What Causes Diarrhea in Bearded Dragon?

Bearded dragons (Pogona vitticeps) are native to Australia but have become popular pets in the United States and Europe. Bearded dragons make excellent pets because of their small size (two feet long, with half of that being tail), good demeanor, easy husbandry requirements and hardy health. However, occasionally bearded dragons--or "beardies" as they are affectionately known--do display symptoms, such as diarrhea, that indicate something is wrong. Diarrhea can be serious and if it persists more than two days a stool sample should be examined by a veterinarian to determine if parasites or other infections may be the cause.

  1. Diet

    • Bearded dragons are omnivorous (they eat meat and plants) and require a variety of high-calcium greens in their diet, such as mustard greens, collard greens, turnip greens, parsley and dandelion greens. However, some greens can cause diarrhea and calcium deficiency and should be avoided. Problematic greens that cause diarrhea in dragons include those that are low in nutrition, such as iceberg lettuce, cabbage and other typical salad lettuces used in American diets. Kale and spinach are greens that should be fed only sparingly because they contain too much phosphorus for bearded dragons, which can cause metabolic bone disease. It is also possible for spoiled food to trigger diarrhea, but generally bearded dragons have hardy stomachs.

    Parasites

    • Bearded dragons and other reptiles may harbor intestinal parasites if they are fed insects and other live foods or are kept in unsanitary conditions. Generally low parasite loads do not pose a health problem, but occasionally parasites get out of hand, particularly if an animal is under stress. Coccidia and pinworms are the most common intestinal parasites in captive-bred bearded dragons. Smelly diarrhea, loss of appetite and loss of weight can all be signs of a problematic parasite infection.

    Viruses

    • Adenoviruses are a widespread group of viruses that affect mammals, amphibians and reptiles, including bearded dragons. Relatively little is known about the disease, other than it is serious and can kill bearded dragons. No specific symptoms distinguish the presence of an adenovirus. Bearded dragons infected with adenovirus sometimes exhibit diarrhea or a lack of appetite; other times they just die without symptoms.

    Bacteria

    • Bacterial infections, such as salmonella, can cause diarrhea and other gastrointestinal problems in bearded dragons. Like raw chicken, all reptiles--including bearded dragons--can carry the bacterium salmonella, which is transferable to humans. Good hygiene should be practiced when handing both raw chicken and reptiles, to reduce the chance of contaminating human food sources or infecting yourself and others with salmonella, which causes a very serious gastrointestinal disease in humans (salmonellosis).