OK I have one petstore rescue baby who I am guessing is about 2.5 months and he eats like a pig and is growing like mad. I have been watching and screening his poops since he has a ridiculously high coccida count and what looks to be lots of flagellates. So now that he grew a bit more I decided to take him to the vet since his coccida counts have not gone down in 5 weeks (despite Reptaid and probios) and he had a few super runny poops. The vet we saw is highly regarded and specializes in reptiles.
I told the vet I was there due to his super high coccidia counts and I was also concerned about the large number of flagellates I could see on the wet preps. The vet examined him, looked at his belly and felt it. Then tells me that he has coccida, worms and probably flagellates and gives him a dose of pyrantel pamoate. He said that my beardie is too small for any other meds (36-38g) and when I asked about ponazuril he said the pyrantel was safe but anything else might kill him. No fecal was done and we have to go back in a month.
Now I'm worried that I'll be neglecting him if his coccidia counts don't decrease over the next month since pyrantel pamoate doesn't treat coccidia. Is 38g really too small to treat with ponazuril or even albon (not that I wanted albon)? The vet was really busy so I didn't have time to discuss it. I'm thinking he might want to see if he clears the parasites on his own and see about treating him in a month if he still needs it? I know some folks are against treating baby beardies at all unless they are in dire need. At least my beardie doesn't act/look sick and is still eating.
He also said I might see a bolus in his poop from the pyrantel pamoate. Would that be a mass of dead worms?
I'm a little bit stressed out now. Is 36-38g really too small to medicate safely? I guess I can try another round of Reptaid after the rest period.
I told the vet I was there due to his super high coccidia counts and I was also concerned about the large number of flagellates I could see on the wet preps. The vet examined him, looked at his belly and felt it. Then tells me that he has coccida, worms and probably flagellates and gives him a dose of pyrantel pamoate. He said that my beardie is too small for any other meds (36-38g) and when I asked about ponazuril he said the pyrantel was safe but anything else might kill him. No fecal was done and we have to go back in a month.
Now I'm worried that I'll be neglecting him if his coccidia counts don't decrease over the next month since pyrantel pamoate doesn't treat coccidia. Is 38g really too small to treat with ponazuril or even albon (not that I wanted albon)? The vet was really busy so I didn't have time to discuss it. I'm thinking he might want to see if he clears the parasites on his own and see about treating him in a month if he still needs it? I know some folks are against treating baby beardies at all unless they are in dire need. At least my beardie doesn't act/look sick and is still eating.
He also said I might see a bolus in his poop from the pyrantel pamoate. Would that be a mass of dead worms?
I'm a little bit stressed out now. Is 36-38g really too small to medicate safely? I guess I can try another round of Reptaid after the rest period.