Reptile & Amphibian Forums

Can anyone tell me where you can buy flagyl online?

np
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Sohni
Northern California

0.1 Baja de L.A. Rosy Boa
0.1 Okeetee Corn Snake
1.1 Rubber Boas
1.0 Leopard Gecko
0.0.2 Hermann's Tortoises
plus my kids' herps:
0.0.1 California King Snake
1.0 Mexican Rosy Boa
0.1 Leopard Gecko

Prescription drugs are prescription for a reason. It is easy to overdose or underdose your pet or treat them inappropriately. Veterinarians are highly trained and should be your resource if you suspect your tortoise has worms. A fecal should be done to determine that metronidazole (Flagyl) is indeed indicated for treatment. I am saying this to harp on you, but I really believe that only veterinarians should dispense medications for animals. If Beanfarm is selling Flagyl, they are doing so illegally.
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Stacey

Stacey, is Panacur also prescription-only? You can buy it in any feed store around here--for that matter, you can buy vaccines, too. Also, I know fish stores sell a lot of antibiotics (Tetracycline, for one). Can you clarify what is considered prescription-only, or what defines it--or are all these places doing something they shouldn't?
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Sohni
Northern California

0.1 Baja de L.A. Rosy Boa
0.1 Okeetee Corn Snake
1.1 Rubber Boas
1.0 Leopard Gecko
0.0.2 Hermann's Tortoises
plus my kids' herps:
0.0.1 California King Snake
1.0 Mexican Rosy Boa
0.1 Leopard Gecko

Yes, they are all prescription medications. Panacur is sold at feed stores as a large animal dewormer in packaging that the FDA deemed acceptable for over-the-counter sales( much like ibuprofen (Advil or Motrin) is sold over the counter in 200 mg tablets, but if you want the 600mg or 800 mg tablets you need a prescription) and the reptile community uses it "off label" for deworming of herps. The safety threshold of the packaging they sell is MUCH higher for an animal like a horse than an 85 gram redfoot tortoise baby. I would NOT trust the antibiotics sold in pet stores. They are notorious for not containing the amounts of drug that they say they do. There is no government regulation of those products.
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Stacey

"I would NOT trust the antibiotics sold in pet stores. They are notorious for not containing the amounts of drug that they say they do." Do you have any documented evidence to back up this statement?
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Tim Madsen

Nobody cares how much you know,
Until they know how much you care.

Here are two references. There has also been countless discussions on the VIN (Veterinary Information Network) forums about animals treated inappropriately and ineffectively with these types of antibiotics.

From the American Society of Health Systems Pharmacists news bulletin....
10) Patients Turn to Fish Cures
Military physicians report that antiinfective drugs can be easily obtained
without a prescription from a surprising source--the fish medication
section of pet stores. According to a letter published in the July 18 New
England Journal of Medicine, the physicians learned about the
antiinfective source from a patient who obtained penicillin and sulfa
products from a pet store and used them without success to treat a sinus
problem. Erythromycin, kanamycin, ampicillin, and tetracycline are among
the antiinfective drugs that the authors said are available at pet stores.
http://content.nejm.org/cgi/content/full/347/3/223-a
Doug Kemp, Pharm.D.

This one pertains to the antibiotics and treatments sold for pet birds but addresses the same issue of no regulation by the FDA.
"Over-the-Counter Medications for Pet Birds"
Edward L. Spenser, M.S., D.V.M.
Division of Epidemiology and Surveillance Center for Veterinary Medicine Food and Drug Administration 7500 Standish Place Rockville, Maryland 20855
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Stacey

Thanks for the links. I couldn't access the first one without paying a subscription charge (being tight). The second article was interesting reading, but I would say bias since the author is a vet. I still don't see where you can say "that stuff is no good". It may be miss-used and unregulated but that doesn't mean it is of low quality. As for FDA regulations I don't trust the federal government for anything, except my living( I've worked for it for 32 years)lol. What I was looking for in the way of documentation is a study that was done that says the mentioned medications did not contain what the package stated. In my opinion that would make it no good stuff.
By the way I use to never give advise on worming herps and always told those that asked, go to a vet. But I've heard so many horror stories about vets using things like ivermectin, that I freely give info. on worming now. I do still recommend those vets that I know (through personal experience) are reptile qualified. Worming reptiles is not rocket science and there are many good publications that can teach it to the novice. And the required medications are easily obtained through online vet. supply companies. I don't know the legality of selling it but there are sure a lot of companies doing it.
I'm not trying to start a flame war I've just got a thing about unsubstantiated statements. To many urban legends are started that way.
Thanks again for your reply, peace.
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Tim Madsen

Nobody cares how much you know,
Until they know how much you care.

I have been in veterinary medicine for 12 years, so I do understand that vets can certainly be biased! I don't think I said they were worthless. I'll have to reread my own post. I have been a little hormonal and cranky lately, which impairs my ability to choose appropriate verbage! LOL!

The original reference, which I didn't realize you had to pay for, sorry, talked about a few studies (yes, only a few. So more should be done becasue there were only two manufacturers in the test) where the medications contained drugs not listed on the ingredients and the ones that were listed were not in the amounts they claimed. This could certainly be a manufacturer problem, but many vets have claimed to have problems getting these drugs to produce therapeutic levels in fish. Just my opinion. That and $4.00 will get you a cup of coffee at Starbucks!
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Stacey

Try using the search function of your browser, there are numerous places that sell it on line.
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Tim Madsen

Nobody cares how much you know,
Until they know how much you care.