Reptile & Amphibian Forums

Thanks for all your help. Though I am not positive, I believe I have 3 juveniles with parasites. I called a local vet to get them tested, and it would be $75-$80 for a check-up and a fecal exam for the first reptile, and then $32 for each reptile after that.(and this doesnt include the medicine)Being a college student, I do not have that kind of funds. Does anyone know the medicine or where I can get it to treat these reptiles? Would it be harmful to give them medicine if they have some other diesease? I am looking for any alternative to taking them to the vet b/c as I said, I am low on funds.

I am in the atlanta area if anyone knows of cheaper vets or wants to adopt/foster them.

All females(1 blizzard, 1 albino, and one that looks like a mango from what i can tell on this site)

Thanks for your help

You can try giving them parazap unless they start showing negative signs towards it. There really isnt a medicine that targets every parasite, if you knew what kind they had that would be a lot more helpful.

Did you ask them if they would just do the fecal, or do they need the check up for the fecal? If it were me and I was trying to do this on limited funds I would just take the one gecko and get the medicine and such and administer it to all of them. There is no one definitive way that we could tell you how to kill the parasites. It would just be, more or less, an educated guess...
-----
Josh Ellis
My Email
Geckophiles.com
----------------------------------

they said in order to give a fecal, i had to pay for an appointment.... they did say if one lizard had a type of parasite then they could administer all the reptiles with the same medicine, the only problem is it would be well over $100 and I paid almost half that for all three lizards, i just do not want them to suffer/die, plus, I like having them...

thanks for all the help

i've got one question for you, would you pay that amount of money to treat a dog?

I know I know, sounds cruel not to get the treatment, thats why i am looking at alternatives... and I really dont like dogs, thats why I have reptiles. Anyways, thats why I asked if anyone wanted to adopt them in the atlanta area... I am just a college kid trying to save these lizards.

I'm trying to get ahold of Katie at Peach State Geckos to see if she would like to take them or knows of another vet around AL. E-mail me using the link in my signature.
-----
Josh Ellis
My Email
Geckophiles.com
----------------------------------

I can't take them right now but I can give you a really good cheap vet to go to. What side of ATL are you on? This one is in Alpharetta, well worth the drive though! Let me know if you want the info about him. Use the email link in my sig. Good luck!
-----
Katie F.
Peach State Geckos
Breeding Mealworms
My Email
AIM SN: PeachyGex

"A herper's life is never dull" - ME

Your best bet is to find another vet. I have never heard of a vet that wouldnt read a fecal without seeing the animal too
-----
0.1 Bearded dragon (Hannabil)
0.1 mexican Black kingsnake (Morticia)
2.1 Leopard Gecko's (Pogo,Jeffrey Nothing, Louise)
0.0.1 Tokay Gecko
1.0 Blue Tongue Skink
0.0.1 Reverse Okeetee Corn (Autumn)
1.0 Blood Red Corn (Virus)
0.1 Bullmastiff (Asha)
4.1 Cats (Poe, Tucker, Abhid, Felicity, Emmy)

If you have absolutly no other alternatives and you are positive they have parasite, absolutly positive, then you can use the shotgun theraphy, which is not recommended unless you have no other alternatives. It is when you give them panacur and flagyl at the proper dosages without having a fecal done. Most importers do it to relieve wildcaught specimens of all nematode and protozoan parasites.

don't be rude

I highly recommend you contact another vet because you need to know what type of parasites you're dealing with before you administer any kind of medication. Most meds that you do buy have to be properly measured and diluted, and if you're not used to doing conversions, the results could be fatal.

My vet charges $30 for one visit which includes a free fecal test and medicine, since leopard geckos only need a tiny, tiny bit of a diluted amount.

Be very wary of any vet that charges $100 for just a basic visit and fecal test. Money-hungry vets usually aren't the kind you can build a relationship with and continually bring your animals back to see.
-----
www.BugChick.com

chickabowwow

I'll still send you that info about the vet if you want me too, email me.
-----
Katie F.
Peach State Geckos
Breeding Mealworms
My Email
AIM SN: PeachyGex

"A herper's life is never dull" - ME

Money hungry vets eh? Perhaps the vet was a reptile specialist who, after spending 100-200K attending regular vet school, did a residency for 2 years for $10-15 /hour, and then invested 400-600K in a top notch veterinary hospital and $100 for all this expertise, experience, and technology is too much?

But that is not the arguement here. This college student acknowledges that keeping a pet may be financially over their head. A cheaper vet may suffice for a simple problem like this, but what about next time? I say shop around if you need to, as other vets may be cheaper and will help you out indeed. It's great that you show the maturity to look into adopting these guys out.

Even the "shot-gun" approach as mentioned should be done under veterinary supervision as it's still prescription medications that you are using.

Why are you certain that there are parasites? They are becoming more uncommon in captive bred animals. How are the gecko's doing overall? Losing weight? Eating? Urine/stool?

Keep us posted

Ian

ps, I attend the herp health forum much more regularly than the leo forum. If you value my opinion I can be reached their more often.