Coccidia & NOW Pinworms! GAH!

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ynevar

Juvie Member
Well a visit to the vet confirmed my suspicions. My 2 baby beardies have coccidia and some other thing the vet had to do some research on. I was gettign worried as they were not growing despite eating well, having proper set up, etc. The vet told me their levels are very high, 20+ of the coccidia and some other protozoa. He is not a herp vet, we don't have one here anymore but he is willing to do research. I just ordered Acidopholiz and the Jumpstart as recommended and hope it gets here soon, I live in Alaska and it is always a few days to get anything. The vet is going to call me tomorrow and let me know what med(s) he is going to give them. I am madly researching coccidia and how to clean the enclosures etc. Any suggestions I can get would be great.

I am planning on taking out the slate and replacing it with paper towel which I can change the instant it is soiled. I am going to clean everything with Ammonia and boil their basking rocks. I am STRESSED.

I don't know what else to do. Will they be freaked out by a bare enclosure with one basking rock? I don't want to have to clean, clean, clean, clean........

Thanks in advance!
 

callum84

Hatchling Member
What symptoms made you visit vet in first place? What was appetite like and were stools abnormal?

Your doing the correct thing having a bare viv. They may not like it at first but its got to be done.
Ammonia is horrible to work with, do you have access to a steam cleaner?

As your vet is not a reptile specialist please run any medication by tracie (drache613) as they can be very harsh on there systems.

The best medications would be ponazuril or tortazuril as these are very effective and less harsh than Sulfa meds such as Albon.

Oh and don't stress, chill out. With the correct medication and cleaning regime you will soon have an all clear.
 

ynevar

Juvie Member
Original Poster
Well they started having diarrhea but the appetite was still normal. Even with the normal appetites though they were not growing near the growth charts. I was concerned. I kept telling my husband that I was worried and he was like they are growing, you just don't notice it since you see them every day. I was like NO I know they should be bigger. I was very glad that we took them to the vet.

I will call my vet and ask about Ponazuril or tortazuril.

I went and bought a steamer last night after one round of carrying everything up to the 2nd floor (tub) and washing it out with ammonia. I think my lungs still are filled with ammonia fumes (cough cough)! I steam clean the enclosures immediately after I notice a poo. I have been using paper towel substrate instead of the slate and using a cardboard box for basking and throw it away.

I have been giving them water drops in a medication syringe and they either drink it or smash their little heads on the ground like "I DID not want that on my face" and giving them extra soaks.

I sincerely hope these little dragons do well...
 

callum84

Hatchling Member
Well it sounds like your doing excellent on the hygiene side of things. It may seem like a chore at first but you get used to it and it actually teaches you some good habits for future.

Main thing is not to worry! Coccidia is very common and with your cleaning regime and correct meds your dragons will be absolutely fine.
 

ynevar

Juvie Member
Original Poster
Still worried as these little guys to me are far too little for what they should be. BUT am glad that they are still eating heartily. I have no real idea how old they are but got them in February because they were mangled and needed a good home. They arrived to the pet store with missing limbs and they couldn't sell them so gave them to me. I did what the pet store told me not all bad but some of it UGH UGH UGH (UGH....) wish I had researched more but hindsight is always 20/20. But after a bit of concern that they weren't growing changed their vivs around, got slate substrate and reptisun 10.0s. I had been doing the calcium dusting every other day, but added a multi dusting 2x a week. Stumpy is tiny, seems like a hatchling still, he is missing his right front leg from just above the elbow down and is quite a love. Gimpy is missing most of his left foot. He has grown some, but not much. I am worried over these little guys like a newborn baby. I am the queen of steam cleaning and have run out of disposable boxes so I am now steam cleaning and alternating basking rocks, have one clean and ready.

They each ate their mixed salad of greens. Mostly finely chopped collards and grated acorn squash, finely chopped baby bok choy and a bit of cilantro. I mix it up, sometimes using mustard greens but I use the Beautiful Dragon page as a guide for what they eat fruit and veggie wise. Each one ate about 50 small crickets each. They don't seem to have lost their appetite after the first day of Albon. I just ordered some Phoenix worms for them. I am hoping these do the trick for them food wise.

Thanks!!! I love these little dragons and just want them to do well.
 

ynevar

Juvie Member
Original Poster
So tomorrow is their last day of Albon. Their poo seems to be a LOT more formed, smells better, but does still appear to be a bit runny at times, and I am wondering if that is just from the Albon? Although I do give them the Acidopholiz too.

I am eager to find out how they are doing. I will take their fecals in to get it retested and also see about getting them weighed again. Doc said he would weigh them (not charge an office visit) just to make sure they are gaining weight, which I am sure they have. Gimpy in particular has grown. I think he grew .25" in a few days. So I think this is working well for him.

I just look forward to the all clear. Not that I didn't take care of their poo right away before, but the stress and the steamer and the panic oh jeez if I miss it they might reinfect themselves. So I just pray they both get an all clear. PLEASE!!!!!

They are eating well. I just ordered some more crickets, micro supers and Phoenix worms for them. I have been feeding them mustard greens lately instead of collards and wonder if that is causing a bit of the runny poo?

Anyhow.... I am sure loving these guys. I will say that the coccidia and the steam cleaning has caused a lot more bonding between us. I have handled them a LOT more than I did before. I think before I was afraid I was stressing them out. Now they appear to enjoy being held and lil Stumpy especially loves being in my warm hand, and tries to go to sleep there a lot. Is very cute.

The Lil guys are amazing!

Thanks for everything and wish me well on the their next fecal check. I have been diligent in their care (medicine, food and enclosures).

:D
 

ynevar

Juvie Member
Original Poster
Sooooooo after 21 days of Albon, intense cleaning after every pooh, Acidopholiz, Phoenix worms and all kinds of worrying... much to my chagrin they still have coccidia.

I have been diligent cleaning their feeders tanks, their enclosures, etc. They have grown (just about doubled in size both of them) and their counts have drastically reduced from almost uncountable per view to 9 to 10 per view. So progress has been made---

I have been bathing them regularly---worrying about them getting yellow fungus with the Albon use. I swear it is worse than having infants these little guys. I know more of what to do right with a baby than these guys.... GAH!!!

Vet recommended another 21 days of Albon. He did say if I want to try the Toltrazuril I can and have messaged Tracie to see if I can get more info on that. I have the beardeddragons.co page up just waiting to hear.

Stress!!!

My babies are still infected!
 

ynevar

Juvie Member
Original Poster
So---- they did 1 round of Toltrazuril and their numbers went down to 3. SO... One more round. Except the vet started charging WAY more for the fecals, and recharged me for a fecal re-check he said would be free. SO that being said I told hubby I can get a DIY kit and will try that. I will do my best to do research on conducting the fecals and interpreting results. I know the basic premise from all that I have read, but doing it is another thing.

SO---that being said, their poohs are finally nice and formed, not runny and smelly... (YAY) and they are GROWING!!! SHEDDING!!! The tiniest one Stumpy has grown and so has Gimpy.

YAY!

I will be SO happy to finally put their slate in their tanks, rocks and hides! although I have to say that the paper towel is pretty easy clean up. The throw away cardboard box hides might stay a while for Stumpy who just poops on everything. I am going to try and get him to go on something else. Although I have to say he just seems to like to slide the paper towel over, and slides all around in his pooh. Is like a slip and slide or something GROSS :puke: Then he gets mad when I put him in the bath. I tell him, well if you did just roll around in your pooh I wouldn't be bathing you now. Black beard....
 

ynevar

Juvie Member
Original Poster
So, when I got the fecals done the vet said there was some other protozoa type thing in there. I decided to get the DIY fecal check kit.

Low and behold they have pinworms. The coccidia is gone in Gimpy (not enough to medicate him I will just recheck his fecals in a bit and see how he is doing) and he had a few 4 or so pinworms per view.

Stumpy on the other hand, had 21 pinworms per view in one of the views. GAHH!!!!!!!!!!!!!

So I am a little perturbed that I paid for two sets of fecals and the vet couldn't figure out that it was pinworms, and I was able to in all of oh lets say 25 minutes from start of pooh in cage to finish determine that those "protozoa" were pinworms. I kinda want my money back! JEEZ! I ordered some panacur. I am going to find a scale either at the store here or order one online to get their weights. Likely just get one here.

I also read online somewhere that you can crush up some of your cricket feeders, and put them in a fecal test kit and determine if they have parasites as well too. Makes me want to test them too. JEEZ.... When will this ever end? When will I ever be able to put the branches back in their enclosures??? I have been using disposable boxes for quite some time. I just want them healthy and parasite free...

NUTS!
 

ynevar

Juvie Member
Original Poster
Sherry,

I'd go for it. If you can afford to get a more powerful microscope too then I'd get one. I'd see if anyone has one for cheap locally. I think with 3 reptiles I will want a more powerful scope, not that it is needed... you can easily see with the less expensive one. I just would like to see better and bigger!!!

Is sure good for rechecking... for peace of mind. And cheaper...
 
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