Sorry, im quite new to this forum, dont know if im posting this in the right section.. I recently bought my bearded dragon - probably about a month ago, from petsmart.. i know, they arent the best from there.. but i didnt know that until after i purchased the little guy. Hes about 3-4 months old, 70grams, when i first got him he was about 8" hes now 11" and its only been a little over 3 weeks! Eats like crazy, super regular poops and hes even potty trained, been through one shed so far.. He had a bit of a loose stool two days in a row, i thought it might be because i gave him a couple small hornworms and they have a greater moisture content, took him to the vet just for a fecal anyways to make sure hes ok because i am quite attached to the little guy/girl. Turns out he has a few parasites in low numbers (normal)? and numerous amounts of coccidia.. so she prescribed the antibiotic "Borgal" im trying to do my research on this antibiotic and i find NO INFORMATION!!! i was hoping for some advice on this antibiotic from you guys, also if theres any way to prevent this? His staple diet is small mealworms fully gutloaded(he digests them excellent, very regular poo schedule), crickets, and phoenix worms(black solder fly larvae). Thanks a ton - Mary
Did the vet mention how high the coccidia count is? They can manage low counts on their own. Just be sure to sanitize everything well after it comes in contact with poop using either steam or an ammonia/water mixture to help prevent re-infection. It looks like Borgal is a sulfa drug which may be pretty harsh. I wouldn't administer that unless the coccidia count is very high and you aren't able to get a more common medication such as Toltrazuril/Ponazuril. Either of those would be less harsh and tend to be pretty effective.
Did the vet mention how high the coccidia count is? They can manage low counts on their own. Just be sure to sanitize everything well after it comes in contact with poop using either steam or an ammonia/water mixture to help prevent re-infection. It looks like Borgal is a sulfa drug which may be pretty harsh. I wouldn't administer that unless the coccidia count is very high and you aren't able to get a more common medication such as Toltrazuril/Ponazuril. Either of those would be less harsh and tend to be pretty effective.
Hmm, i asked about the count all she said was there were "numerous" and she wasnt very comfortable with it.. its a script for 10 days and after im done administering them he will go in for another fecal test. Well see how he does with this.. Thank you for the advice though!
Hi Mary, I've never heard of that medicine. Is it a typo ? Anyway, if your dragon is eating + growing well, I would not mess with a harsh medication that could destroy his appetite and leave you with a much sicker dragon, it happens all the time. There are numerous threads here about dragons that are healthy, eating well, etc only to be over medicated and end up not eating for months and becoming 10 times worse than they were before the vet visit.
The best med. for coccidia if you decide to dose him is Ponazuril otr Toltrazuril, they usually work in just 2 doses. You can but it here, complete with dosing info.
Great work by Cooperdragon to get info on this medication. Id' definitely not use it ! Can really make your dragon ill, trimeth + sulfa drugs are very hard on a beardie. Look for a vet that can prescribe the Ponazuril/toltrazuril [ aka Baycox ] but I would avoid the one your vet gave you like the plague.
I agree, it would not be a good choice for use in your reptile. The Toltrazuril or Ponazuril either
one would be much safer to use!
How is your dragon doing?
Thanks everyone for your opinions, I ended up contacting the vet, and considering she has an education worth thousands and thousands of dollars I listened to her! He’s been doing excellent, still pooping and still eating. It was a small dosage for 7 days and apparently sulfa drugs are the most commonly used drugs to kill coccidia.. they can be a long term medication that cause no harm as long as your animal is we’ll hydrated. Ive been bathing my beardy every night while he’s been on this medication and he’s doing perfect! Thanks everyone
Yes, good to hear a positive update. Thankfully your vet is one that knows how much to dose and your dragon has healthy genetics. A lot of babies do not do well at all on those drugs so you can be happy that's not the case for you.
i got a re fecal done, and apparently there are more parasites in "larger numbers" and that the first medication didnt work, she wants him on a new med. i dont know if i should do it - this past week has has had a horrible appetite - one or two worms a day- but he is still going to the bathroom daily, and he has been hiding in his hide alot :? . He did just shed his arms and legs- im assuming thats why? maybe hes getting ready to shed another body part? help!! his temps are 108 under the basking spot and 84 on the cold side
It sounds like he may not be feeling too well. You might want to give his system a break for a couple of weeks, offer plenty of water to help flush his system, and then try one of the other meds like Toltrazuril/Ponazuril and see if they are effective.
Poor little guy, can you post pics of him ? I agree with Cooperdragon to keep him off the meds. for now. I think the vet is not that reliable for treating reptiles actually. You can order toltrazuril from this site , along with dosing info. It usually works in 1-2 doses. http://www.beardeddragon.co/index.php?route=product/product&product_id=246
It sounds like he may not be feeling too well. You might want to give his system a break for a couple of weeks, offer plenty of water to help flush his system, and then try one of the other meds like Toltrazuril/Ponazuril and see if they are effective.