Is albon ok to give to my bearded dragon. He starts it tomorrow. I think it can cause him to loose his appetite, and he’s supposed to have it for two weeks. Does anybody not recommend using it? Is it unsafe? How likely will his appetite go away and will it eventually return? Thank you!
He’s getting pancur as well. He already had a dose of that. The vet made it seem like h didn’t have a bad case of parasites. Is there a way to just give him pancur?
I saw there was another technician here so I’m probably just about to echo what she has said but in my experience Sulfadimethoxine (Albon) is an antimicrobial typically used against coccidia and sometimes bacterial infections. In short, it is safe for reptiles.
Fenbendazole (Panacur) is effective against Giardia and several species of worms. So, they cover different pathogens. You do have a legal right to your beardie’s medical record (in the US at least), so you can request his diagnostics, if you’d like. If your beardie had a fecal analysis done, you can ask for the results. It should include exactly which parasites were found, if you are concerned the prescribed treatment isn’t necessary.
Exotic doctors tend to be tentative when treating coccidia because it is a part of their natural gut flora. Typically the protozoa burden is elevated enough or the beardie is symptomatic enough to warrant treatment, but that might not be the case.
Your best option is to administer it with food to prevent adverse side effects. Albon also has anti-inflammatory properties to prevent intestinal irritation.
Albon, like all antimicrobials, can be harsh on the natural gut flora. I have heard a few doctors say that reptile gut flora tends to wax and wane over time, so it’s unlikely that a drug like Albon, Panacur, or metro will damage commensal organisms enough to cause serious injury themselves. But, there are many variables that can cause damage that might also be encouraged by the aforementioned drugs.
If you are going to start a probiotic, I recommend checking with your doctor first. You should be able to just call the clinic and have them leave your doctor a note (most clinics have this option, at least). Your doctor will be able to give you more specific recommendations.
Personally, I use Oxbow Critical Care Omnivore. It has prebiotics to encourage his commensal gut flora. You can dust your feeder insects with it, mix it with baby food to add to his regular diet, etc.