Cricket + Carrot = Orange Urate?

[RPCV]

Noticed one dropping where the urate was orange. Searched this forum and found one comment that carrot gut load might be a cause (other than dehydration). I'd been using carrots the previous couple days - switched to greens and now the urate is white again.

Just want to make sure that this is a possible cause.

 

[boj3434]

I have heard that too but I think the colors are a little different but I cant be sure. Carrots arent the best gutload if thats all your using try mixing it up with the greens if you still want to use carrots which I dont I prefer fresh greens and oranges and maybe apples.

 

[DJ Richey Rich]

I use nature zone total bites as one of my gutloads Gucci was at a weird phase where she would eat a cricket about every 2 hrs so I kept a total bite in her cricket dish so the crickets would remain gutloaded Gucci ate the bite and had florecent green poop

 

[jojackson]

Never noticed orange urate attributed to carrot consumed by insects. Be sure its hydrated.
Possibly that may happen if all the insects ate was carrot, but as explained, that dosen't amount to a healthy balanced gutload. I use carrot for moisture, for many years, never had that happen with any species including my cham.
fresh greens fruit etc should be the bulk of the gutload.
Folk here use a very wide variety, and variety is a good thing. Personally I avoid citrus of any kind, since I have no idea what the longterm effects might be, if any.

Vitamin C synthesis has been reported in many reptile species. It has been suggested that ulcerative stomatitis seen in snakes and lizards may be associated with a vitamin C deficiency, although there is no supportive evidence. In controlled studies with garter snakes ( Thamnophis sp ) fed supplemental vitamin C, tissue levels and body stores remained stable, while synthesis by the snakes was reduced.

http://www.merckvetmanual.com/mvm/index.jsp?cfile=htm/bc/182421.htm

 

[RPCV]

Thanks for the advice. I try to switch up the gut load every few days and thought baby carrots would be good for moisture. Just could not figure out why he dumped one orangish load (I did not take a picture) then went right back to pretty white the day after I switched from carrot.

Hydration was my initial concern but nothing has changed besides the carrot. I have never seen him drink but he has a dripper going, I mist him at least 2 times/day and my daughter tends to mist him just about every time she walks by his enclosure (I'm trying to rein her in). Basking temps are low 80s. I'm just going to right this one down to the carrots and continue to monitor.

 

[Dawniegirl]

Found your posts very helpful

I'm going though same thing w/ urate & just posted it earlier today. I am gonna not use carrots and see if that will make a change in his urate. This post has been helpful for me too, thanks!!!

 

[sandrachameleon]

I use a fair bit of carrot, and have not noticed urate changes as a result.

 

[morpheon]

Same as Sandra, i have never noticed any change related to gutloading carrots.

 

[Olimpia]

People have done experiments where they only ate carrots for 2 weeks and it never changed the color of their urine, but it did change the color of their palms and feet. So I highly doubt that is what is causing the color change in the urate. Perhaps that day your cham just drank less, or you didn't mist as much. It's not a big deal, mine have nearly an hour of misting a day and I still find some orange some days - There are just days when they aren't as interested in drinking.