hey all
about 2 months ago, ampersand, my one year old female beardie had to go to the vet because she wasnt eating and had diahrea. turns out she had coccidia and one other not as serious parasite (cant remember what). i was given two different antibiotics and some critical care food for her.
flash forward to now, two months later. she finished both of the antibiotics as directed and has been eating normally since. the only problem is that now she spends most of her day hiding under a rock instead of basking most of the day like she normally did. she still will do some basking but it is usually just if i end up putting her in it. she now stays in the light an hour or two and then retreats under the rock which is like 80 degrees versus her 100-105 degree basking spot. first, im wondering if this behavior is something i should be worrying about. i know she uses heat to digest food and she only seems to poop 3 times a week. my second question is do you think its possible she still has coccidia or the other parasite? seems plausible i guess except shes not having diahrea and shes eating regularly. do you think she needs to go back to the vet? last vet trip costed $125, i cant pay that unless i absolutely need to. HELP! lol... thanks...
Hello. Coccidia is very hard to get rid of. You should take another fecal into the vet to see if it is all gone. You dont need to bring her in and pay for the exam. Just the fecal you would have to pay for and more meds if needed. It sounds like she is still suffering from the coccidia, you have killed some of them and that is why she is eating and pooping solid again. But she is still pooping less and not basking which tells me she still has the parasite.
Although Reptaid has helped some beardies with some health issues, it isn't a "cure all" and hasn't been approved by the FDA. It also hasn't been officially tested. It also doesn't replace a vet's expertise so those are all things to keep in mind.
I also forgot to mention that cleaning your beardies viv very well to kill all bacteria. Otherwise she may re-infect herself. Especially if she poops in her cage. When my dude had parasites I took everything out except a log and his hammock and put paper towel down so it was easier to clean up and to keep sanitized.