Reptile & Amphibian Forums

Hi All,

Would like some opinions on this. Adding new turtles to an established/healthy colony.

I currently have been quarantining new turtles for about 4 weeks upon arrival and deworming them twice with panacur while in quarantine. This is assuming that the turtles arrive and appear healthy.

What do the rest of you guys do during quarantining new additions?

Let me know - Scott

are you beginning and ending the quarantine period with an exam, to include fecal and blood labs, to ascertain what parasites you are dealing with, if any? Do you know what you are administering the Panacur against...and what that outcome is, before releasing them into your general population?

I would also say that genenrally 4 weeks may be insufficient time to ensure clean bill of health. Call me over cautious. If you have a turtle that has a parasite infestation and you began with Panacur, and followed again in 2 weeks...I would exam again a month after the last treatment to ensure it was taken care of and they didn't return while in your population. Parasites have a tendency to be knocked down with reduced numbers, being more difficult to detect, only to return again in a short time.

Mick
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"When tyranny and oppression come to this land, it will be in the guise of fighting a foreign foe."

James Madison

Their are several methods and beliefs on quarantines.
One is to use a shotgun approach and administer panacur, two weeks apart, along with metronidazole. Panacur gets most of the worms and metro gets the bad Protozoan infections. Together they have a synergistic effect; and can even knock out trichomonads. Dosing is important and is dependent upon your animals weight. There are manuels available for this and even pics of various parasites from "The Bean Farm"a herp supply outfit. Many use this method.

After treating I wait 8 weeks, observe and I prefer to actually run a fecal test to make sure before putting them in the general population. That 's the other method...a bit more involved; but I'm probably over cautious.
You can get all the materials ( OUTSIDE OF A MICROSCOPE) for doing your own fecals tests from Lambriar Vet Supply. They have various fecal test kits and special vials....Along with directions. There's so much more to this then what would do justice here....sorry this is so long..Questions?..Email me.
Ric

Hi,

Couple of follow up questions. What parasites are most common in turtles....i guess I should ask, are these parasites that are found in fecal floatation tests or fecal smears? I work at a veterinary clinic where we do minimal reptile care...I use a different clinic for my reptile emergencies/major issues. I run fecals and get the deworming meds where I work though.

Also what does is recommended for panacure? I am currently using 25 mg/kg as my dose but I beleive they can do up to 50 mg/kg.

Also what dose do you use for metronidazole?

So 8 weeks would be a better quarentine policy then my 4 weeks? I would much rather be over cautious then under cautious and harm my colony. Any other preventative/ good things to do during quarentine?

Also what do you guys typically use to quarentine in...inside/outside? How large? I imagine every new turtles is quarentined seperate from each other even if they are from the same colony?

Thanks, Scott

Native Boxies have been found to habor the following:

Trematodes...........Seven varieties

Cestodes................Three varieties

Nematodes............21 varieties

Some individuals boxies can be living with thousands of these worms( in the alimentary tract) and some boxies may have only a single filarial worm. However that single worm can be lodged in the connective tissue adjacent to the heart of a boxie.
Each case is individual. If kept in captivity the numbers of parasitic worms will go up due to substrate contamination and that’s where trouble can start with major stock outbreaks.

Panacur is the drug of choice for most of the above. Flagyl or metronidazole is sometimes used in conjunction for it’s synergistic qualities......However it is most beneficial for Box Turtle Amebiasis (Entamoeba invadens). Diagnosis for worms is made by fecal floats or smears; looking for thick walled eggs, larve, or withAmebiasis multi-nucleated cysts.

Dosages vary among vets and are constanly changing. I’m not comfortable stating that information here as I’m not a Vet and misunderstandings can cause a turtles life.

* NEVER USE THE DRUG IVERMECTIN ON BOXIES OR ANY CHELONIAN EVEN THOUGH IT’S SAFE FOR OTHER REPTILES.(CROSSING OF THE BRAIN BARRIER)

Below is an old Boxie from PA. that was dying from Amebiasis and caseated cysts in his right inner ear when I found him four years ago. I treated him with metro and the antibiotic Doxycycline and removed 23 cysts using sterile techniques. He has fathered many young and is one of my most intelligent Easterns.
RIC