Reptaid Discussion

[ajkry2]

When sahara had parisites, and she was on a daily regimin of reptaid i noticed her dehydrating quicker than normal. I could tell she was dehydrating because her urates were more orange than usual, and I am sure that it wasn't calcium. I looked into it a bit and I believe the Pau D'arco dehydrates the poopers more quickly. No big deal, I just gave her a bath daily rather than ever few days

 

[bayoupig5]

Wow, I just read a lot of info but need clarification on something if anyone can help. I apologize for the long post, but I must give you background info so you know where I am going with this. I have ordered Reptaid and as of May 1st it was shipped to me, I was hoping to use it for Emmalee's lack of appetite, but here's the confusion: other than refusing to eat she seems pretty healthy, should I administer it to her in this case?

Background:
BEHAVIOR: At 9 months old(October 2009)Emmalee started to go into brumation. The signs were a lower than normal appetite and her poop schedule had changed from everyday to every three days(ultimately it became at late as every 17 days). She was also basking less and preferred the cool side of her viv. Through November this behavior, and slow poop/eating schedule increased. Unfortunately, her natural brumating process was halted in an attempt at being stopped as the vet was not really sure if this was brumation at this age or something more sinister. Fecals in November were clear, except for a very low count of protzoa, which were not necessary to treat. Emmalee continued brumation behavior and by December we knew, she fell asleep for two days during the 9th and 10th, and really went down between December 23 to January 10th.

EATING: By the week of November 16th Emmalee was down to eating 2-3 feeders per week, by the week of the 23rd it was down to 1-2 feeders per week, and by the 13th of December it was hit and miss. Finally on the 19th of December she had her last meal, that was until she ate a bite of strawberry on February 3rd. Her appetite did not get any better and for the rest of the month of February she had about 3 bites of additional vegetable. At the end of February I started to assist feed her with slurry, which she ate every day, but through the whole month of March and most of April she did not want, and actually refused any live feeders or veg to eat on her own. Mind you Emmalee has never really eaten veg or fruit ever. I got one week this April (17-23) when she ate feeders everyday, and I stopped assist feeding her. However, now Emmalee is not eating anything once again and has refused food since April 30th.

WEIGHT: Pre brumation weight was 358 grams, post brumation weight was 335grams. Lots of weight loss going on, that is why I had started to slurry feed in the first place. It turned out that once I had stopped slurry feeding she had lost 10 grams in one week! A vet trip diagnosed her with an explosion of protozoa which was treated with Metrodinazole, five days, then three weeks later for five days. She has not gone back for a fecal re-check, because no food...no poop! Although weigh loss has seemed to have tapered off, and I have been feeding soy yogurt the last five days to help with bacterial flora...not helping the appetite.

CONDITIONS:75 gallon viv with ceramic tile, 1 month old Reptisun 10 bulb, 105 basking spot, 70-75 cool side, night temps about 60-63F.

Emmalee is basking very regularly these days and this has been pretty much been consistent since mid April. She does cool side a little though and does sleep some during the day as well. She is very well hydrated, and is the picture of health, beside not eating. She is very alert, and when out, runs wild, but at the same time tries to find dark spots to hide and sleep. It seems a little late for brumation or semi brumation, so I am confused, especially since this is my first beardie.

Since Reptaid should not be given to a healthy dragon, what are your thoughts. I was going to use it to boost the appetite?

PS-Reptaid should arrive this week, I hope.

 

[ChamNW]

First I want to say that Reptaid CAN be given to any reptile which seems to be perfectly healthy. Many many people are using Reptaid Proactively once a month for a few days just to boost the immune system, knock out out new parasites, and generally keep the animal thriving.

You said your dragon had a low count of parasites back in November. But you said that it was not enough to worry about or treat. Please allow me to disagree. If you had treated your dragon with Reptaid back then and gotten rid of those parasites, you probably would not be having this problem now. This is a perfect example of why you don't want your dragon to start brumation with ANY parasites. The poor animal wakes up with an overload of parasites. Seemingly they just keep reproducing at an alarming rate while the dragon is sleeping. Then when he wakes up, you have a major problem. Lets treat them before brumation so we know they are clean and will wake up healthy and hungry. A parasite free reptile is a healthy happy animal and will not face many other issues.

It is very possible that the treatment with Metrodinazole helped clear up some of the protozoa but not all of them. Without a fecal check there is no way to know. And using the soy yogurt is essential as a probiotic to replace what the Metro has killed off. But the appetite may not be there because there is still a lot of parasites. Or maybe another parasite that the Metro does not affect.

So my advice is to start her on the Reptaid twice a day for 4-5 days or until you see a real increase in her appetite. Then continue for the rest of the 10 days giving it to her once a day. The after a 2 day break, give it to her another 10 days. That should help her eliminate all the parasites and set her right. keep us posted.
thanks
Elliot

 

[TheWolfmanTom]

The metrodinazole is harsh on a dragons system, and there is a HIGH chance that it cleared out the parasites. I see no reason not to use the repatiad as the herbal supplement it is. It may help with your dragons appitite and it may do nothing, but there is no harm in trying it. While using it soak your dragon more often then usual. I found the few times I tried it it did have a dehydrating affect, other than that I saw no negative affects.

 

[bayoupig5]

Thank You Elliot and Wolfman Tom, I will give the Reptaid a go as soon as it arrives. I am starting to get a little worried about her lack of appetite.

 

[TheWolfmanTom]

A pro-biotic, like soy yougurt or bene-bac will help with appetite.

 

[bayoupig5]

A pro-biotic, like soy yougurt or bene-bac will help with appetite.

I have been feeding her .5mls of soy yogurt now for about 6 days. It hasn't seemed to do much yet, but I heard it could take a few weeks.

 

[fresnowitte]

If you can get her to eat the soy yogurt without much hassle up the amount to double that. :wink:
I've never had it take more than 24hrs to start giving them relief.
The soy yogurt isn't harmful so the more she will eat the better/quicker it will work. :wink:

 

[bayoupig5]

If you can get her to eat the soy yogurt without much hassle up the amount to double that. :wink:
I've never had it take more than 24hrs to start giving them relief.
The soy yogurt isn't harmful so the more she will eat the better/quicker it will work. :wink:

I am pretty sure I can double it up. She takes food from syringe pretty well. I just don't want to keep syringe feeding, but the yogurt I will do. She was on two five day courses of Metrodinazole, and she wasn't not eating well before that, so....
Anyway, no sign of the Reptaid yet, I guess it should come next week!

 

[Lk4sturns]

Got 9 month old male. He was passing blood but not in stool when walk away and do not beleive he was stressing either. Feed very health diet and use tile for my bedding. Any way two days later he got bump on his lip and beleive it was his prolapse that would come out but go back in cuople minutes. Well got scary with with all this and being short on money took to vet.. Give me two doses of panacure( but not horse paste ) give two weeks apart. 5 days later got stool sample ( should of done sooner ) and it was negative (blood and prolapse stop 3 days later-tend to think Coc. disease, paid alot money and he wants more to look at his lip again( it just staying same ) so going this try over jungle lab anti parasite med (these 3 were only over counter I found ), I know person here is pitching his own product but from my reasearch this seems real and sense he been very forth coming and honest about product which is not cheap except compared to vet.. Looks like going to try for lip and seems once month to keep things in check. Did note effect on there water needs so give second bath daily and would I apply directly on mouth sore, currently using sulfodene ointment at night and lanolin with zinc cream during day ( I do this so lighting have no affect on small sore on upper lip). Would like to here some input per some of what read here.

Best Regard's
Scott Hayden
[email protected]

 

[tonid]

Having read this forum, I have ordered some Reptaid XL for my poorly beardie Georgie. She has a RI that just won't go away despite two courses of antibiotics - first Baytril and then Fortum. Georgie has not eaten for six weeks and gets short burst where she seems to improve after the antibiotics, then goes down hill again The Reptaid should arrive tomorrow and I am praying for good results. I will keep you posted.

 

[bayoupig5]

Good Luck to all the new Reptaid users.

Emmalee is now staring her second ten day course of Reptaid, which I had tried to use to increase her appetite. I have to let you know that this has not really helped as much as I had thought it might. Emmalee who is now just over a year old still eats little. She averages about 2 feeders per day 4-5 days per week, she still refuses veggies and is being fed veggies via slurry by syringe. To put this into perspective, before her nasty brumation she was eating about 10-12 feeders everyday. She does seem to be very interested in flying insects though, such as wasps, but when offered crickets or supers, she closes her eyes.

She still has problems with constipation as well, despite basking everyday at temps of 103-110 F. I usually get poop every 1-2 weeks. UV light is new as of April. She is being bathed every second day now, instead of weekly to help alleviate these symptoms of constipation.

On a good note, and I am not sure if this is due to the Reptaid or not, she is finally shedding! She has not she at all since August of 2009. She has successfully shed her head, right foot and now her body is just finishing up. I am happy to see this

Emmalee despite her very poor eating has now seemed to maintain her weight at 343-346 grams. This is a 12-15 gram weight loss from October 2009, but she has maintained this weight for the last 4 weeks. She otherwise seems and acts very healthy. So I am starting to feel that this change in eating habits is now due to the normal aging process, rather than a health issue. I could be wrong, but at this point have tried everything. I have heard that beardies do slow their eating and she is now 1 year and 4 months.

Thanks Elliot for sending me your product, and I am sorry I could not give more positive results, but I am not finished with this product yet, and will try it the near future just before brumation. I am going to see if this helps stave off some of the issues I have had with brumation this last season. I am hoping that the Reptaid will give her a boost before she goes down, and will keep you posted when I do this.

 

[tonid]

Geogie has just had her third dose of Reptaid and I must say she seems a lot brighter. She has climbed up on her log today and seems more alert No sign of her appetite coming back yet, but I suppose it is early days. I have just been giving her one dose a day...do you think this is ok?

 

[Lk4sturns]

Hi, feel like don't know what's going on. Can not spend another $150 or $200 at Vet. now so ordered Reptaid Friday. Today again notice when going(look like no stressing) something hanging which beleive either prolapse or hemipen, google pic. on each and still can't tell which so if someone know better pic. would help maybe but at least there was no blood. This is only my second B.D. and both males, both always go atleast once if not twice day. First was resue which had start on slurry and got to almost double his wt. but never really went back to eating on his own which can happen alot times. Few months ago mine stop eating his greens and veg. and wanted only bugs. Cause still growing so fast heared could be normal. At time when blood start he stop eating bugs(offered all kinds). After 2 days no eating I started slur and keep doing at first every other day while still trying get eat on own but after month started every day. Wound on lip staying same. I can't expect this to be cure all but hope it helps cause does look like good product, I most time try natural over chemical for my pets and me. Feed back on couple things mentioned here try adding little more water(bottle) to slur but not but much or be to loose, I in past and currently add little flaxseed meal to slur cause so healthly in many ways but does help them poo, but small amount like pinch between per teaspoon and there some other natural things put in slur help poo. Also slur made out baby food always seems to help them poo, what I use and mix in some other good stuff. My EnGee boy never changed in behavior and think cause start on slur early and thing med. got from Vet. stop blood and poo sample week later was clear, it this right now or take to another Vet. which there is really good one but far from me, of course now wish did first place but can't do now.

 

[tonid]

OMG!!!! Just finished a 10 day course of Reptaid XL for Georgies RI that just won't go away, and guess what???? She just ate all by herself for the first time in about 2 months!!!! I am so happy Ok, it was only about 5 mealsworms that she ate, but it's a start I just cannot believe it....thank you Reptaid XXXXXXXXXXX