Keeping pets is all cute until it’s time to clean their fecal matter. You have to deal with the disgusting smell, and the appearance is not so pleasing.
But what we find disgusting tells us a lot about these little creatures. Your beardie’s poop communicates its health and tells you if he is eating as he should.
However, you must know how healthy beardie poop looks to tell if something is amiss. The color, texture, and consistency will point you in the right direction. Talking about the color, what is the white part of bearded dragons’ poop? Is it normal, or should I run to the vet?
This post gives answers to these questions.
What is the White Part of a Bearded Dragons Poop?
If you’re a beardie owner, you must have noticed the white part of your pet’s poop. So what is it, and why do beardies excrete it?
In a nutshell, the white part of a bearded dragon’s poop is urate. Did you know? Bearded dragons don’t pee, so the waste product from their kidneys, urate, comes out with their bowel movement.
Your beardie will poop brown log-shaped fecal matter with the white part at the end. This white part should be soft, so if you notice hard, chalky matter, you must rectify it.
Hard, chalky fecal matter means your beardie is dehydrated, so give him water to restore water levels in his body. It also signals your bearded dragon has too much calcium intake, so cut back on calcium supplements or offer less calcium-rich foods to correct this.
The white part of a bearded dragon’s poop communicates his calcium and water levels in the body. Though the white part is nothing to be concerned about, pay attention to the consistency and take the necessary action if need be.
Is the White Part in My Beardie’s Poop Normal?
New beardie owners will have this question in mind, especially if they’re seeing beardie poop for the first time.
Well, the white part in a bearded dragon’s poop is normal. As I said, the white part is urate, a by-product of metabolism. Simply put, it’s the uric acid extracted from the blood through the kidneys.
Normally, uric acid is found in urine, but since beardies don’t pee, their uric acid comes out with bowel movements. So it’s fair to assume the white part in bearded dragons’ poop is their urine components extracted as fecal matter.
Though this white part is normal in your beardie’s poop, his poop should not be all white. An all-white poop would mean more urate.
However, this should not cause sleepless nights; it means your beardie is overly-hydrated. But this only applies if the all-white poop is soft; hard, chalky poop (as discussed) would mean something else.
Healthy Bearded Dragon Poop
Since our scaly pets can’t explain their health issues to us, a closer look at their fecal matter is the only way to tell if they are okay or not. Every beardie parent should know how healthy poop looks to tell the difference in case things are not adding up.
Healthy bearded dragon poop consists of two colors, brown and white. The brown part is often log-shaped, with the white part at the end or inside the log-shaped brown matter. We’ve already established that the white part is urate while the brown part is the actual fecal matter.
Normal urate should be soft while the brown fecal matter should be firm and not runny. If your pet is excreting poop that fits this description, then you have a healthy pet.
What Should the Poop of a Healthy Bearded Dragon Look Like?
It should be brown with a soft white part. The white part may either be inside the log-shaped brown fecal matter or at the end. Apart from the color, watch out for consistency and texture.
Your beardie’s poop should not be runny at all. It should be firm but soft. You might also notice some liquid alongside the poop. This is normal, provided the color and consistency are okay.
What to Watch Out For?
There are several things to watch out for in your bearded dragon’s poop. For example:
1. Blood in your beardie’s poop
Blood in your pet’s stool is a cause for alarm. Sometimes it may occur once and then disappear. If you notice any blood in your beardie’s poop, pay attention to his next fecal matter and keep a record of the intensity of the blood.
Often, blood in excrement signals constipation or internal bleeding. However, if it’s internal bleeding, the amount of blood may be more than if your pet is constipated. Other signs like loss of appetite and paleness will be evident if it is constipation.
Your pet will refuse his food as most of the stool is stuck in the gut. Try massaging his belly and keeping him hydrated to correct this. If there’s no change, visit your vet for a thorough examination.
2. Runny poop
If your beardie’s poop is runny and he’s pooping more than usual, he probably has diarrhea.
Diarrhea is often a result of overhydration, which means your beardie is eating a lot of watery leafy greens. It can also signal parasites, particularly coccidia. Parasites pose serious health issues if not treated.
Sometimes beardies have runny poop due to diet changes. For example, eating something they’re not used to, especially if the food doesn’t agree with them. Runny stool due to diet changes should settle within a few days, but if it continues for more than a week, discontinue any new diet changes and consult your vet for a professional opinion.
As for parasite-caused runny stools, you will notice a foul smell and mucus in the stool. Your beardie may also lose weight or refuse to eat his food. A parasitic infection may be passed from the insects your beardie eats, as some insects carry parasites.
3. Yellow poop
As I said, the color of poop is one of the pointers to healthy and unhealthy beardies. Normal poop should be brown and white, so if you notice a yellow color, you should find out why.
Sometimes the yellow color of a bearded dragon’s poop comes from red fruits. But in such cases, the yellow color will only occur once.
A consistent yellow color signals too much calcium in the body. You can correct this by reducing calcium-rich foods in the diet or cutting back on calcium supplements.
Another reason may be that your beardie is not absorbing calcium properly, so most of it is excreted. Check your UVB light and ensure it works well to help your beardie make vitamin D, which helps with calcium absorption.
It’s worth noting that sometimes a yellow substance in your beardie’s poop is not poop. It may be an infertile egg, especially if we’re talking about poop from a female beardie. A male one can also have a tinted yellow substance, which may be a seminal plug.
If you pay attention, you can tell the difference between yellow poop and the yellow substance in your bearded dragon’s poop.
4. Black poop
Black poop indicates fewer vegetables and too many insects in your bearded dragon’s diet. However, this is not a serious health problem, and you can easily rectify it by including enough leafy greens in your beardie’s diet.
Veggies should take up 75% of his diet, while insects should only take up 25%. If he’s excreting black poop, insects are taking more than fifty percent of his diet, which is not good for his health. Try to balance his nutrient content, and don’t forget to offer water to keep him hydrated.
Black stools may also be a sign of blocked bowel movement. Chances are your pet is in pain, so take him to the vet to prevent tears and ease the pain.
Keep in mind that the bearded dragon’s fecal matter darkens with time, so check fresh stool for accurate results.
Besides the stool’s color, keep track of how often your bearded dragon poops so you know when he takes longer than normal. Beardies usually poop four to five days (depending on age or species) after a feed, so if your pet takes longer, pay more attention and consult your vet.
However, sometimes it’s normal for him to take longer or not poop. For example, during brumation, your bearded dragon will poop less than usual. Another reason he might take longer is if he is stressed or suffering from a blockage.
Your beardie may also poop more frequently, especially if he has diarrhea. The only cause for alarm if he increases the frequency should be the consistency of the stool.
You should also familiarize yourself with the odor of his poop. I know it’s disgusting, but the smell tells you a lot about your pet’s health. His poop should have a consistent odor that goes away once you’ve cleaned it.
A stinky smell that lingers after cleaning would be a sign of parasitic infection. Even worse, it may signal a serious health issue.
Final Words
The white part in a bearded dragon’s poop is uric acid, present in urine that comes out as urate together with fecal matter.
Urate should be soft, so something is not right if it’s hard or chalky. Apart from urate, your beardie excretes brown stool, the actual fecal matter. So basically, your beardie’s excrement should be brown with a white part at the end.
If you notice a different color, find out why and adjust accordingly. And if you can’t figure out the problem, check with your vet.
