Reptile & Amphibian Forums

I have a yearling honduran that is eating fine but is losing weight rapidly. The feces are lumpy and smelly.It attracts knats which normal feces do not do. This snake is about as thin as you can get but eats like a horse. It does not matter how often I feed it is emaciated.

What do you all think I should administer?

I would not administer anything. i would take a fecal sample to the vet to get the parasites identified, so that the medication can be geared towards the exact problem

I knew someone would say that.

The nearest vet is 1 hour away and then he only deals in exotics (not very knowledgable about snakes)and the snake is an inexpe1nsive honduran.

I would like to know what most herpetoculturists administer first and what safest is?

Ivermectin?
panacur?
fenbendozole?

>>I knew someone would say that.
>>
>>The nearest vet is 1 hour away and then he only deals in exotics (not very knowledgable about snakes)and the snake is an inexpe1nsive honduran.
>>
>>I would like to know what most herpetoculturists administer first and what safest is?
>>
>>Ivermectin?
>>panacur?
>>fenbendozole?

None of these are safe if improperly administered. In general, most people that are "shotgunning" snakes use a combination of fenbendazole (which is the same thing as Panacur) and Metronidazole (Flagyl). The problem is that if the offending organism is Tapeworms, coccidians, or Rhabdias, Panacur and Flagyl won't help. I do not generally prescribe to the shotgun method unless it is for a large shipment of fresh imports.
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We do not inherit the Earth from our ancestors; we borrow it from our children. Ralph Waldo Emerson

I get a poop sample, spin and then examine it. Honestly, you cannot just administer meds without having a clue. Inexpensive or not, a fecal float will only cost you $10-$25.

panacur is the safest

I agree that you should seek the help of the vet. Even if he's an hour away, that's an expense you should be willing to take for your valuable snake. I don't recommend that you administer the meds yourself, because something tells me you don't know what you're doing and won't work out the proper dilution/dosages. The fact that you're coming onto here not knowing which medication to use shows this. It takes experience to properly diagnose and treat the problem.

For starters, Panacur IS Fenbendazole. Big clarification there. And Ivermectin is VERY risky especially if you don't get the right dosage. This is all stuff you should know before you start administering medications indiscriminantly.

I think you're taking more of a risk by assuming you can handle the problem yourself without a proper vet. Go to herpvetconnection.com or anapsid.org/vets to look up a good herp vet in your area.
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chickabowwow

Inexpensive honduran. Don't want to spend money on vet expenses. That's just peachy.
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chickabowwow