Reptile & Amphibian Forums

It's the worst time of the year for any of my animals to get sick. So, of course, two of them decide it's a great time to stop eating.

I have two female leos in a 20gal long tank. The husbandrys perfect, temperatures just right. I moved them onto sand for a few days, but tonight I got really scared after I saw what looked like hind leg paralysis, which I know is a general sign of impaction. I went to pick her up, and she went and started running around. Still, I moved them back to paper towels. (They're fed silkworms, by the way)

I came back from a trip and my sitter told me they stopped eating, but are pooping and all. I've looked and they haven't totally stopped --- but, I insert six silkies one night, the next night there are still four in there. At best, each of them ate one. Obviously not enough... They're estimated at 9 months old, so I don't think it's brumation.

Holidays bankrupt me pretty well, and snow cancelling off work for a few days doesn't help. A check from my client doesn't get in till the 23rd or so, I don't think I'd be able to find a vet open on Christmas eve. My only temporary ailment is Parazap. I've had good results with my beardie, does it work well with leos too? I'm pretty sure it's parasites, I can tell just by the smell of the poo.
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0.0.1 Bearded Dragon (Zeo)
0.2.0 Leopard Geckos (Vienna, Chomps)
1.0.0 Golden Retriever, Rocky, 10 years young

If the poo smells funny and you recognize that from experiene, and/or it is runny, then you probably have a problem on your hands. If stools are solid, and it's just that eating has slowed down, remember that many perfectly healthy leos slow doen their eating or even stop eating for weeks at a time in winter.

Do you have panacur and correct dosages on-hand?
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Sarah Stettler aka Starling
Sarah@stargecko.com
StarGecko.Com COMING SOON! Star Quality Leopard Geckos
Specializing in Hypotangerine Tremper Albinos

Not runny, but it smells more than it should definetly. I know I have a parasite problem, just treating. No, I don't have Panacur on hand --- at most, I have the remnants of a bottle sitting around which has now turned to dust. I'm under the impression that it's not accessible to normal people, or can I special order it somewhere?
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0.0.1 Bearded Dragon (Zeo)
0.2.0 Leopard Geckos (Vienna, Chomps)
1.0.0 Golden Retriever, Rocky, 10 years young

I ordered some from Corey Sawer, but last time I checked his site was down. But I think I saw someone on here discussing a site where it was available (I think one person was going to email the other on the supplier or something). Sorry not to be of more help. I suggest you try doing some googling. As I understand it, it is the same drug as safeguard paste available at Petco, but my dosages from my vet are for the liquid 10% suspension variety, I have no idea what the paste is.
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Sarah Stettler aka Starling
Sarah@stargecko.com
StarGecko.Com COMING SOON! Star Quality Leopard Geckos
Specializing in Hypotangerine Tremper Albinos

You should check to see what kind of parasite(s) you're dealing with before you go and buy Panacur.
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chickabowwow

3.2.3 leopard geckos (Rosie, Locke, Lisa, Caesar, Tommy)

That's why I'm leaning more towards using Parazap --- it's very hard to overdose (I've never heard of overdosing on it, largely because it's made from ground natural ingredients), and I've known it myself to be effective. I wish I could do my own fecals instead of paying $50 an animal to just register them, than $15 for fecals each.
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0.0.1 Bearded Dragon (Zeo)
0.2.0 Leopard Geckos (Vienna, Chomps)
1.0.0 Golden Retriever, Rocky, 10 years young

Well, it's not overdosing that would necessarily be the problem. Panacur also has a very large safety margin. But it's not effective against all parasites that your leos can contract, and neither is Parazap.

By the way, you only need to get one fecal done since your leos are kept together.
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chickabowwow

3.2.3 leopard geckos (Rosie, Locke, Lisa, Caesar, Tommy)

Not to sound rude or anything but if you are worried, go to the vet. Yeh it hurts the pocketbook this time of year but the question really is...are they worth it to you? In my case, I spent 130 dollars at the vet yesterday. Could I afford it...nope and Yeh it sucks BIG TIME, but the animal I took is important to me. Just something to think about.

n/p
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-Aaron-
1.2 rainwater albinos
0.1 hypo tang
2.4 hi yellow
1.3 tremper albinos
0.1 blizzard
0.1 leusistic
1.1 Patternless het albinos
0.1 Reverse Stripe Tangerine Albino
soon to be owner of
2 of mooses kids
1 Beautiful albino stripe adopted from Rob
E-mail me at GreatGobsOfGeckos@yahoo.com

I am ALL for taking animals to the vet when neccessary. However if this case all I have heard is leo who has slowed down, but not stopped, his eating (perfectly normal in winter for many geckos) and with normal looking, not runny, but stinky poop. I think it's worth keeping an eye on, but I don't think it's neccessary to take a gecko to the vet just because its poop smells bad. Like people, dogs, and many other animals, it is not unheard of for healthy gecko poop to stink occassionally. Do you go to the doctor every time you have a stinky poop?

Now if this person has dealt with protozoans before or something and recognizes this smell diagnostically and has a hunch, then absolutely, get a fecal. But I don't think it makes sense to tell people to go to the vet every time they get nervous.
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Sarah Stettler aka Starling
Sarah@stargecko.com
StarGecko.Com COMING SOON! Star Quality Leopard Geckos
Specializing in Hypotangerine Tremper Albinos

You can have a fecal done without having to take the animal to the vet. In my opinion, that's what he should do instead of administering medication without knowing what may be the problem. Panacur and Parazap are anti-helminths, so they wouldn't be effective against protozoa.
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chickabowwow

3.2.3 leopard geckos (Rosie, Locke, Lisa, Caesar, Tommy)

Where I live, vets won't do any kind of tests or make any kind r prescription without an initial office visit for each new animal. Some have told me it's the law.

I've heard no evidence the animal has worms, protozoa, or anything at all.

I see no problem with administering panacur as tend to think this is a good idea for all leos every six months to a year anyway.

If there are genuine signs of a problem, like runny stools, I'd say get thee to a vet, pronto. But when the only symptom is "sh*t stinks"...imagine what your docotor would say if you went in with complaint.

I don't think it is advisable to tell people t go to the vet every time they just get NERVOUS. I think it weakens the board's collective persuasiveness of those real instances when people really DO need to take their animal to the vet. Plus, what about the person whose animal is in real trouble has to wait days because the vet's time is talken up by people with concerns like, "His poo smells bad", "She has orange on her tail, I heard that meant she had parasites.", and "He turned all white and papery! Is he mummifying?"

Just my opinion.
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Sarah Stettler aka Starling
Sarah@stargecko.com
StarGecko.Com COMING SOON! Star Quality Leopard Geckos
Specializing in Hypotangerine Tremper Albinos

Seriously though, I think people sometimes overreact and are too quick to go see the vet or medicate their pets.

I haven't had any problems just bringing in stools without an office visit. I've only taken one of my leos to the vet, but I've had fecals done for all the rest. It's a good thing, too, because they all had different kinds of parasites that Panacur would not have been effective with.

I agree that it doesn't seem like this guy's leo has parasites. But if in doubt, I think it's better to have the feces checked, rather than just medicating without a professional diagnosis.
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chickabowwow

3.2.3 leopard geckos (Rosie, Locke, Lisa, Caesar, Tommy)