The first time I saw leopard gecko white poop, I was shocked. What is happening to my leopard gecko and do I need to visit the vet?
There wasn’t enough information online and after a few phone calls, I calmed down. Now I know what this means and what more to look for.
In this article, I will help outline what is normal leopard gecko poop and white poop in leopard gecko really is.
Leopard Gecko White Poop
Don’t freak out when you see white poop coming out of your leopard gecko. These reptiles have their own way of expelling urates that may or not come out at the same time as their fecal matter.
Think of this white poo as solid pee. This is a normal production and defecation that you should not be concerned about. Sometimes geckos consume shed skin and it comes out sandy or pale as loose stool.
There is more to learn about white or discolored poop from geckos. Their droppings or excrement can help us understand their underlying health conditions much better. Here we go!
What Should Gecko Poop Look Like?
Gecko poo is a type of feces that is mostly similar to most reptiles and pets. The color is mainly dark, but sometimes you will see positions of solid gray and white poop as well.
The answer to why the poo would be white, creamy or sandy in color, composition or texture could be due to:
- Urates
- Consumption of dry shed skin
- Malnutrition
Urate comes out as solid white or gray poo. It’s their pee, but a hardened form of it. You might notice it at the tail end of regular gecko crap, but it’s ok as a solid white mass.
If the poop is sandy or gray in color, it could be due to eating and expelling shed skin that they have eaten. Leopard geckos and many other reptile companions of ours do this to absorb and recover more nutrients instead of just getting rid of their shed skin.
If the poop is discolored, loose or watery, this leopard gecko could be having digestion issues. Sometimes it means they are not digesting insects well and need a shift in diet. If they are losing weight or not eating as much at this time, a change is needed or a possible visit to the vet.
Look out for gecko color changes as well. Is that even possible?
Why Does Leopard Gecko Poop Smell?
Your leopard gecko must have just pooped for you to smell it. The fresher it is, the more it will smell. Thankfully it dries quickly and the smell dissipates. If the poop remains smelly, a change in diet could be in order.
Maybe they are not digesting their food properly. When a leopard gecko eats more protein and larger insects, they will produce larger feces and the poo will smell more.
Unfortunately a leopard gecko is susceptible to internal parasites as well. This could also be the cause of smelly poo. You can take a sample of the droppings to the vet for analysis and this will alleviate your worries.
You will know what to do next when the consistently bad smell of this poo becomes the first trigger to alert you that something is wrong.
How Do I Know If Gecko Poop Is Normal?
Let’s discuss what abnormal gecko poop looks like first.
Unhealthy Gecko Poop
- Watery
- Smeared
- Loose
- Undigested food
- Lack of stool
If your leopard gecko or other reptile companion is not digesting well, you may see that they are not absorbing enough nutrients from their food.
Undigested insects may come out or their stool could be watery, loose or smeared. You might have a gecko with an impacted gut and realize they are not defecating enough compared to what they are eating.
Healthy Leopard Stool
The poo for a healthy gecko is displayed in three parts.
- Dark Feces Tube
- Solid White Poo
- Liquid poo mixed with urine
There is the normal looking tubular form that resembles a sausage. This part is dark in color. The second part is uric acid waste or urates. This is solid white at times. The final part is a little bit of liquid urine or pee.
The first part is solid brown or black. The white poop you are noticing could also be yellowish indicating that it’s solid pee. The third part is just wet urine.
What if your gecko is changing color to white or pale? Find out why.
Why Is My Gecko Not Pooping?
You may not be noticing the poo from your gecko if they are carefully hiding their tracks. In the wild, their excrement is a dead giveaway of their location so they might be stealthy about where they are relieving themselves.
Impacted stool and leopard gecko constipation is common when they are switching meals, inactive, dehydrated or ill.
Look into these conditions:
- Low tank temperatures
- Undigested insects
- Internal parasites
- Regurgitation
Your gecko might be regurgitating food and not digesting properly. If you have any evidence of regurgitated matter or fecal matter, take it to the vet for analysis.
Set optimal temperatures for basking areas at 87-90°F (30.5-32.2 Celsius). A giveaway for internal parasites is usually smelly poop, impacted stools, lack of appetite or weight loss. A stool analysis will give you the information you need on this as well.
Leopard Gecko Poop Has Worms
Are you seeing worms in your leopard gecko’s poop? There might be a:
- parasitic infection
- fly maggots that arrived afterwards and not contained within the poop
- entamoeba
- pinworms
Soft stool, excess gray or white stools that are runny or smeared without enough hard feces excreted out of your gecko could mean a parasitic infection is ailing them.
Examining, gathering and taking a sample of the poop to a vet is the best evidence you have to assess the extent of this condition if you do not notice improvement within a day or two. You can always place the sample in the sealed bag overnight in the fridge and take it to the vet the next day.
Thank you for visiting PocketPetCentral.com for the best information to help you enjoy the life of your pocket pet companion in a fun, safe & healthy way.
