# My Tegu poops tree o.O



## Kimmie (Nov 3, 2011)

I found out around a week ago that my tegu sometimes poops tree or close all the time. I couldnt find anything on the internet so im gonna ask the pros here ^^ - is there something wrong with Cookie? or is this something to clean their stomach? it can not be because he is hungry I give him as much food as he wants diffrent foods of course.


Do any others Tegu do this aswell?


----------



## TeguBuzz (Nov 3, 2011)

Poops tree? I don't quite understand. Do you mean he/she poops three times a day? Or what? I don't think tegus poop out trees, lol. I'm confused.


----------



## Kimmie (Nov 3, 2011)

It seem like he eats his bedding wich there is tree pices in :/ and then I see tree in his poo


----------



## Riplee (Nov 3, 2011)

That' normal. don worry.


----------



## TeguBuzz (Nov 3, 2011)

Kimmie said:


> It seem like he eats his bedding wich there is tree pices in :/ and then I see tree in his poo



Oh now I understand, haha. My apologies. As Riplee said, it's normal, so long as it doesn't cause an impaction, he's fine, and seeing that it's passing through his system, he must be fine.


----------



## Kimmie (Nov 3, 2011)

Ahh okay tyvm was abit worry thought it would hurt to poop ^^'


----------



## Bubblz Calhoun (Nov 3, 2011)

_What kind of substrate is he on? I wouldn't say it's normal,.. somewhat common depending on the situation but not something that I would be okay with. If he keeps it up you'll have nothing but problems here shortly if not already. The pieces that are passing may just be the ones that are small enough to do so. 

Are you feeding in the enclosure? How old is he and what does his diet consist of? There may be something lacking in his diet, that's causing him to do so. 
If it continues I would change the substrate to something else._


----------



## james.w (Nov 3, 2011)

To add to what Bubblz said, if you are feeding in the enclosure and food is getting into the substrate, he could be eating the substrate that is around that food. Otherwise it is possibly something lacking in the diet. I would also say it isn't normal that they eat the substrate.


----------



## Riplee (Nov 3, 2011)

Yes. Everytime, when the wild tegus or monitors catch food, they will take the food to a place which doesnt have any substrate and they might also clean the food if there are any substrate stick on the food first. (lol kidding)
In some case eat a upexpect things (soap, nail and etc) does cause some problems. 
but for the poop the substrate out, i wont say its an abnormal thing or a very serious thing you need worry about. some people might say it is not good if they eat any substrate, but remeber sometimes chicken bone or rats bone also will cause a problem to tegu. but there has a probability. 
in this case, the probabiliy to cause a problem is very very low. that's why I called it NORMAL. 
But Kimmie you can feed your tegu out of the cage if you dont like he eat any substrate.


----------



## james.w (Nov 3, 2011)

I think it depends on what type of substrate you are using. I use dirt, so I don't worry if they ingest some. Cypress mulch I would worry a little bit more because it can/will cause impaction.


----------



## Kimmie (Nov 3, 2011)

I think I have to change substrate to dirt or mulch like many others use I have use ripti bark but now I see it isnt good since he eats it I dont know how tho I feed outsite the cage  but this weekend im gonna buy something else ^^ thank you very much guys for the answers


----------



## Riplee (Nov 3, 2011)

Yeah. You right. Depend on the size of the tegu and piece size of the substrate. 
But if tegu eat the big piece with their food, 99% percentage they will take them out of mouth by their tongue. the rest of the small piece they will pass them out. 
But yes Kimmie, consider the advice James provided is also good. 
because we know there exist 1% stupid tegu, and they will eat whatever they can. 

*HINT: Kimmie, As i saw the pictures you have in another post, your tegu will be 100% ok if he ate the substrate you r using right now depend his size. 
*


----------



## Kimmie (Nov 3, 2011)

Riplee said:


> Yeah. You right. Depend on the size of the tegu and piece size of the substrate.
> But if tegu eat the big piece with their food, 99% percentage they will take them out of mouth by their tongue. the rest of the small piece they will pass them out.
> But yes Kimmie, consider the advice James provided is also good.
> because we know there exist 1% stupid tegu, and they will eat whatever they can.
> ...




Okay tyvm  I have to clean his cage anyway so I will just do it abit sooner and but some new substrate for him


----------



## slideaboot (Nov 3, 2011)

I buy Eco-earth in bulk and it really helps prevent impaction (more so, I'd say, than mulch). If you're savvy, you can get the stuff pretty cheap. Just be sure to buy extra...


----------



## dragonmetalhead (Nov 3, 2011)

slideaboot said:


> I buy Eco-earth in bulk and it really helps prevent impaction (more so, I'd say, than mulch). If you're savvy, you can get the stuff pretty cheap. Just be sure to buy extra...



Eco Earth is great. It holds humidity well and is great for burrowing. Kodo occasionally eats little bits, but it always seems to get digested as I've never seen a recognizable piece of anything other than mouse hair in his feces.


----------



## Bubblz Calhoun (Nov 3, 2011)

_Eco Earth is compressed Coconut Husk so it's not digestible it just passes through. It mixes in with the poop so you hardly ever see it.

On another note,.. comparing eating chicken or rat bones (digestible) to substrate that's not digestible or maybe even easy to pass is just,.. seriously :huh: :s wrong in so many ways then to say it's normal and okay for it to continue. May be you're okay with that for your tegus but I'm not and in no way would I recommend that it's okay for someone else to let it happen when it can and should be prevented.

How can you be 100% percent sure that it's safe and the tegu will have no issues passing any if it continues to eat it is beyond me. Then what happens a week or month from now when they post a constipation and or possible impaction thread for something you recommended and could have easily been prevented?

Even though you were kidding they do sometimes spit their food out and what ever is in their mouth that's not suppose to be there, then continue to eat the actual food._


----------



## Riplee (Nov 3, 2011)

Wow lol


----------



## Bubblz Calhoun (Nov 3, 2011)

_Hmmm,..funny, I missed it. The last time I checked this forum is suppose to help people not give bad advice and encourage them to do the wrong thing._


----------



## Riplee (Nov 3, 2011)

I just wonder how you guys feel you always right and other always wrong, 
I never called any of you wrong and there always has more than one solution. 
I just confuse here is the only place I saw people keeping call other members "Wrong". 

I guess I need stop here.


----------



## Bubblz Calhoun (Nov 3, 2011)

_There are multiple ways to do something the right and the wrong way, some better than others just the same as worse than others. Take it which ever way you like but I still wouldn't advise someone to continue doing or allowing something harmful to occur. Especially when it can easily be prevented.

No matter what you want to call it or how you want to look at it,.. the end result will let you know if your decision was the right or wrong thing to do._


----------



## boyd1955 (Nov 4, 2011)

Yes eating substrate CAN cause problems ... But god knows what they eat along with their food in the wild ... These are scavengers ... They do tend to spit out anything large, but obviously swallow some substrate occasionally ... I've seen mine do it deliberately for no reason at all apart from to stress me out with a mischievous look on his face
Having said that feeding in the viv is just messy and unnecessary most of the time apart from when you first get your beast ... Put his food outside the viv where he can see it and he'll soon come out and eat when he's hungry


----------



## kellen.watkins (Nov 4, 2011)

My extreme seems to not wanna eat unless its dipped in substrate lol I feed in the enclosure or used to she's hibernating now I plan on starting target training when she wakes up out of it. But anyways she hurls her food in substrate then looks for it and uses her tongue to get most of it off, kinda concerned me at first but she passes it no problems. @ bubblz its not always prevetable what if you can't get the tegu out of the enclosure without "manhandling" him or her? Riplee isn't recommending it just saying its somewhat normal or common.


----------



## Bubblz Calhoun (Nov 4, 2011)

_Read back,.. he said it was Normal more than once then posted in red that it's 100% okay for it to do so. To tell someone that, when constipation and impactions from eating something they shouldn't have like substrate happens so often and can be prevented is wrong,.. Period. 

Why not try and find out why he's eating the substrate and if that doesn't work change it out completely to something less problematic and harmful. Instead of saying it's okay and allowing it to continue. Especially when it's not okay and will only lead to a much bigger issue.

I'm not saying it's not okay to feed inside the enclosure, I've never said that and the Op said they don't. Some times it's the best thing to do but even then you take precautions by supervising the feeding and covering as much of the substrate as possible, then cleaning the mess after wards. If you need to remove some substrate that food touched so they don't smell it and try to eat it later then do so.

Does it happen,.. yes. 
Is it normal,.. no. 
Common depending on the situation,.. yes and should be prevented because it will only lead to a bigger issue.

Telling someone it's okay, validating, recommending,.. what ever you want to call it,... same difference._


----------



## slideaboot (Nov 4, 2011)

The whole "a tegu probably does this in the wild" argument really doesn't do any keeper in captivity any good. Nobody cares (or notices) if a tegu in the wild does something that will cause it harm because it's not THEIR tegu. If a tegu in the wild does something to make it sick (like ALL animals are capable of doing), that tegu is on its own. However, if a tegu in captivity is capable of doing something that could make it sick that could be prevented, it should be prevented (if nothing else, for the vet bills alone--not to mention the sake and safety of the tegu). Just because an animal does something "in the wild" doesn't mean it's a good idea--animals screw up, too.

PS: "poops tree" is probably my favorite new term.


----------



## kellen.watkins (Nov 4, 2011)

maybe its normal from his point of view, I have read this whole thread sounds like he gave out his opinion validating recommending are not the same. I would go as far to say its normal for them to ingest a lil substrate cage feeding, doesn't mean I like it I would rather have it different but no harm has came to my tegu. Still kinda rude to just attack someone calling them wrong for giving opinion and answering another members question. 

Either way imma stop on this subject


----------



## Bubblz Calhoun (Nov 4, 2011)

_Why is it when ever there's a disagreement someone's being attacked? Seriously  everything else aside it boils down to this,...

"I still wouldn't advise someone to continue doing or allowing something harmful to occur. Especially when it can easily be prevented."

Read more: http://www.tegutalk.com/showthread.php?tid=10110&page=2#ixzz1cmqVGknO_


----------



## Kimmie (Nov 5, 2011)

I bought some better bedding and Cookie seem very happy he is digging and is all dirty


----------



## Bubblz Calhoun (Nov 5, 2011)

_What did you switch to? Soil wise it's okay as long as there are no fertilizers, herbicides, pesticides, vermiculite, or perlite and things like that in it._


----------



## Deac77 (Nov 5, 2011)

Id Agree with bubblz it seems the main way herps (lizards primarily) are lost is impaction if my beardie or gu started showing any sign of comsuming substrate id switch it just to be safe ive seen to many ppl lose their lizards to impaction to take a chance with mine, and soil is awesome love to see'em burrow think its cute =P


----------



## omgtaylorg (Nov 7, 2011)

I just read this whole thing laughing, bubblz is clearly in the right by saying its not normal because its not normal or okay. Is it common? Yes because some people dont try preventing it. My adult female has been compacted before due to a piece of mulch being ingested with the food and it was a problem. I no longer feed in the cage because of this and as simple as that it has been prevented. Sure wild tegus may eat substrate every now and then, but they too like a captive tegu can and will eventually become compacted and being a wild tegu they have nobody like us to care for them and will either end up passing it or dying from it. Simple as that so that argument is so irrelevant. If something can easily be prevented then it should be for the care of the tegu. But as for the OP pooping trees, pieces of trees, subtrate, etc...is not normal, should be fixed before it becomes a problem(impaction), and should have nobody saying its 100% okay for tegus to poop trees or substrate. End of story


----------



## boyd1955 (Nov 7, 2011)

I love this strand ... Best title ever ... I think we need to take into account here the size of the tegu ... A hatchling is going to have trouble with ANY substrate he ingests, though will often pass it... How do you feed a tegu outside his viv if he's a wild thing ... People have to do it sometimes ... Its just the only way apart from getting in there with a glove and dragging the beasty out and risking it getting a heart attack ... Some people are going to say put carpet down on one side of the viv, but you know darn well the gu is going to drag it over to the other side on roll it in the substrate before he eats it COS HE FEELS LIKE IT ))
If a tegu is bigger it doesn't seem to be as worrying ... Mines one year old and only about 30 inches or so ... I got bit the other day wrestling a florescent orange ear plug out of his mouth that he'd found somewhere on his wanders : )) 
I think the answer to this should be TRY YOUR BEST TO STOP YOUR TEGU INGESTING SUBSTRATE but don't expect him never to do it cos it WILL happen


----------



## Kimmie (Nov 7, 2011)

I dont know if it was to me but I never feed my tegu in his cage that is just a no and he have never hisset bited or shown any agressive signs, just saying.
He ate it randomly even right after he got put in after dinner but I changed it now, here is some pics it is called Terrabark  very fine small pices he tho gets dirty but I guess all tegus love to dig  















Sorry he was sleeping on the pics 

Before






atleast if he tries to take a nip of that he can poop it out with no problems


----------

