What are main causes for runny poop aside from parasites?

[luckykarma]

I run fecals on my guys. One of the Abanja's has had runny poop for the last month. I found some coccidia but nothing that would cause it - counts of 2 or 7 and treated it with Ponazuril. Today there were 4 from a high of 14 two days ago.

No other parasites or worms that I could see. I know some Chams get runny poop when they eat too many worms but that's not it either.

Is it a sign of anything serious? He's not been eating right. Weight, color, mass, activity all fine. He had a LRI a bit back but that's cleared now.

 

[Justin Carl]

Does the fecal matter have a clear jelly surrounding it?
What is your misting schedule like?
What are the main contents of his diet?

 

[luckykarma]

Sometimes there is jelly. Mist 4x day. Wet him down at least 2x with warm water. Occasional shower. Drinks water via eyedropper.

He eats Silk worms, Super worms, Phoenix worms. Doesn't like crickets anymore.

 

[Justin Carl]

So far, he sounds well hydrated.
Sorry, one more question that I should have asked the first time.
How do his urates look?

 

[luckykarma]

Urates have a tinge of orange which frustrates me as he's well hydrated. Dave Weldon said he's seen thing happening from a diet of super worms which these guys seem to eat a lot. One of the panthers went through 5 months where all he would eat is supers and his poop is normal but urate is orange.

 

[sandrachameleon]

It seems likely to me (I'm no vet) that diet is contributing to the runny do-dey. You might be able to switch him back to accepting crickets if you withhold the worms for awhile. Are you able to try roaches? wood sows?

 

[luckykarma]

Its odd that the other guy that eats the same doesn't have this problem but I know in the past all animals have different constitutions.

None of the adults want anything to do with crickets. I end up throwing them out even though I keep trying. They're scared of roaches but I'm going to try to get them to eat them.

Never heard of a wood sow.

 

[sandrachameleon]

Never heard of a wood sow.

Was just thinking about the more "solid" feeders I use that my chameleons love. Wood Sows (aka pill bugs aka wood louse) are quite crunchy and are never refused by my chams. But the chinton is a little hard to digest so you wouldnt want to use these much anyhow.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Woodlouse

 

[luckykarma]

Thanks Sandra. I'm pretty annoyed at my guys for being so picky. I've seen it when they get to be a year or so they only want worms. Before that they wouldn't touch them and race to wolf down crickets. Now they look at crickets like I'm offering food poisoning.

Anything that will jump start them is worth a try. I'll see where I can order them.

 

[AndrewH]

too many silkworms

 

[luckykarma]

Not enough!

Did you ever get your guys to eat chow?

 

[opihiman]

sounds like a diet high in feeders that are already high in moisture.

could other things like plants and fruits also be sources of runny feces?

OPI

 

[luckykarma]

They don't eat fruit. Maybe they munch occasionally on a ficus leaf.

 

[kinyonga]

Is the poop just runny or does it look like somewhat undigested too?

 

[sandrachameleon]

Thanks Sandra. I'm pretty annoyed at my guys for being so picky. I've seen it when they get to be a year or so they only want worms. Before that they wouldn't touch them and race to wolf down crickets. Now they look at crickets like I'm offering food poisoning.
Anything that will jump start them is worth a try. I'll see where I can order them.

Youre welcome. If it makes you feel any better, I have one that doesnt like kingworms, one that doesnt like meal worms, and one that doesnt like butterworms! It wouldnt suprise me if the others all become picky about something or another too some day, just to annoy me! LOL

Good question kinyonga - maybe its a temperature thing?

 

[luckykarma]

Nothing in the poop. He used to love to eat dirt and I stopped that although I just found some good organic dirt he can have which of course now he doesn't want it because its not as interesting as in the garden.

Sandra - they make me crazy!! In a good way as long as they're eating.

 

[dodolah]

Isn't coccidia can cause some kind of diarrhea?
Also, can the orange urate caused by Ponazuril side effect?
Usually parasite treatment tend to dehydrate chameleons.

 

[luckykarma]

Actually while no authority like Dave Weldon on Coccidia, after dealing with it for 8 months and floating other animals that were LOADED with it the answer is no. They all looked normal. A mistake the breeder made whom I bought and everyone who bought from them at the show made. He said he only does floats if the poop looks strange. If there are no other parasites or worms coccidia poop looks normal. Maybe hundreds of thousands may affect it but I've seen slides with thousands and the poop looked normal.

Since he now has 4 as of today I guess I'll rule it out. I did think the same way though. Its nice to be able to monitor their poop all the time to see what really affects it.

Unless I'm stumped. Like now.