Isospora/coccidia. (Now a possible QOL)

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GeckoGarden

Sub-Adult Member
Well, Zivas been sick again, took her in and did blood work, xrays and a fecal again

So far the only thing that’s comeback fully is the fecal. I should have everything else today.

Guess what. My poor kid has Isospora.

Can I get some help as far as disinfecting everything? What do I need to toss verses clean?

I’ve got a steam cleaner, is that going to work? She’s in a custom wood cage, how ever, it’s got shelf liner on the bottom then paper towels, so the woods all protected but I want to steam the crap out of the cage as a precaution.

How do I clean her wood branches? My vet was saying it may just be best to toss them and I’m thinking of doing that but some of them would fit in the oven...

Please help. I’m a bit overwhelmed by all of this. It’s a huge relief that I can get her on the mend, as I was thinking she was dying when I brought her to work with me for the work up yesterday.

I’m so stressed.
 

GeckoGarden

Sub-Adult Member
Original Poster
I also redid her blood work as well
44170-3500629780.jpg
44170-5619625812.jpg

I’ll up load the fecal as well once it finishes running.

The chemistry was back before her vet left so she’s getting meds for her calcium being way off. (We are thinking it’s due to her not eating due to her having parasites.) It went from 17.8 down to 8.6. ? My poor baby.

The high potassium I’m thinking is due to her being dehydrated due to diarrhea for a while now. Hopefully the change in meds will help with that.
 

GeckoGarden

Sub-Adult Member
Original Poster
44170-779353935.jpg

Poor thing isn’t happy tonight. She got her first round of meds, along with some syringe feeding and probiotics.

She’s currently sulking as I moved her to a smaller easier to sanitize cage. But she’s perkier than she’s been in a while so, that’s promising
 

Drache613

BD.org Sicko
Staff member
Moderator
Hello,

You can definitely use a steamer on the liner, no problem there, for cleaning!
What type of wood decor do you have in your tank? You can soak them & wash them
in hot, soapy water, then rinse them well. Then, you can sit them in the sun to bake for
a few hours or place them in the oven at around 250 or so for an hour roughly. Just don't
burn them! You can use cardboard boxes, etc right now instead of the wood items for a
short bit until you get the coccidia in check.
The blood tests don't look too bad, no infection seen. The wbc counts look normal. The
calcium is a bit low, so definitely work on trying to get that up some. Which medication is
she on now? The potassium levels can be off simply from stress, dehydration or higher
than normal loads of worms/parasites, etc. Your vet is getting some liquid calcium for her
now? If she is still having some problems with diarrhea, you could consider using a probiotic
for her for awhile.
Overall, her AST (liver enzymes) & Uric acid (kidney values) look good which is always a plus!

Let us know how she is doing.
Tracie
 

GeckoGarden

Sub-Adult Member
Original Poster
Drache613":3goo7plt said:
Hello,

You can definitely use a steamer on the liner, no problem there, for cleaning!
What type of wood decor do you have in your tank? You can soak them & wash them
in hot, soapy water, then rinse them well. Then, you can sit them in the sun to bake for
a few hours or place them in the oven at around 250 or so for an hour roughly. Just don't
burn them! You can use cardboard boxes, etc right now instead of the wood items for a
short bit until you get the coccidia in check.
The blood tests don't look too bad, no infection seen. The wbc counts look normal. The
calcium is a bit low, so definitely work on trying to get that up some. Which medication is
she on now? The potassium levels can be off simply from stress, dehydration or higher
than normal loads of worms/parasites, etc. Your vet is getting some liquid calcium for her
now? If she is still having some problems with diarrhea, you could consider using a probiotic
for her for awhile.
Overall, her AST (liver enzymes) & Uric acid (kidney values) look good which is always a plus!

Let us know how she is doing.
Tracie


Hi Traci!
Thank you so much! It’s going to be 100°f or hotter today and the next few days so it’s good to know that I can toss her stuff outside to help! Most of her stuff can be baked or boiled but I have this one nice log that is the length of her cage so a 48 inch log isn’t going to fit in my oven! The wood decor was all natural apple tree wood I had prepped and disinfected myself before placing in her cage.

As far as her calcium, yes, I am picking up calcium glub from my works sister Hosptial today. It wasn’t in stock at my job, and our sister Hosptial was closed by the time we got around to making her meds.

She’s on panacur 0.15ml once a day for 7 days
Along with two doses of marquis paste. She got her first dose last night and the next ones due 48hrs from last night.

The cage itself is a really nice wooden cage my father built for me.

Yes she sadly is still having diarrhea. I do have the Ben bac probiotic for reptiles, so I can easily do that long term for her.

I am just really glad this is fixable. Since I have no history on her, I was so afraid all of her acting weird was her getting older and trying to die on me. I wasn’t ready to have a QOL conversation with my vet. I’m also really glad I trusted my gut and brought her in Monday, when she was a bit black in the beard, instead of waiting until today, Wednesday, when there was a true appointment slot open. (I really need to do something nice for her vet for squeezing her in at the end of her day and staying late)


My question is where could she have picked up this parasite? Her fecal in April didn’t show these, and shes houses alone and I have strict cleaning protocols between handling her and my other dragon. Nothing is shared unless it’s been disinfected first.

She was at the sister Hosptial for a day for that wound between her hips, a few months back. But other wise she hasn’t been anywhere else, not even outside. The weathers either been to hot or to smoky for her or my safety. (Yay CA fires)
 

Drache613

BD.org Sicko
Staff member
Moderator
Hello,

So sorry she is still having diarrhea, her system sounds upset for some reason. Definitely
start her on the benebac since you already have that. Give a few hours apart of any food or
medication.

That is good you will be starting her on calcium glubionate then, she needs it. They normally
have low levels of coccidia or worms present in their normal flora. It is possible that she just
went through some stress which elevated her levels to the point of them affecting her health.
I'm glad you will be able to get her nice wooden tank cleaned up. That would be a shame to
have to throw everything out!

Keep us posted on her.
Tracie
 

GeckoGarden

Sub-Adult Member
Original Poster
Drache613":3le0htus said:
Hello,

So sorry she is still having diarrhea, her system sounds upset for some reason. Definitely
start her on the benebac since you already have that. Give a few hours apart of any food or
medication.

That is good you will be starting her on calcium glubionate then, she needs it. They normally
have low levels of coccidia or worms present in their normal flora. It is possible that she just
went through some stress which elevated her levels to the point of them affecting her health.
I'm glad you will be able to get her nice wooden tank cleaned up. That would be a shame to
have to throw everything out!

Keep us posted on her.
Tracie

Hi Tracie,
As you saw, she vomited and had diarrhea at the same time last night while I was at work.

She was 279 last Thursday, 255 Yesterday, and now 251 today. Her fat pads that she had Monday are almost gone.

Her diarrhea last night looked the exact same color consistency and almost smelled the same as when I had fed her that food.

Her vet is off until Monday, and I’m considering calling the sister Hosptial to do a QOL.. I had already talked with her vet yesterday about doing one if she isn’t better by the time her meds are done. (Meaning clear of parasites but still refusing to eat on her own and having diarrhea still like she has been almost this entire year.. It’s been over 6 months of trying different things to get her to eat on her own and have solid stool)

I’m wondering if when she got that wound on her back if that’s when the parasites started to breed out of control.

I was up until 2 am watching her because I was just so worried. (Hello lack of sleep)

It’s hard, there’s the owner part of me saying one thing because emotions, but then the tech side of me says another because logic.
 

GeckoGarden

Sub-Adult Member
Original Poster
She’s been flat today. She now has a QOL tomorrow at 1. While coccidia is fixable, I don’t think Ziva wants it to be fixed. I think she’s telling me it’s time. She has that look in her eyes.
Considering I don’t know her age or medical history this may be her old age coming into play. She may be a lot older than I assumed. I’ve had her for three years now and she was “full grown” when I got her.
 

Drache613

BD.org Sicko
Staff member
Moderator
Hello Cori,

How is Ziva doing?
I am emailing you back, sorry, had a eventful day today.
Oh you are taking her into the vets on friday?
The video you sent was definitely not good at all. For now, I would discontinue all of the
meds at the moment, it looks like they are too hard on her for some reason.
She could be older than you have thought, absolutely. I am so sorry she is having so much
trouble, it is distressing! Just looking at the blood tests again, I don't think that she has eggs,
her calcium is too low for that & the albumin isn't high enough, either.
It is possible cancer could be involved, just not positive on that, as the blood test doesn't show
a lot of trouble in that area with the white blood cells. It seems like to me, that her system is
out of balance for some reason. Maybe try to just get some fluids into her first, along with a
vitamin & calcium booster before making any decisions.
Let us know how things go at the vets.
I will be thinking about you both.

Tracie
 

GeckoGarden

Sub-Adult Member
Original Poster
Drache613":38bh9fc0 said:
Hello Cori,

How is Ziva doing?
I am emailing you back, sorry, had a eventful day today.
Oh you are taking her into the vets on friday?
The video you sent was definitely not good at all. For now, I would discontinue all of the
meds at the moment, it looks like they are too hard on her for some reason.
She could be older than you have thought, absolutely. I am so sorry she is having so much
trouble, it is distressing! Just looking at the blood tests again, I don't think that she has eggs,
her calcium is too low for that & the albumin isn't high enough, either.
It is possible cancer could be involved, just not positive on that, as the blood test doesn't show
a lot of trouble in that area with the white blood cells. It seems like to me, that her system is
out of balance for some reason. Maybe try to just get some fluids into her first, along with a
vitamin & calcium booster before making any decisions.
Let us know how things go at the vets.
I will be thinking about you both.

Tracie

Hi Tracie,
She ended up going even more down hill over night. She had vomit just chilling in her beard from yesterday and gained 15 grams in just fluid build up. My vet and I had a long long talk and ended up deciding it was time. I am having a necropsy done, with possible pathology as well depending on what’s found. I should get her ashes back by the end of the week.

I’m heart broken, but it was the best choice for her.
 

GeckoGarden

Sub-Adult Member
Original Poster
Her spleen and liver where enlarged along with a lot of gas and fetid fluid in her intestines. We took tissue samples and I’ll approve them to be sent out Monday to see if I can get more answers. It looks like she was sick with something and that’s why the coccidia took hold and took over. ?
 

Drache613

BD.org Sicko
Staff member
Moderator
Hello Cori,

I am so sorry, she obviously had some ongoing issues somewhere along the line. It is never
easy to lose them. :cry:
We are all here for you. I am so sorry for your loss.

Tracie
 
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