i know, eh? The first one I found in there, I got all excited and told my son to bring me a Kleenex, so he watches me pick it up and look at it and say "not bad..." and he started cracking up. "did you just say 'not bad'?? At the POOP??" Lol. I did feel strange.
Wait til you see how excited I'll get if I find one like that from Zaphod next, now that I'm all worked up & worried about him.

 

[Elizadolots]

Well, as a MOM you can quell that kiddy criticism by pointing out that you were equally interested in his poop when he was a baby....Poop gazing is not limited to chameleons! He'll hate that and probably not bother you for awhile after that.

 

[Echoezra]

Still waiting on another poop...

Okay, so probably a mistake, but I didn't rush off to the vet after all with the last poop, instead I saved it and figured I'd wait a day or two for the next one, then bring them both in to compare. Well, this will be day 6, and yeah, I'm freaking out again...
I've been misting him for longer each time, with very warm water, and making sure he's in the direct fire for most of it. I have seen him lick his lips a few times, and lick off leaves a few other times. His leaves do hold water for quite a long time, so he's got lots of opportunity to drink.
I tried setting up a dripper, first time it wouldn't drip unless I was actively moving it. So I poked more holes, then it dripped way too fast, basically pouring out, lol, and it scared him and he avoided that side of the cage for hours.
sigh.
So since then, just been keeping up with the thorough mistings.
I measured his basking temp, and it turned out it was a little lower than I thought it was (than it was when I measured it before I got him) so I got him a new fixture (the one I had was only a 75 watt) so that I could use a 100 watt bulb so now his temps have been warmer for several days, in case that was the problem, but still no poops.
I saw on other posts talk of grapes, pear babyfood, putting a drop of mineral oil on the feeders. I know he won't eat the first two on his own, he hasn't even been using the cup anymore this week like he would the first week, I've tried moving it around but still nothing. So what about gutloading with the grapes/pear babyfood? Would that help move things, if it was IN the crickets? Worth a shot??

 

[Echoezra]

Edit to above

Just to be clear, he is still eating. Crickets & butterworms. Just not eating from the cup anymore. I have to put crickets on screen and butters on vine.

 

[Elizadolots]

So what about gutloading with the grapes/pear babyfood? Would that help move things, if it was IN the crickets? Worth a shot??

Definitely worth a shot.

 

[Echoezra]

Gutloading now

So I've got a new batch of crickets chowing down on some grapes & pear babyfood overnight, he'll have those for breakfast. I did buysome mineral oil too, do you think I should go straight for that? Or wait & see if the pear/grapes thing works? Tomorrow night will be a week since he last went.
What do you think?

 

[Echoezra]

Success!

Well, i was just handing him his first cricket full of grapes & pears, and he let a huge dump go that landed on my arm! Lol.