VenusAndSaturn":2sqfrlvp said:It most likely needs to be treated. From what ive found apparently the parisite sucks the blood from the reptile causing weak blood flow.
This the larva of a strongyle parasite, likely Strongyloides. This parasite came from a Panther Chameleon. They are very similar to hookworms and some people consider them the same but these guys have the capability of reproduction via eggs (like most parasites) but also by direct development into larvae, basically live-bearing. They use their mouth parts to attach to the intestinal mucosa and suck the reptile's blood. This causes the reptile to become anemic and have poor blood flow in the intestines therefore causing poor nutrient absorption in the gut. Strongyles are considered zoonotic as well so they can be passed to humans and as such, care must be taken when handling reptiles suspected to have these parasites. Wash your hands always, even if the reptile seems healthy. It is better safe than sorry.
http://reptileboards.com/threads/nematode-parasites.64245/ this is the site i found the info on.
EllenD":o5tw6677 said:Just to add, maybe for Tracie to comment on and correct me if I'm wrong, but Strongyles in bearded dragons, to the best of my limited knowledge, are usually successfully treated with Panacur in Bearded Dragons and other reptiles I believe? Just as Pinworms, hookworms, tapeworms, etc. are (same family of parasites). Panacur is not only less harsh (I just treated my 6 month old with Panacur orally for 3 days for a very high Pinworm count, with no issues at all and he's back to normal now), but it's not at all dangerous. Ivermectin is literally dangerous, you should do some research on this, as you can give Panacur directly to him and you don't have to dose his roaches first, because it's safe.
Just for an FYI, my Certified Reptile Vet gave Dee Dee Alfalfa meal that was medicated with Panacur as his Pinworm treatment, as Panacur doesn't actually kill Pinworms, it simply stops the females from laying eggs and additionally flushed them out of the GI tract. So the theory behind using the Alfalfa meal medicated with Panacur is that #1) The Alfalfa meal is a very healthy source of Purine-free protein so it gives them nutrition and keeps them from losing weight at the same time as they are taking their medication, and #2) The Alfalfa meal is a source of "bulk fiber", which also aids tremendously in "flushing" out the GI tract. He didn't get at all sick for this treatment, he started eating his BSFL immediately and his first follow-up fecal test after only 3 doses was negative (I mixed the powdered Alfalfa meal with baby food and Pedialyte, to prevent dehydration while everything was being flushed out of his GI tract)...I just really an weary of Ivermectin, it has caused poisoning in dogs and cats, and even in livestock (it's a common treatment for parasites in all types of livestock).
OMG !!! time to sack the vet , if he has very limited experience with reptile treatment and don't usually treat reptiles this vet is useless and will (and has !! in Iggy's case) do more harm than good.phobosdthorga":2ejznpen said:As my partner said after reading the comments you guys helpfully posted, they jumped to the powerful and poisonous stuff first, because they don't usually treat reptiles *sighs*.''
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kingofnobbys":3o14hznl said:OMG !!! time to sack the vet , if he has very limited experience with reptile treatment and don't usually treat reptiles this vet is useless and will (and has !! in Iggy's case) do more harm than good.
I hope Iggy is OK and gets past this .... I'd be looking for another vet , this time one who has experience with reptiles and who is ACTUALLY competent and knowledgeable about the specifics of reptile health and treatment.
EllenD":1ugajx2h said:Oh my...no, Ivermectin doesn't "kill the eggs", you can't really "kill the eggs", you just flush them out and make the females sterile if there are any left. Ivermectin would certainly kill all the host parasites, but honestly, I would not have treated them to begin with if the count/load was low.
Either way, at this point the concern is Iggy, as I'm positive he is very sick from the Ivermectin. I knew that was going to happen, that stuff is so strong that it's typically only used anymore on a regular basis to treat livestock, like cattle, horses, pigs, etc. Some old-time general vets will still use it TOPICALLY to treat ticks and such in dogs and cats, but never orally, and that's why I got horribly concerned when you wrote that you were dosing his roaches and then feeding them to him. The fact that this vet told you to dose his roaches instead of giving it to him orally in a direct manner tell me that he knew very well that Ivermectin is dangerous...
Honestly, I'd be giving Iggy Activated Charcoal at this point, due to the lethargy and the black beard. Suck up any that's left in his stomach, then give ample fluids to him several times throughout the day, and bump his temps up by 5-10 degrees.
I'm sorry this vet did this to him and to you, that sucks. He should have known better than to give Ivermectin to an animal as small as a Bearded Dragon, especially orally. I mean, this is stuff that I used to recommend to the farmers who sent their herd samples to me to test, and I would tell them to only use it topically on their cattle and not orally because there is a concern about poisoning. So giving it to a little lizard is just irresponsible and dangerous...
Was he sick from the parasites in the first place, or was this just a routine fecal that happened to show positive for low counts of them?
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