Posted by:
traction
at Fri Jul 3 19:14:14 2009 [ Email Message ] [ Show All Posts by traction ]
I really wish there was a vet that did house calls for reptiles! Baby, our 4.5 year old rhino iguana, has had very loose stools for years now. The last vet was horrible and after trying two rounds of Flagyl we decided to go elsewhere since they wanted us to bring him in again. Their service was horrible and they were not helpful (gave us a flyer on green iguana care) we were not going back.
The fecal and bloodwork from the first vet came back normal, and he is in perfect health except for the diarrhea. This new vet is very experienced with reptiles, he has even been on a team that went to David Blair's to collect blood samples, and wrote a book about reptile medicine and surgery. He is sending a fecal to a specialist to see if they find anything not found in the regular fecal exam.
Has anyone else had a rhino with very loose stools that was otherwise healthy? He eats collard, mustard, and turnip greens with some squash and fruit. We tried adding fiber to his diet and it did not help either. The flagyl helped while he was on it, but within a week of stopping it the diarrhea came back.
This doc has said he may need a longer or even life-long treatment of low-dose flagyl (like some dogs and cats need), though the effects of that have not been studied in herps. We would have to watch for neurological probs and stop if he starts having symptoms of them. He also said he may just always have diarrhea, and since he is otherwise healthy it may just be something we have to live with.
He is 4.5 years old and 9lbs 8oz. Any suggestions?
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 Another vet visit (Long) - traction, Fri Jul 3 19:14:14 2009 
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