I have been taking my geckos to the vet for two months now and they are not getting any better. My question is what is the normal amount of time it takes to get rid of them? They are on the typical panacur stuff.
How do I know if I'm getting played around with by a very expensive vet that I'm not sure knows how to take care of geckos.
*although I know that they take care of iguanas*
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Parasites
geicogecko
Nov 01, 2004 02:32 AM
Replies (17)
xelda
Nov 01, 2004 03:19 AM
If you still have to medicate your leos after two months, either something was missed in the fecal test(s) or you're letting your leo re-infect itself by not keeping things sanitary. Personally, I think taking them to the vet repeatedly is only going to cause your leos more stress, which will count against their immune system.
Since you're treating with Panacur, I'm guessing your leos have hookworms or pinworms. Hookworms tend to be more debilitating of the two and require at least 2-3 weekly doses. With any parasitic infestation, it's best to clean the tank everyday to ensure a quick recovery. At least replace the substrate everyday, wash out the humid hide, and be sure to clean the food and water bowls. Hookworms in particular are troublesome. Under optimal conditions, the eggs deposited in your leo's poop can hatch after just a few hours, then a certain stage of the larvae can penetrate the skin of the host and re-enter the body. There could be migrating larvae in your leos that are totally unaffected by the medication, which is why the follow-up doses are required. You should also double check that your feeders aren't the source of your leos' parasites.
Anyway, if you're so unsure about your vet's treatment, find out what parasite(s) you're dealing with and do some research on your own. Some require more work to get rid of than others, and you can't expect medicine alone to do the job.
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chickabowwow
geicogecko
Nov 01, 2004 04:32 AM
I have been taking them to the vet as much as they have told me to which is once every two weeks. I keep them on paper towels and i replace those every day and I have glass under there so I clean that with disinfecting wipes. I also clean out the bowls and hides.
xelda
Nov 01, 2004 03:43 PM
I would be using dishwasher soap and warm water to clean the tank, hides, and bowls. You can't rely on disinfectant wipes to kill everything on contact especially with parasites that are virtually environmentally resistant, but soap and a good rinse can at least wash them away before you apply the disinfectant step.
What parasites are you dealing with? Like I said, they're not all the same.
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chickabowwow
geckogrl6
Nov 01, 2004 07:46 PM
using a bleach solution and many many rinses. For parasites and bacteria (which may be secondary) bleach, kills better than soap and water. You can also put the bowls and stuff in the dishwasher, which uses superhot water. Find out what you are dealing with, and by all means, seperate them now!
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1.0 Pastel/Jungle Leopard gecko from JL (BJ)
1.0 Hypo from Crested (Apricot)
1.0 Albino Hypo? (Cloud)
0.4 Normal/Hi-Yellow Leopard gecko (Beatrice, Goldie, Freckles, Pepper)
0.1 SHCT Leopard Gecko (Brite)
0.1 TBD Leopard Gecko (Rainbow)
0.0.2 Corn Snakes (One snow, One red albino)
xelda
Nov 01, 2004 08:20 PM
Why on earth would you want to put your reptile supplies in the dishwasher--the same dishwasher that washes the dishes you eat out of? Even people who don't own reptiles know not to do that especially with all the hype salmonella poisoning gets.
I recommend soap and water because it actually washes out germs, parasites, and parasite eggs even if it doesn't kill them. There are parasites that will happily sit in undiluted bleach without being killed.
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chickabowwow
geckogrl6
Nov 01, 2004 08:27 PM
?
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1.0 Pastel/Jungle Leopard gecko from JL (BJ)
1.0 Hypo from Crested (Apricot)
1.0 Albino Hypo? (Cloud)
0.4 Normal/Hi-Yellow Leopard gecko (Beatrice, Goldie, Freckles, Pepper)
0.1 SHCT Leopard Gecko (Brite)
0.1 TBD Leopard Gecko (Rainbow)
0.0.2 Corn Snakes (One snow, One red albino)
xelda
Nov 01, 2004 08:45 PM
Most notably crypto and coccidia.
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chickabowwow
hill4803
Nov 01, 2004 08:57 PM
nolvasan? Does that take care of the problem species bleach can miss? I hate the smell of bleach, I have been using nolvasan.
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www.hullabalooherps.com
xelda
Nov 01, 2004 09:16 PM
I use Nolvasan too. Nolvasan, bleach, and ammonia each have their strengths and weaknesses as far as what they can kill. Ideally you should alternate between them for full cage cleanings but I don't know very many people who do that.
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chickabowwow
leopardgeckoman
Nov 01, 2004 09:24 PM
doesnt UV lights kill germs, bacteria, and parasites? Like if u were to buy one of those strong UV lights and put the products under it for an hour every day, wont that kill em? I have never had to deal with parasites so im too expierenced in this feild.
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geckogrl6
Nov 01, 2004 09:27 PM
lights which, yes, will kill every living thing they light and they are occasionally used in water filtration systems. Problem is, they will kill you and you pets, so they need to be housed in a special light block box, and cost like $400
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1.0 Pastel/Jungle Leopard gecko from JL (BJ)
1.0 Hypo from Crested (Apricot)
1.0 Albino Hypo? (Cloud)
0.4 Normal/Hi-Yellow Leopard gecko (Beatrice, Goldie, Freckles, Pepper)
0.1 SHCT Leopard Gecko (Brite)
0.1 TBD Leopard Gecko (Rainbow)
0.0.2 Corn Snakes (One snow, One red albino)
leopardgeckoman
Nov 01, 2004 09:51 PM
i was just wondering because our school has one for the safty glasses and they tell us it kills everything, so i just though i'd ask the people with exp.
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tim5580
Nov 02, 2004 02:03 AM
How about steam? I saw a pretty convincing infomercial on a portable steam cleaner, I figured parasites can't live if they are being burned by steam. I am probably wrong though.
>>i was just wondering because our school has one for the safty glasses and they tell us it kills everything, so i just though i'd ask the people with exp.
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>>Leopard Geckos ROCK!!!
>>!!! Leopard Gecko Care!!!
>>Leopard Geckos ROCK!!!
>>
>>Leopard Geckos ROCK!!!
>>!!! Leopard Gecko Care!!!
>>Leopard Geckos ROCK!!!
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**********************************
Tim W. My Pictures
0.0.1 Leopard Geckos
0.1.0 Dumeril Boa
tim5580
Nov 02, 2004 02:00 AM
doesnt ammonia kill those 2 off?
>>Most notably crypto and coccidia.
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>>chickabowwow
>>
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**********************************
Tim W. My Pictures
0.0.1 Leopard Geckos
0.1.0 Dumeril Boa
xelda
Nov 02, 2004 03:05 AM
It still doesn't kill them on contact though, so you have to let the ammonia (full strength) soak for at least half an hour.
The egg stage of coccidia and crypto are oocysts, which have a shell that bleach and Nolvasan can't penetrate. They're also tolerant of extreme temperatures and can go dormant for several years and still cause infection. The only other method of killing them is by boiling.
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chickabowwow
geicogecko
Nov 02, 2004 03:44 AM
man... Parasites really make me mad, I can't believe they are so hard to get rid of. There are no other vets that take care of reptiles in this area and I'm pretty much out of options for the medicine. I can't afford 30 bucks every week for a treatment that doesn't work. What kind of water bowl would be best for this situation?
InvisibleMarker
Nov 02, 2004 06:45 PM
In my opinion bleach is over rated anyway. It would be safer to use dishsoap and water. People seem to underestimate the power of dishsoap.
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~Akira 
1.0 African Fat-tailed Gecko
0.0.1 Leopard Gecko (hypo tangrine circle-back?)
0.0.2 Red Ear Slider
