I NEED ANSWERS!

[beardie parents]

Hi all. I'm sure you remember the juvenile, Speedy, that we got just before Redrock got injured. We took a fecal sample in to a local vets who isn't an expert on reptiles. We couldn't get her to Tucson for at least 3.5 to 4 weeks. Anyway, we got the results back this afternoon. She has pinworm eggs at 3+. I remember in the late summer of 07 when we had Redrock tested, just in case. She had a count of 4+. The vet we saw then was from a place that we were recommended to in Tucson. They told us to give her one treatment each week, for a total of 4 weeks and they gave her the first one. The lady I talked to this evening was told to give a treatment of 50mg/kg once a day for 7 days. What is the difference?

I just looked at the vet bill for Redrock from 8/4/07 for her 4+ pinworms. This wanted 100 mg/ I do remember they wanted us to give her one treatment per week for 4 weeks, they did the first one and we did the next 3. I'm just wondering what the difference between the two types of treatments?

Thanks, Lori

 

[KairaandTaz08]

Hi,
I'm dealing with pinworms right now, also. Actually, I've had to deal with them before ....long story.
Anyways, I believe it depends on the count and the vet. Taz is now fighting pinworms, 2+ count. He was given his first dose of Panacur last Wednesday (getting a fecal today, I was sick yesterday ). He was treated based on 50mg/kg...so he got .04cc and weighed 83 grams at the time.
I believe the reason for spacing out the treatments is because of the life cycle of pinworms.
To put it shortly, my vet is doing the once every week treatment at a 50mg/kg dosing, like Redrock had. I don't know about everyday for 7 days. I searched the web and most said every other week. :? .
I really think it depends on the vet and the count.
Ummmmm...not sure that really helped :? , but there's my experience/opinion on it (I'd ask Tracie).
I hope Speedy gets better soon .

I'm so sorry to hear about Redrock (I just found out).
Abi

 

[Zemanski]

Trevor has all sorts of worms (coccidia, streptococcus, e.coli ...) and has just been prescribed panacur 2.5%. He is to have 2 doses of 0.125ml 10 days apart. He's still pretty small so his dosage will be small (just looked at your dosage Abi, Trevor's is huge and he only weighs around 60g - the worms must be bad)

then he has to have baycox - 0.03ml 3 doses once a week

then flagyl-5 - 0,15ml daily for 7 days

then baytril 2.5% - 0.02ml daily for 10 days

poor little thing, no wonder he hasn't been eating

these drugs are each for a different parasite - not sure which is for which except the flagyl which is for flagylates - and the frequency and size of the dose is quite different so I suppose it depends what drug is being used and why. Are you sure it's pin worms he has

If it's panacur or baycox I would check that daily is appropriate - they are very harsh on the system
I would also get a probiotic to help his digestive system while he's on the drugs

 

[KairaandTaz08]

Trevor has all sorts of worms (coccidia, streptococcus, e.coli ...) and has just been prescribed panacur 2.5%. He is to have 2 doses of 0.125ml 10 days apart. He's still pretty small so his dosage will be small (just looked at your dosage Abi, Trevor's is huge and he only weighs around 60g - the worms must be bad)

then he has to have baycox - 0.03ml 3 doses once a week

then flagyl-5 - 0,15ml daily for 7 days

then baytril 2.5% - 0.02ml daily for 10 days

poor little thing, no wonder he hasn't been eating

these drugs are each for a different parasite - not sure which is for which except the flagyl which is for flagylates - and the frequency and size of the dose is quite different so I suppose it depends what drug is being used and why. Are you sure it's pin worms he has

If it's panacur or baycox I would check that daily is appropriate - they are very harsh on the system
I would also get a probiotic to help his digestive system while he's on the drugs

That's a lot of meds! :shock:
You're right, meds are hard on their systems. All of that medication is taking a toll on him. Some of the things you mentioned beardies have naturally in their systems and always will. They'll have coccidia (for example), at very low levels, pretty much all of the time. I believe Baycox is sometimes used for coccidia, but I'm not sure. Why is he being treated all at once with such harsh medications? That's what the first vet did with my little girl and it did more harm than good.
Sorry, I just don't understand why a vet would put a small beardie on that much medication...Baytril, especially, is really hard on them. That dose of Panacur .125ml is crazy.
Abi

 

[Zemanski]

he has been ill for some time and the parasites are really bad - my own fault for not taking him when I was first concerned but he kept perking up and the vet is an hour and a half away. The vet was not happy about giving such high dosages but says he really needs them.
Originally she said she would need to inject him because there were such high levels but she said this way is better for him and his condition is better than she expected so he will cope.

he is having one med at a time and a break between to recover before the next, he has been on a probiotic for the last week in preparation - we knew he had parasites and would need treatment so she gave him a probiotic and electrolytes while waiting for the test results and he is in good condition in spite of the parasites (even putting on weight).

My vet is a reptile specialist and has a very good reputation here; she works for a specialist zoo veterinary company and she knows her stuff and loves her animals

 

[Weegie]

Weegie went to the vet today and got a fecal and tested positive for protozoa and they gave him Flagyl at a tenth of a cc every three days for 21 days.The dosage for panacur should be a tenth of a cc or 0.1 per pound if i'm not mistaken.How much does the little guy weigh?

 

[Zemanski]

today he weighed in at 64g

 

[KairaandTaz08]

Lori,
Did you ever get your questions answered? I may have some sites saved if you want to read them, just send me a PM . How's Speedy?
Abi

 

[beardie parents]

Lori,
Did you ever get your questions answered? I may have some sites saved if you want to read them, just send me a PM . How's Speedy?
Abi

Thanks for asking. I pm'd Tracie yesterday, or maybe it was the night before. I got an answer from her. I have learned that it seems to me that every vet has a different opinion regarding treatment and what could be wrong.
We had her at the vets this afternoon. She was 40 or 4 ounces as per their scale. Bill weighed her at 120 grams this morning. She was supposed to get such a small dosage that it couldn't be measured in the syringes so they had to dilute it in sterile water so we could measure it to give it to her. It is 1ml of panacure in 9 ml of water and I'm to give her 0.5ml every day for 7 days. They couldn't give me individual syringes filled because they didn't have the caps for it. I can do this as I've done it before. Tracie said that the treatment should be once per week, but the reptile specialist told the vet to do it once a day for 7 days.

I'm going to start the treatments tomorrow.

 

[beardie parents]

I forgot to mention this: Speedy has gone from 28 grams and about 8" long on August 29th to 120 grams and 11 and 3/8 inches today (10/10/08). So, obviously, the pinworms have not affected her appetite any. She is in the middle of her second shed since we got her. She's shedding her whole body, except for her feet, I'm sure they'll start after the rest of her body is done, that's how she shed the first time. I think it was 2.5 weeks or so after we first got her.

 

[KairaandTaz08]

Well I'm glad you got an answer...I know how difficult it can be. Every vet does have a different opinion, which only makes things more frustrating. I still haven't ever heard of doing it everyday for 7 days, but I guess that's the opinion thing. I wouldn't even let my vet give Taz the Panacur until I asked Tracie lol. After my experience with the first vet and Kaira, I don't give them anything without getting a second or third opinion. Then you have to weigh your options and make the decision you think is best. They're complicated sometimes! Taz and Kaira both got their fecal results back today and Kaira was free of everything, finally. Taz still has a little bit of coccidia, but the one dose of Panacur (.04cc and he weighed 83 grams) took care of the pinworms. It just depends on the count, the vet, and the beardie as to what works. Taz still has to have another fecal done in a week, but it looks like we're almost out of the woods.
She's a nice-sized girl. I'm glad they haven't affected her. My two were battling coccidia for quite awhile(pinworms for a short time)...Kaira's 5 months old and last time I checked she was 222 grams and 15" long with a little nip. Taz is 15 or 16 weeks old, 106 grams and close to 14" (he has a really long tail lol). So, it didn't really affect them, either...Kaira seems to be one of the largest of her clutch (from what I've read). Do you have a link with pictures? I'd love to see her.
Hope she gets better soon...parasites are no fun.
Abi

 

[beardie parents]

I just borrowed a friends digital camera. If I can figure out how to use it this weekend, I'll have more pics to share. I have one from about 5 weeks ago. I am trying to get some pics of her and zoom zoom to put in the calendar. We only have a film camera and it takes a while for pics to get developed.