Bearded Dragon Diarrhea Treatment

Have you noticed your bearded dragon doesn’t seem to be acting right?

Are you worried your bearded dragon is sick?

If you have noticed your bearded dragon has diarrhea, you are right to be concerned, and this concern will lead you to look for bearded dragon diarrhea treatment.

When you noticed runny poop and white stool in your bearded dragon’s cage, identify what is causing the illness, as this is the first step to treating the problem. Collecting a stool sample to take to your veterinarian to check for parasites is also a good idea. A trip to the vet may be necessary to check for underlying issues. A good soaking will help your pet stay hydrated. Also, be sure you are giving them plenty of drinking water.

There are many reasons your bearded dragon could come down with diarrhea, and understanding what may cause it is key to getting your beardie back to being healthy.

Continue reading to learn even more about loose waste products and become a better bearded dragon owner. 

Bearded Dragon Diarrhea Treatment

Bearded dragon diarrhea is not uncommon, but it might come as a surprise when it happens.

When you notice your beardie has diarrhea, especially the first time, knowing what to do to treat, the problem will make sure your pet gets back to being healthy fast.

Why Does My Bearded Dragon Have Diarrhea?

There are several reasons why your bearded dragon might have diarrhea, and determining what is causing this issue is key to treating your reptile.

This is the very first step in treating your bearded dragon’s diarrhea.

Your bearded dragon may be stressed, have parasites, a bacterial infection in their intestines, or another type of infection causing the white and runny stool.

But these aren’t the only causes.

Spoiled food, poor living conditions, dirty water bowls, bad food, or incorrect temps may also be the culprit. 

Check Your Bearded Dragon’s Food And Water

First, check your bearded dragon’s food and water to see if this could be the problem. 

A proper diet results in solid stool, but if it’s a poor diet or nutritionally-insufficient diet, then your pet may get the loose stool. 

Sometimes humans get sick when our food has gone bad or doesn’t sit well in our stomachs, and bearded dragons are no different.

Giving your bearded dragon a variety of insects, greens, veggies, and fruits will help them stay healthy and avoid sickness.

Make sure these greens and insects aren’t from the wild either; they may have parasites which may cause health issues. 

It may seem easy to get crickets out in your yard, but you should only use crickets from pet stores or suppliers. 

But sometimes, even the right food may make your pet sick, through no fault of your own.

Make sure their water bowl is clean, and fresh water is available for them.

Sometimes water may be the reason your bearded dragon has developed diarrhea.

This is especially true if you are giving them tap water.

Tap water often contains heavy metals, ammonia, chlorine, and fluoride. 

While you could go out and buy distilled water from the store, there are other options, like a water conditioner additive you put in your tap water.

A water conditioner will remove the harmful chemicals causing health problems in your bearded dragon.

Environmental Issues

Bearded dragons also develop diarrhea when their environment is not ideal.

If you have put off cleaning your bearded dragon’s enclosure, you might be putting your pet at risk for health problems with the white stool or worse.

Proper husbandry is essential to keeping your pet in top health.

If you notice your bearded dragon does have diarrhea, deep cleaning of their enclosure is called for.

The habitat will need to be fully cleaned using bleach to sterilize.

Be sure to remove your bearded dragon before you start the sterilizing process.

A deep clean will kill any bacteria in the cage, potentially causing diarrhea. 

Besides this, the temps and proper lighting in the cage are also significant.

You need UVB lights to provide full-spectrum lighting and heat lamps for the temperature. 

If the enclosure is too hot or too cold, your bearded dragon may get diarrhea. 

Remember, your bearded dragon’s natural habitat is in the hot deserts of Australia. 

They need temperatures of 95 to 110° degrees Fahrenheit (43° C) in the basking area and 80 to 90° degrees Fahrenheit (32° C) in the cool zone. 

Other than temperatures, light is crucial to creating a healthy environment.

These animals need a full spectrum of light to ensure they are getting the natural vitamin D they need. 

Stress

Stress is just one more cause of diarrhea, and helping to reduce this stress will clear up diarrhea.

It may be your bearded dragon is stressed because you just brought them into your home, or you could have changed their tank around.

Bearded dragons are not fans of change, but if you have a hide for them to feel safe in, this will go a long way to reducing stress.

Also, check to see if they are stressed from noticing their reflection in the glass. 

When your bearded dragon is stressed, you might notice glass surfing.

This is when your bearded dragon is attempting to climb the sides of their home. 

If you determine stress is the culprit, give your bearded dragon some time to adjust to their surroundings, reduce loud noises and quick movements around their enclosures.

Also, make sure they are in the right size tank. 

Sometimes stress occurs when the tank is too small.

Adult bearded dragons do best in a tank of at least 50 to 55 gallons, but a 75 or 100-gallon tank is even better.

Give them plenty of places to hide and plenty of water. 

Once they settle in, diarrhea will likely go away on its own.

Parasites

One of the most common causes of diarrhea is parasites.

These parasites cause so many problems for your bearded dragon. 

Besides diarrhea, you might notice extreme weight loss and extremely smelly poop.

You won’t be able to see these parasites on your own by just looking at your bearded dragon’s stool. 

Diagnosis will require a trip to the vet’s office.

Collect a fecal sample of your bearded dragon’s droppings to take to your reptile veterinarian.

They will look at the sample under a microscope to determine if your pet has a parasitic infection and provide a treatment plan.

Bearded dragons are at higher risk for developing parasitic infections when their immune systems are weak.

A weakened immune system occurs when they aren’t getting proper nutrition, there’s poor lighting, incorrect temperatures, stress, or they are living in an unclean environment. 

Veterinarians usually require a yearly parasite check at the animal’s annual exam.

If you noticed any of the symptoms we described above or even a lack of appetite or undigested food in the stool, a parasite might have invaded your beardie.

Dewormers or other parasite treatments may be prescribed as treatment.

Give Your Bearded Dragon A Soak & Keep Them Hydrated

To help soothe and treat your bearded dragon’s diarrhea, once you have identified what is causing it, give your pet the chance to soak in warm water for a bit.

Sometimes when humans sick, a nice hot bath or even a shower helps us, and the same is true for bearded dragons.

Soaking in a warm bath helps soothe the bearded dragon, and it has the added benefit of helping them stay hydrated.

Fill a large plastic bin with warm water, but be sure it is shallow.

You might also think about using your bathtub for your bearded dragon’s soak.

When you have placed the bearded dragon in the shallow water, let them soak and enjoy the water.

Let them soak for approximately 15 minutes, and make sure you stick around to watch them.

Supervision is required when you leave the animal in the water.

Once the 15 minutes is up, remove the animal from the water and pat them dry, as you don’t want them getting chilled from being wet.

Bathing is a great way to keep the animal hydrated when they have diarrhea, but you should also offer them plenty of water orally.

Keep a dish of clean, fresh water readily available, but if the animal isn’t feeling well, they might not drink on their own.

This means you need to offer them water with a syringe. 

It might not be easy at first, but you will get the hang of this, and your bearded dragon will benefit from it. 

Vets don’t use drugs to help with this. 

Most of the time, adjusting the food, environment and giving baths will fix the issues without drugs. 

What Diseases Can Bearded Dragons Get?

Diarrhea is a common health issue in bearded dragons, especially because there are so many issues resulting.

Bearded dragons, while easy to care for, are susceptible to infections and diseases.

Some of the more common ones include metabolic bone disease, mouth rot, and respiratory infections, including pneumonia. 

Early detection of an illness is important for treatment to be the most effective.

If left untreated for too long, your bearded dragon may not fully recover or may even die. 

Antibiotics, calcium powder supplements, and deworming medications are often prescribed to combat these common diseases. 

We want to emphasize the need for calcium powder or gut loading your insects to combat metabolic bone disease, which is common and dangerous for these pets. 

If you aren’t sure if your bearded dragon is sick or not, it is better to call the vet, even if it turns out to be nothing.

Conclusion

Diarrhea will happen to your bearded dragon at some point, but knowing the bearded dragon diarrhea treatment is essential to getting your pet back to health and being the best bearded dragon owner possible. 

Remember to identify the underlying condition, keep the animal hydrated, and never be afraid to discuss the situation with your reptile vet.

A balanced diet will also help with runny stool and bowel movements and avoid larger diseases such as metabolic bone disease.