Uroplatus sikorae WCs: Questions on quarantine

BonnieLorraine · #1 06-05-2011, 04:22 PM

I obtained 4 Uroplatus sikorae approximately a week and a half ago and currently have them in quarantine in 2 separate cages. Before I started them on meds (while trying to collect fecals for testing) they were eating roughly 8-14 medium crickets a night per cage, so 4-7 crickets per gecko. The vet had me start them on albon and panacur 6 days ago, and the vet tech said to do the panacur for 3-5 days and the albon for 7 days straight, but she also kept wondering why I was even treating the animals at all since most pet stores don't bother (they're from my friends reptile store, so he told us to use his account with the vet). I started them on the meds, and continuing with their daily showers, usually an hour long shower every day while I am bleaching out the cages. Their appetites were fine for the first 2 days on the meds, and then dropped to about 2-3 crickets per cage a night, so 1-2 crickets per gecko. I got them some probiotics to try and counteract the albon, dabbing it on their noses and letting them lick it off. but they still weren't eating much. I decided to split up the albon into two separate treatments, spaced 3 days apart, to try to give their digestive systems some chance to recover. I stopped the meds 2 days ago, and they're now up to 5 and 4 crickets per cage, but I'm worried about giving the second dose (I've also read I should do a second round of panacur before the next fecal check). They're currently not at all dehydrated, haven't lost weight, and are very active, am I just over worrying this or should I hold off on the next round until they've had a bit more chance to recover? I also found mites around their eye sockets while giving them meds, and treated them with a q tip and veggie oil, so that might have been an additional stressor. I know there are people on here pretty experienced with medicating these guys, so any advice would be great as these are my first uros, I used to be a cham and terrestrial gecko breeder. Thanks

D.B.Johnson · #2 06-07-2011, 04:36 PM

I personally think you're worrying too much about the number of crickets...It sounds to me like they are eating less crickets because you have been feeding them every day, and they aren't as hungry as they were. Of course, the meds probably haven't helped their appetite either. I wouldn't worry about the appetite of a gecko that is eating every single night.

As far as the fenbendazole/panacur goes, if memory serves...it is only effective against the young and adult stages of various worms. It doesn't kill eggs, and that is why it is recommended space treatments a week or two apart. I believe the idea is to kill the worms that hatch from the eggs before they lay more themselves. I would imagine your vet would know more about that than I do, though.

Enjoy your new geckos,
Doug

BonnieLorraine · #3 06-07-2011, 04:57 PM

Thank you Doug, I needed someone to tell me I was doing ok

The vet told me to do 3-5 days of the panacur in a row, and that was it. I can see the value in doing it several days in a row, but decided to add in the once a week for several more weeks to make sure I kill any hatching eggs. I just got out the scale yesterday, and in the past week, the 28g girl has remained the same, the 21g girl gained 2 grams and is up to 23, the 26g girl lost one gram and is down to 25, and the male lost one gram and is down to 17, I'm going to guess mostly from the albon and loss of appetite. I just got 3 more yesterday, these were all from the same original group as mine, just put in a planted vivarium at the store and left untreated. I had been planning on acquiring a pair after mine were done with their treatment, but these didn't look like they were going to make it that long, and the males were in really poor shape which was why I got two. One of the males was so weak he could hardly move, so I forcefed him a bit of chicken baby food with vitamins and calcium while I was giving him his first dose of meds. For the new ones, the female is 23g and pretty feisty, but the boys are 10g and 11g. After a long shower, meds, and probiotics they did manage to eat 7 crickets between them and the males are looking quite a bit spunkier today, hopefully I can put some weight on them soon so their bones stop sticking out. In all I've had to deal with worms, coccidea, mites, a nose rub and abrasions on several from shipping, dehydration, and starvation, fun times right?

jadrig · #4 06-09-2011, 12:41 AM

As long as the geckos are eating they will be fine...just dont feed them too much, especially if they just came into the country. 1 or 2 crickets a night per gecko is fine...Make sure that none of the geckos are regurgitating their food. If one is not doing as well, isolate them so that you can monitor how much food they are eating. I know that albon isnt as harmful to geckos as it is to chameleons, but I, personally, would not put it in any of my geckos...panacur is not nearly as deadly, but I dont mess with meds. Even if the gecko was proven to have a heavy parasite load...iradicating the parasites would be #3 on the priority list behind staying hydrated and being fed.

BonnieLorraine · #5 06-09-2011, 12:45 AM

I've only had one regurgitate, and that was about 2 nights ago, he's kept everything down since. Any recommendations on how to prevent that? I've been using the probiotics dabbed on his nose daily but am not sure what else I can do.

jadrig · #6 06-09-2011, 02:42 AM

The regurgitation has to do with dehydration/coccidea...I believe. Their stomachs cannot stretch to accomidate the 'over feeding'. Just offer 1 prey item that is not too large...or several small prey items. This puts a lot less stress on the animals stomach. Also, give plenty of h20 with eyedropper. One drop on snout, and wait til they lick it off. The regurgitation occurs with all species of feshly imported Uroplatus...especially when TOO much food is given. I know it is hard to resist, especially when the come straight from the importer...these geckos are usually starving, but they dont know any better.

BonnieLorraine · #7 06-09-2011, 02:53 AM

They're pretty well hydrated, they get an hour long shower every day, plus 2-3 additional mistings. He only threw up one cricket, and usually only eats about one a night. I'm thinking maybe the albon killed off all the good gut bacteria and threw his system off? I've cut down on the food I'm putting in the females tank, those were the piggies out of the bunch, but no regurgs there yet.

**Elizabeth Freer** · #8 06-09-2011, 06:21 AM

Just checking in......

BonnieLorraine · #9 06-10-2011, 08:42 PM

I just took in a second batch of fecals this morning, and the vet came out and talked to me for about 20 mins on how to proceed from here (did I mention I love my vet). He said they still have parasites, I need to do the Panacur for longer, and I shouldn't have cut the Albon short. I'm to do 5 days of Panacur, give them a 2 week break, and then another 5 days of Panacur. For the Albon I'm supposed to do 7 days straight. The males I'm to continue force feeding, but he recommended I get Repti Aid from Flukers which I found at PetSmart, and do that daily until they're able to eat on their own. Oh, and keep up with the daily showers and cage bleachings. He also taught me an easier trick for getting them to open their mouths, you just cover their nostrils with your fingers (why didn't I ever think of this lol). So, it looks like we have a month longer of quarantine minimum, I'm just really hoping those two skinny males make it.

**Elizabeth Freer** · #10 06-10-2011, 08:59 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by BonnieLorraine

I just took in a second batch of fecals this morning, and the vet came out and talked to me for about 20 mins on how to proceed from here (did I mention I love my vet). He said they still have parasites, I need to do the Panacur for longer, and I shouldn't have cut the Albon short. I'm to do 5 days of Panacur, give them a 2 week break, and then another 5 days of Panacur. For the Albon I'm supposed to do 7 days straight. The males I'm to continue force feeding, but he recommended I get Repti Aid from Flukers which I found at PetSmart, and do that daily until they're able to eat on their own. Oh, and keep up with the daily showers and cage bleachings. He also taught me an easier trick for getting them to open their mouths, you just cover their nostrils with your fingers (why didn't I ever think of this lol). So, it looks like we have a month longer of quarantine minimum, I'm just really hoping those two skinny males make it.

BonnieLorraine ~

Thanks for sharing all these details! That is one thing I love about GU. Most people are more than willing to share all they know.

What strength bleach are you using? Are you still using the probiotics? Health foods store?

Best wishes for your geckos.