Does this poop look healthy?

[ragidi]

My Alphys just pooped for the first time since I got her. I compared it to the Poop 101 post here in the forums. I think her feces looks fine. It's moist.
As for the urates, that's where I'm worried. It's yellowish orange with a white bit stuck to it.

I'll post the picture below.

There's a dried grasshopper sitting to its left in case you were wondering what that thing was.

I should point out that I let her bask in the sun today for an hour or more. I read that sunbathing helps her metabolism. So I assume she pooped because I let her bask?

Anyway, is there something wrong with the poop? Any comment is appreciated!

 

[JGuinan007]

No looks like Alphys is dehydrated I would have dripper going and mist a lil more frequently for the next few days might be good to feed some horn worms thats just my opinion and what I would do.

 

[jajeanpierre]

That yellow suggests she is quite dehydrated.

Are you using tap water? The water in Jeddah that came out of the taps was incredibly salty. Don't use tap water! Use only bottled water.

Keep her out of the sun until you get her dehydration dealt with. The sun and heat will only dehydrate her even more. Use bottled drinking water, mist her with a hand mister like crazy. Don't worry about the cage drying out. Put a live plant inside the cage--an ornamental hibiscus is a really good plant for a veiled because it is really healthy to eat and pretty to look at. You can find them pretty easily in Jeddah I think. A live plant will hold the water droplets longer on their leaves which is how she drinks.

If I remember correctly, some of the bottled water was pretty salty.

There are two parts of poop--the brown feces and the urates and urine. The white (in your case, orange) part of the "poop" is urates. They should be white or cream colored. If your chameleon hasn't pooped for awhile, one end of the urate might be yellow, but most will be white.

She is really dehydrated. You need to spend the time getting her hydrated. Do not put her in the shower because the water will be too salty and make it all worse no matter what anyone on this forum says. They do not understand how salty your water is.

Are you in school or working today and tomorrow? She needs to have her cage and plants misted a lot. Try to get a mister that produces a really fine foggy mist and not big hard droplets. Although it is really humid outside, your house is probably quite dry with all the air conditioning.

Good luck. Keep me posted.

 

[JGuinan007]

You don't have to worry about the sun keep your cham in the sun. Unobstructed sunlight is really good for it's metabolism. Just be sure to keep misting and use good clean water I personally use Acadia Pure Stream Distilled Water.

 

[jajeanpierre]

You don't have to worry about the sun keep your cham in the sun. Unobstructed sunlight is really good for it's metabolism. Just be sure to keep misting and use good clean water I personally use Acadia Pure Stream Distilled Water.

I would never put a dehydrated chameleon outside in hot temperatures. It is more than just the ambient temperature--heat builds up when the sun strikes a surface--the cage, the chameleon, the surface around where the cage is. The highs in Jeddah today were close to 90F and tomorrow is expected to be warmer. A stressed wild caught will not drink when stressed, and moving it around to new caging will only stress it more, compounding the dehydration problem.

Also, I don't think you realize just how intense sunlight in Jeddah is. Exposing bare skin to sunlight actually burns. It is really really different than any sunlight in the northern latitudes.

While I agree natural sunlight is wonderful for their metabolism and health, the current dehydration is a critical issue.

 

[JGuinan007]

I would never put a dehydrated chameleon outside in hot temperatures. It is more than just the ambient temperature--heat builds up when the sun strikes a surface--the cage, the chameleon, the surface around where the cage is. The highs in Jeddah today were close to 90F and tomorrow is expected to be warmer. A stressed wild caught will not drink when stressed, and moving it around to new caging will only stress it more, compounding the dehydration problem.

Also, I don't think you realize just how intense sunlight in Jeddah is. Exposing bare skin to sunlight actually burns. It is really really different than any sunlight in the northern latitudes.

While I agree natural sunlight is wonderful for their metabolism and health, the current dehydration is a critical issue.

Please stop being dramatic out in the sun for an hour is fine as long as misted.

 

[jajeanpierre]

Please stop being dramatic out in the sun for an hour is fine as long as misted.

Have you ever dealt with wild caughts that are dehydrated? I am not being dramatic.

Wild caughts are incredibly fragile.

 

[alphakenc]

Alah wakuba....it all depends if is a dehydrated cham or an healthy chamy,i would agree no sun for a dehydrated cham ,cause u are putting fire on top of the gasoline.....

 

[ragidi]

Thanks for your concern everyone. No need to worry, Alphys pooped and I checked it.

There is a slight yellow tinge in the urates, but this means she's getting better right?

Also about the sun, yes it gets quite hot here in Jeddah. But fear not, I mist Alphys properly before I let her bask in the sun. I let her bask in the morning and afternoon only, cuz the noon sun is too strong.

I will update with another pic as soon as she poops again.

Again, thank you all for your replies!

 

[jajeanpierre]

Thanks for your concern everyone. No need to worry, Alphys pooped and I checked it.
View attachment 149661

There is a slight yellow tinge in the urates, but this means she's getting better right?

Also about the sun, yes it gets quite hot here in Jeddah. But fear not, I mist Alphys properly before I let her bask in the sun. I let her bask in the morning and afternoon only, cuz the noon sun is too strong.

I will update with another pic as soon as she poops again.

Again, thank you all for your replies!

That looks a million times better! Good job!

Yes, now she is hydrated, sun in the morning and afternoon is fine, just don't forget she is out there because she can cook in your sun, even at this time of year. I would be inclined to only give her sun in the morning because by the afternoon the heat will have built up from the sun beating on the buildings and pavement around the houses. Does your house have a grass covered and planted court yard or tile? If you have a densely planted yard, you could set up the cage in the shade so it will never get hot. If you really wanted to get fancy you could rig up misters to keep her cool the way they do with the dairy farm outside Riyadh, but you want to make sure the water doesn't actually go in the cage because it will be too salty. You just want to cool the surrounding air. But I'm getting way ahead of myself. You need to figure out how to supply enough food. I wrote you a long post in your other thread.

If they haven't had a bowel movement for a long time, one part of the urate (the white or cream colored part) can be orange. As long as most of it is white and just the tip is dark, that is okay and nothing to worry about.

I used to live in the Lotus Compound in the diplomatic area. Jeddah is such an interesting city. I loved the old part of Jeddah. I hope it is still standing--it was so unique with the leaning buildings made of coral blocks. Is Green Island restaurant still there? That was a really wonderful restaurant build on stilts over the reef.

 

[jajeanpierre]

One other thing, you can tell if she is eating by whether or not she poops and the size of the poop.

 

[ragidi]

That looks a million times better! Good job!

Yes, now she is hydrated, sun in the morning and afternoon is fine, just don't forget she is out there because she can cook in your sun, even at this time of year. I would be inclined to only give her sun in the morning because by the afternoon the heat will have built up from the sun beating on the buildings and pavement around the houses. Does your house have a grass covered and planted court yard or tile? If you have a densely planted yard, you could set up the cage in the shade so it will never get hot. If you really wanted to get fancy you could rig up misters to keep her cool the way they do with the dairy farm outside Riyadh, but you want to make sure the water doesn't actually go in the cage because it will be too salty. You just want to cool the surrounding air. But I'm getting way ahead of myself. You need to figure out how to supply enough food. I wrote you a long post in your other thread.

If they haven't had a bowel movement for a long time, one part of the urate (the white or cream colored part) can be orange. As long as most of it is white and just the tip is dark, that is okay and nothing to worry about.

I used to live in the Lotus Compound in the diplomatic area. Jeddah is such an interesting city. I loved the old part of Jeddah. I hope it is still standing--it was so unique with the leaning buildings made of coral blocks. Is Green Island restaurant still there? That was a really wonderful restaurant build on stilts over the reef.

Oh thank God! I'm so glad her poop is healthy! (I never imagined I'd say this sentence someday lol xD )
Also thanks for the suggestions! Actually, Alphys is staying in my room. I placed her cage right next to the window. The window faces East so when the sun is up, I just open the window and let Alphys sit on a branch right next to the window screen.

The Old Jeddah is still there it's now a tourist spot and many festivals are held there to show how the old Jeddah was like. Old houses open up for visitors to see how it was styled in the old days, and mini museums to display old artifacts and neat stuff! Also food from the old days like fool, tamees, and other yummy stuff xD If you're planning to visit Jeddah, this festival is a must-see! Google historic jeddah festival to check it out!

 

[jajeanpierre]

Oh thank God! I'm so glad her poop is healthy! (I never imagined I'd say this sentence someday lol xD )
Also thanks for the suggestions! Actually, Alphys is staying in my room. I placed her cage right next to the window. The window faces East so when the sun is up, I just open the window and let Alphys sit on a branch right next to the window screen.

The Old Jeddah is still there it's now a tourist spot and many festivals are held there to show how the old Jeddah was like. Old houses open up for visitors to see how it was styled in the old days, and mini museums to display old artifacts and neat stuff! Also food from the old days like fool, tamees, and other yummy stuff xD If you're planning to visit Jeddah, this festival is a must-see! Google historic jeddah festival to check it out!

I loved Old Jeddah. It is just so beautiful with its crooked buildings and shutters. Fool is not an food from the old days!. I LOVE fool! Maybe one day I will come back. My kids think of Saudi Arabia as their home.

UVB light will not penetrate through glass. It will be diminished through screen, but it is better than no UVB. Sometimes heat coming through a window can cause a bit heat build up in a cage and you can get a surprise thinking that since the room is cool, the cage should be cool.

 

[JGuinan007]

Glad to read that everything is OK

 

[ragidi]

I loved Old Jeddah. It is just so beautiful with its crooked buildings and shutters. Fool is not an food from the old days!. I LOVE fool! Maybe one day I will come back. My kids think of Saudi Arabia as their home.

UVB light will not penetrate through glass. It will be diminished through screen, but it is better than no UVB. Sometimes heat coming through a window can cause a bit heat build up in a cage and you can get a surprise thinking that since the room is cool, the cage should be cool.

I'm working on getting a screen placed as the roof of the cage. For now I keep the cage top open. Alphys is in her cage now after I misted her for a minute (she got scared so I stopped). I placed her cage on a sunny spot so sunlight can go in through the cage top.
I installed a Komodo Dual Gauge in her cage. Right now, the readings are: Temperature = 76.0 F (24.4 C), Humidity = 54%
Alphys's skin is dark right now.

 

[jajeanpierre]

I'm working on getting a screen placed as the roof of the cage. For now I keep the cage top open. Alphys is in her cage now after I misted her for a minute (she got scared so I stopped). I placed her cage on a sunny spot so sunlight can go in through the cage top.
I installed a Komodo Dual Gauge in her cage. Right now, the readings are: Temperature = 76.0 F (24.4 C), Humidity = 54%
Alphys's skin is dark right now.

If she is sunning, she might go black so don't worry about that.

Is she inside the house? With sunlight striking her skin? Where is the 76F temperature reading? Can you post a photo of what your set up is right now?

Try misting her with warm water but don't actually let the mist hit her--mist the plants around her and really soak them so there are droplets everywhere. The warm water suggestion is probably not practical because you won't be using tap water.

Be really really careful she doesn't escape out the top!!!!!! They have an incredible ability to be able to climb things that you think they can't. She's strong and she has nice long toe nails for getting into the tiniest little crevice you can't see. It is amazing what they can get up and she has a long reach, too. If you want to let in lots of light, more than a screen, use welded 1/4" wire on the top. Just make sure it is secure and no cats can get in. You can make a cheap screen outdoor cage with wire pretty easily. I bet you can find something at one of the souks. Just make sure the temps don't get too high. If your garden is covered in plants, you could put the cage on the grass under trees so it only gets direct sun until 10 in the morning and then it is in shade. The trees and grass will keep the area cooler than if you had a garden with tile. If you make an outdoor cage with 1/4 inch openings or maybe a bit more--just make sure there is no way she can get her head through--and put in some sweet fruit, flies will come right into her cage and she can find her own food.

I saw a picture of a South African desert chameleon grabbing a big black beetle in the desert. I don't know what kind of beetle he was getting, but it looked like those black beetles that are out in the deserts in Saudi Arabia. You might catch one of those beetles and take it somewhere--a university maybe--and have them identified. They might be a food source. I would not feed a beetle that I didn't know if it contained any poisons--as you know some do. She should know if it is toxic, but if she is starving, she might eat something toxic anyway. Feeding those beetles could be a problem with all their had bits so be really careful about it.

One other warning--there are lots of predator birds in your area even if you don't see them. Jeddah is a major migratory bird corridor to get from Europe and Asia to Africa. Lots of birds stay the winter there. You might have ravens and some birds of prey near you. And of course, the famous Saudi Street Cat! I still have one of my Saudi cats--it isn't even a real domestic cat, but one of the native desert cats, the African Wild Cat (Felis silvestris lybica).

I'm enjoying helping you. You are bringing back a lot of really great memories.

 

[ragidi]

If she is sunning, she might go black so don't worry about that.

Is she inside the house? With sunlight striking her skin? Where is the 76F temperature reading? Can you post a photo of what your set up is right now?

Try misting her with warm water but don't actually let the mist hit her--mist the plants around her and really soak them so there are droplets everywhere. The warm water suggestion is probably not practical because you won't be using tap water.

Be really really careful she doesn't escape out the top!!!!!! They have an incredible ability to be able to climb things that you think they can't. She's strong and she has nice long toe nails for getting into the tiniest little crevice you can't see. It is amazing what they can get up and she has a long reach, too. If you want to let in lots of light, more than a screen, use welded 1/4" wire on the top. Just make sure it is secure and no cats can get in. You can make a cheap screen outdoor cage with wire pretty easily. I bet you can find something at one of the souks. Just make sure the temps don't get too high. If your garden is covered in plants, you could put the cage on the grass under trees so it only gets direct sun until 10 in the morning and then it is in shade. The trees and grass will keep the area cooler than if you had a garden with tile. If you make an outdoor cage with 1/4 inch openings or maybe a bit more--just make sure there is no way she can get her head through--and put in some sweet fruit, flies will come right into her cage and she can find her own food.

I saw a picture of a South African desert chameleon grabbing a big black beetle in the desert. I don't know what kind of beetle he was getting, but it looked like those black beetles that are out in the deserts in Saudi Arabia. You might catch one of those beetles and take it somewhere--a university maybe--and have them identified. They might be a food source. I would not feed a beetle that I didn't know if it contained any poisons--as you know some do. She should know if it is toxic, but if she is starving, she might eat something toxic anyway. Feeding those beetles could be a problem with all their had bits so be really careful about it.

One other warning--there are lots of predator birds in your area even if you don't see them. Jeddah is a major migratory bird corridor to get from Europe and Asia to Africa. Lots of birds stay the winter there. You might have ravens and some birds of prey near you. And of course, the famous Saudi Street Cat! I still have one of my Saudi cats--it isn't even a real domestic cat, but one of the native desert cats, the African Wild Cat (Felis silvestris lybica).

I'm enjoying helping you. You are bringing back a lot of really great memories.

I'm glad you're enjoying helping me
Alphys is inside the house, specifically in my bedroom. Her enclosure is right next to the window. I bought her a Hibiscus yesterday and she's sitting on it right now, looking out the window
The temperature readings are from inside the enclosure. I'll post a picture as soon as I can. As for the water's temperature, I use bottled water that is kept in room temperature (which is warm).
I'm making sure the top of the enclosure is closed when it's nighttime or when I leave the house. She escaped once (I kept part if the lid open) and I found her hanging on the window shutters which freaked me out. So, lesson learned
My backyard has no grass or plants in it, just small potted plants. Cats can get in so I can't let Alphys sit outside. I'm planning on buying a wired cage for her soon. I'm also making a bug trap using fruits. I just have to find a way to make the bugs enter but be able to exit.
As for beetles, I just caught one! Here's the thread of its pic.
Yes, there are TONS of cats in the neighborhood. No worries though, Alphys is inside the house so I remember I saw a falcon flying around Jeddah (near the university), but what would bring it to the neighborhood xD Would be cool to see one up close tho
I just saw a pic of the African Wild Cat. I see them around here sometimes, they're beautiful!
Again. thank you so so much for your advice! IBtw feel free to send me a message anytime if you wanna chat about Jeddah or anything

 

[jajeanpierre]

I'm glad you're enjoying helping me
Alphys is inside the house, specifically in my bedroom. Her enclosure is right next to the window. I bought her a Hibiscus yesterday and she's sitting on it right now, looking out the window
The temperature readings are from inside the enclosure. I'll post a picture as soon as I can. As for the water's temperature, I use bottled water that is kept in room temperature (which is warm).
I'm making sure the top of the enclosure is closed when it's nighttime or when I leave the house. She escaped once (I kept part if the lid open) and I found her hanging on the window shutters which freaked me out. So, lesson learned
My backyard has no grass or plants in it, just small potted plants. Cats can get in so I can't let Alphys sit outside. I'm planning on buying a wired cage for her soon. I'm also making a bug trap using fruits. I just have to find a way to make the bugs enter but be able to exit.
As for beetles, I just caught one! Here's the thread of its pic.
Yes, there are TONS of cats in the neighborhood. No worries though, Alphys is inside the house so I remember I saw a falcon flying around Jeddah (near the university), but what would bring it to the neighborhood xD Would be cool to see one up close tho
I just saw a pic of the African Wild Cat. I see them around here sometimes, they're beautiful!
Again. thank you so so much for your advice! IBtw feel free to send me a message anytime if you wanna chat about Jeddah or anything

The Saudi Street Cat is very closely related to the African Wild Cat because the two will cross breed and they are local to Saudi Arabia. I remember well all the street cats in Jeddah. I brought my two Saudi cats, guinea pigs, dog and parrots with me to Canada when I left on exit only.

I would not recommend you allow her out of the cage unless you are around. Your room will be quite dry with all the air conditioning. A plant in the enclosure will keep the humidity up where she is sitting. Dehydration is something you must always guard against.

You could make a fly trap with a cone--they will be funneled into the enclosure and through a small hole, but won't find the hole to get out.

As far as falcons in Jeddah, it could be an escaped bird or one that is migrating or wintering over in Jeddah. Jeddah is on a migratory route from Europe and maybe Asia to Africa. Migration north is usually around March or April, so it is too early for it to be migrating north.

Your back yard will probably be too hot to put your chameleon out except in the morning and in the winter. There will be a lot of heat stored in the tiles.

I hope you washed the hibiscus. Take a bucket of water and put a squirt of hand dishwashing soap in it and just dunk the plant upside down in the water. Swish it around good, and then rinse it. You want to remove any pesticides that might be on it. You will also need to put in a laying bin now because I think she is mature and could lay eggs any time. Do some research on that. Look in the resources section and the breeder section of this web site.

 

[ragidi]

The Saudi Street Cat is very closely related to the African Wild Cat because the two will cross breed and they are local to Saudi Arabia. I remember well all the street cats in Jeddah. I brought my two Saudi cats, guinea pigs, dog and parrots with me to Canada when I left on exit only.

I would not recommend you allow her out of the cage unless you are around. Your room will be quite dry with all the air conditioning. A plant in the enclosure will keep the humidity up where she is sitting. Dehydration is something you must always guard against.

You could make a fly trap with a cone--they will be funneled into the enclosure and through a small hole, but won't find the hole to get out.

As far as falcons in Jeddah, it could be an escaped bird or one that is migrating or wintering over in Jeddah. Jeddah is on a migratory route from Europe and maybe Asia to Africa. Migration north is usually around March or April, so it is too early for it to be migrating north.

Your back yard will probably be too hot to put your chameleon out except in the morning and in the winter. There will be a lot of heat stored in the tiles.

I hope you washed the hibiscus. Take a bucket of water and put a squirt of hand dishwashing soap in it and just dunk the plant upside down in the water. Swish it around good, and then rinse it. You want to remove any pesticides that might be on it. You will also need to put in a laying bin now because I think she is mature and could lay eggs any time. Do some research on that. Look in the resources section and the breeder section of this web site.

I washed the hibiscus and the ficus bonsai. I cleaned off the store dirt, and replaced it with new unfertilized dirt. I washed the plants thoroughly (not with soap though). I washed it three times so I hope it washed off everything. I also put large rocks to cover the dirt.
As for the laying bin, I read here that playsand is usually used for laying bins. I assume I can buy it from children's toy stores? There is a store called Early Learning Center (it has a green triangular logo with a baby's silhouette in the middle) that sells kids play stuff including sand. Does this work?
Also, how do I make sure she hasn't consumed it by mistake? I read lots of warnings about putting any kind of dirt in the enclosure, so..

 

[cyberlocc]

Also, I don't think you realize just how intense sunlight in Jeddah is. Exposing bare skin to sunlight actually burns. It is really really different than any sunlight in the northern latitudes.

I do and I wouldn't say the northern latitude is immune. I was born and raised in Phoenix and it gets on average 15f hotter for the majority of the summer. Plus Death Valley is in the US that is the hottest place in the world.

I know fully what you are referring to , when I was a kid there was days so hot I had my shoes melt to the pavement leaving rubber prints on the sidewalk as I walked.

I fully feel OPs pain living in places like that is horrid, like jean said you feel like you are literally being baked like a turkey and can watch your skin shrivel up and burn its Horrible!,

Sorry about your loss OP.