Reptile & Amphibian Forums

Can someone please post the dosage of Panacur for a 25 pound African Spurred Tortoise?

Thanks

Toby

Can't the vet who provided you with the Panacur tell you the dose? Or did you bypass the vet? Why would you think the tortoise needs the medication if a vet hasn't checked the stool sample and told you it is necessary?

The tortoise lives on a farm and is in a pasture with a few other animals. Yes, I know this is not adviseable, but this is the only option right now. So as the tortoise grazes, she gets grass and feces in her mouth sometimes. I like to worm her once a year because of her habitat. Yes, I bypassed the vet and bought the panacur at a local farm supply store. I have wormed her before, just don't remember the dosage. My local tortoice club holds an annual worming event, but I missed it this year.

Thanks, just looking for an answer here!

Toby

Just FYI, I fundamentally disagree with the philosophy of "prophylactic" worming (worming animals which show no symptoms and/or have not been diagnosed as needing it by a vet); however, I will still try to assist you. All wormers are poisons and stress the animals to which they are given to some degree or another. Why do so unnecessarily?

That being said, the recommended Panacur dose is 50 mg per kg. or 22.7 mg. per pound. Additionally, you should be aware that for the medication to be effective, it must be given for three days in a row at the above dosage, then given again for three more days two weeks later.

Do you have the powder granules or the paste horse wormer? You will need to figure out how many mg. your tortoise needs first, then figure out how much of the medication type which you have contains the correct number of mg. of the Panacur. The powder is 22% actual Panacur. The remainder is binders or fillers, etc. One tsp. of powder is roughly 50 mg. of Panacur or enough to dose a 12 kilo (26 lb.) tortoise. The paste is less concentrated as I recall, so more volume of it is probably needed to achieve the same mg. dose.

Thank you sir for your answer. Your points are well taken. I'll check into how much a fecal is and get it analyzed. I don't think it's all that much. The goats in the pen have had worms, and I just assume after years of grazing among them, I'll be surprised if there are none.

In the meantime, let me confirm the amount and how I got there. Here's what I have:

safe-guard Dewormer
25 gram Paste 10%
(100 mg/g)

25lbs. multiplied by 22.7 mg is 567.5 mg.

So I'll need roughly 5.5 grams (a smidge more) of paste to deworm the 25 lb. tortoise.

Confirm?

Thanks

Toby

Grazers get Flukes and other worms that Panacure does not kill.Your fecal will help you on this also.Vic

Yes, that is the correct calculation. You can probably use 6 g. of paste because it is very unlikely the tortoise will eat the entire amount that you give it unless you are extremely lucky or good at administering it. You need to give it 5.5 or 6 grams each day for three days, then wait two weeks and repeat the process for another three days.