Runny Stinky Poo

[Sir Spiral Tail]

Whomi left a pile this morning, it was not the same consistency i am used to seeing. It is usually pretty dry...not totally, but it's definitely more solid, and i hardly ever smell much at all. This morning it was more wet, and when i got it out of the cage, the smell overpowered me. I don't know if it is normal for it to change like this, or if i should be concerned about his health or diet or water consumption. Anything offhand?

 

[GoFast]

Sounds like a parasite....

 

[draetish]

What type of feeders are you using? Did you see white urates?

 

[sandrachameleon]

smelly often indicates a parasite. Take the fresh dropping in for a fecal exam at the vet.

A big change in diet, to one that include a great deal of juicy feeders (hornworms, silkworms) can cause a runny poop. But not usually with a smell that knocks you over.

 

[xanthoman]

runny poo?

the help form would be appropriate here. occasional gelatinous or runny poos arent always a a sign to panic just yet, some times they are just a reaction to a slight change in husbandry like stress levels or feeders (usually something too rich like maybe too many butterworms). often things will get back to normal with no consequence, but if they continue or are accompanied by any sort of bad or rancid type smell, then it is probably wise to investigate further. having a fecal float done by your local cham vet would probably be a wise course of action. some vets will do a fecal float without seeing the animal (usually at a cost of $25-60). you may have better luck with an actual reptile vet. reptile& amphibian vets http://web.archive.org/web/20040611201113/www.arav.org/USMembers.htm. if you decide to do a fecal float, it would be good to first clean the bottom of your cage and maybe even put down some sort of sanitary temporary liner like paper towels, so you can collect the sample asap with no contamination. whether you do a fecal float or not, it would be wise to keep an extra close eye on your husbandry and animal until this is no longer an issue. in the meantime, it would probably be a good idea to minimize handling and keep him confined, not let him free roam or mingle with other chams (or crawl on your face) and definitely a good idea to thoroughly wash your hands after dealing with any cham issues. jmo

 

[ChromaChameleons]

Be prepared for the stools to come back negative. They don't always produce a conclusive diagnosis. If they are negative and problem persists , it may be worth administering Panacur and / or Metronidazole at the discretion of your vet.

 

[Carlton]

the help form would be appropriate here. occasional gelatinous or runny poos arent always a a sign to panic just yet, some times they are just a reaction to a slight change in husbandry like stress levels or feeders (usually something too rich like maybe too many butterworms). often things will get back to normal with no consequence, but if they continue or are accompanied by any sort of bad or rancid type smell, then it is probably wise to investigate further. having a fecal float done by your local cham vet would probably be a wise course of action. some vets will do a fecal float without seeing the animal (usually at a cost of $25-60). you may have better luck with an actual reptile vet. reptile& amphibian vets http://web.archive.org/web/20040611201113/www.arav.org/USMembers.htm. if you decide to do a fecal float, it would be good to first clean the bottom of your cage and maybe even put down some sort of sanitary temporary liner like paper towels, so you can collect the sample asap with no contamination. whether you do a fecal float or not, it would be wise to keep an extra close eye on your husbandry and animal until this is no longer an issue. in the meantime, it would probably be a good idea to minimize handling and keep him confined, not let him free roam or mingle with other chams (or crawl on your face) and definitely a good idea to thoroughly wash your hands after dealing with any cham issues. jmo

Excellent...a one time stinker may be nothing. A pattern over time indicates a problem.

 

[xanthoman]

fecal float not positive ?

Be prepared for the stools to come back negative. They don't always produce a conclusive diagnosis. If they are negative and problem persists , it may be worth administering Panacur and / or Metronidazole at the discretion of your vet.

this is true, a ff is by no means conclusive, unless it comes back positive of course, even then there may still be other parasitic issues it failed to reveal. there are a lot of variable factors, the quality of the sample itself, the concentration of the parasitic loading if present. the skill with which the float is done and even more importantly, the experience and motivation of the person actually doing the microsopic evaluation jmo (sorry to get off topic)

 

[Sir Spiral Tail]

I have not changed his diet lately. His staple are crickets, and when i have the time to hand feed, I have a colony of dubias. There was white urate, everything looked normal, besides the wetness, and the smell. He puffed all out a second ago...today is my day off and i am just watching him closely today...he opened his mouth all wide once like a yawn, and then 'de-puffed' and went to chill under his dripper. I am colorblind, but noticed a yellow or orange color in his mouth...and i am not sure i have seen that before in him...I am going to repot his plants today, and do a thorough cleaning. Also clean out the cricket bin and roach bin...what other precautions might i take? I will have to look into that link for a reptile vet in my area...i am not sure if there is one around that i have heard of.

 

[xanthoman]

using cricks as a staple could be part of the problem. variety is the key to a healthy cham diet and no one feeder should be used as a staple, if you must use one feeder as a staple, then dubia would probably be better than cricks (depending on their diet). if you have noticed a condition in his mouth that wasnt there before, and it appeared about the same time as the smelly poo, then i would view that as a red flag and seek a veterinary assesment if you are able. ongoing cage cleanliness is one of the cornerstones of good husbandry. as far as herp vets in your area http://web.archive.org/web/200406112.../USMembers.htm

 

[Sir Spiral Tail]

cool, thank you very much. I found one in springfield not too far from here. I just did an overhaul on his cage, repotted the plants with new soil, scrubbed everything down hardcore. As soon as i get paid next week I am going straight to the vet. Thanks for your attention and care helping me out here. I appreciate it very much

 

[draetish]

I have not changed his diet lately. His staple are crickets, and when i have the time to hand feed, I have a colony of dubias. There was white urate, everything looked normal, besides the wetness, and the smell. He puffed all out a second ago...today is my day off and i am just watching him closely today...he opened his mouth all wide once like a yawn, and then 'de-puffed' and went to chill under his dripper. I am colorblind, but noticed a yellow or orange color in his mouth...and i am not sure i have seen that before in him...I am going to repot his plants today, and do a thorough cleaning. Also clean out the cricket bin and roach bin...what other precautions might i take? I will have to look into that link for a reptile vet in my area...i am not sure if there is one around that i have heard of.

Panther's mouths are normally a dark yellow color.

 

[Sir Spiral Tail]

ooooh...well that's one thing i don't have to worry about. I am still going to take him to a local vet though, I called one of the ones on the list xan posted and an exam is only $40. I would rather spend that to find out everything is ok, then put it off and find out he is not.