Took Shelly and Piggy to the Vet, And im very upset..

[sissyofone]

So i took Shelly and Piggy to the vet yesterday. Reason being Shelly is still blowing nose bubbles. I explained to the vet that both are eating great. Im still soaking them daily because they were both kept so dry before i got them. They were both impacted with sand also but are much better now. Its just that Shelly is still blowing bubbles. All the vet did was examine them and tell me they are underweight Shelly is 8 yrs old and weighs 5lbs 3 ozs and Piggy is 6 yrs old and weighs 2lbs 13 ozs. The vet gave me panacur to deworm them with at home but he didnt do a fecal. I offered to bring a sample in but was told it wasnt neccessary. Maybe he just assumed since theyd never been dewormed it couldnt hurt. I ask him about Shelly blowing bubbles but she wasnt doing it at his office. He told me to just keep an eye on her. Does anyone have an opinion on this. Should i be upset no test were done? Im really stressed out over this. I just want them healthy.

 

[Yvonne G]

I don't do anything at the first sign of bubbles either. Unless the bubbles change to a thick, colored mucous, and the tortoise stops eating, I leave it alone and let it be a tortoise.

I wouldn't de-worm unless parasite eggs were found in the stool sample.

 

[sissyofone]

@ Yvonne G. I didnt deworm them he sent meds home. Shes eating great. They both have excellent appitites. Im just really hoping its something that will just pass. Thank you Ms. Yvonne im just so nervous. And like i said i want them healthy and happy. Im trying so hard to make sure they thrive here. Does there weight seem way off or does it vary tort to tort so to speak?

 

[luvpetz27]

I hope they will be ok!!

 

[mikeh]

Some dewormers are safe to use and are not taxing on the system. Perhaps that is why the vet didnt require fecal? Not sure if panacur is one of them.

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[sissyofone]

I wish i knew if it was safe. Maybe someone else knows. Im just not sure if i should use the panacur or not. Ive never seen a worm or there eggs in any of my three torts.

 

[Merlin M]

Think its odd they wouldn't do a test...
I am currently treating two of mine with Panacur both are doing just fine. But I had a worm count done on one and she did have worms, treating both as a precaution as they live together.

 

[Thalatte]

Panacur is safe to use. You could even do 10x the regular dose and it wont affect the tort. Not that you should but you could.

I deworm all my reptiles twice a year with it and any new reptiles as soon as I get them settled in.

 

[sissyofone]

How do you give it to them? Vet told me to soak a piece of Mazuri in it and feed it to them or he said i could inject it into a blueberry. Im gonna try the mazuri to see how it works i think..

(3) Sulcata Tortoises - Spunky, Shelly and Ms. Piggy.

 

[Merlin M]

I injected it into the mazuri (as it was all they were happy to eat) and they ate it no bother... will be trial an error finding what you can hide it in and they will eat!

 

[sissyofone]

So i tried soaking Mazuri in panacur. The look on Shellys face was priceless lmao..She just sit there mouth open wide with the piece of soaked mazuri on her tongue like what the heck was that. Needless to say she spit it out.. so i will keep trying..

(3) Sulcata Tortoises - Spunky, Shelly and Ms. Piggy.

 

[Irish]

She probably thought she got a bad Mazuri.

 

[parrotlady]

You might want to try a strawberry, it is working for my lepords.

 

[sissyofone]

Strawberries are their favorite treat. I will try that in the am...I hope it works..

(3) Sulcata Tortoises - Spunky, Shelly and Ms. Piggy.

 

[sibi]

Panacur is sour tasting; that's why they don't like the taste. So, you need to find something sweet to hid the med. I would put half the do e in a small strawberry, and repeat it with the other half dose.

 

[sissyofone]

Thats a great idea..Thanks Sibi. And that i will do in the am.

(3) Sulcata Tortoises - Spunky, Shelly and Ms. Piggy.

 

[Laura]

they are very small for their ages..
you wont see the eggs or worms unless you have a microscope or they are infested.
I usually don't like giving a med if it isn't necc. but It shouldn't hurt them. Strawberries worked for mine as well.
the one with bubbles.. don't let her get chilled.. otherwise.. watch her. eating is a good sign.

 

[AnnV]

I took my Star in for bubbly nose too (I panicked).
I dont know about you guys, but I dont have a bottomless pocketbook. The "exotic" tests were very pricy. $175 for a snot culture. $40 for a fecal. I think it was $70 for the exam. Anyway the whole bill was $320 for a tort I had just paid $640 for including shipping. Nearly a grand just 2 weeks into my venture with this guy, with a side order of sleepless nights!
Anyway, my vet wasn't going to push for the fecal, but he made it right there in the office so I asked her to run it.
She wanted me to deworm him regardless, stating that things dont always show up in fecals, and she believes all torts should be wormed at least once a year. I think she was also thinking that the stress of moving and now with slight upper respiratory distress, any internal parasites could suddenly bloom.
She gave me one dose of Panacur and one dose of metronizadole (flagelle). He did have a couple of protazoan parasites. No worms.
I put the wormers in his favorite foods. Tomatoes did the trick for us.
Ann from CT

 

[sissyofone]

They werent getting a good diet before i got them and was never soaked. Im very upset because the vet didnt even do anything other than weigh them. The whole point of me taking them was because Shelly was blowing nose bubbles. And now im afraid im starting to hear weird breathing noises coming from her. On another note, Shes still eating great....Im still hoping for the best.


(3) Sulcata Tortoises - Spunky, Shelly and Ms. Piggy.

 

[Sulcata_Sandy]

Don't be scared. We are here for you.

I'm a licensed veterinary technician, and it's my job to educate clients about procedures and treatments.

Panacur (Fenbendazole) is a very safe broad spectrum dewormer.
The DVM did you a favor and saved you money by not needlessly testing a fecal sample.

So, here is my rant about fecal testing (in general, as there are some case specific exceptions):

First and foremost, there is no such thing as a negative fecal test. Too many variables, such as poor collection from owner, poor sample handling, didn't centrifuge enough, missed a field on the microscope, didn't use enough flotation medium, animal not shedding parasites that moment fecal material passed thru bowel.

So I can run a fecal, and see ova, and chart "ascarids seen", or "1-2 roundworm eggs seen per high powered field"...etc etc.
But if I scan the slide, and I see no ova, I chart "no ova or parasites seen".

Then you get charged whatever the hospital lab fee is...be it $15 to $40.

Or, the DVM can determine the risk and exposure (like a tortoise that spends a lot of time outdoors grazing, and is VERY likely to have injected a parasite egg on a blade of grass or a leaf) and choose to spend your money on intelligently deworming your beloved pet.

Internal parasites can cause a number of symptoms...slowed growth, underweight, lethargy, etc. There is no harm in deworming once or twice a year to be safe.

I strongly recommend going ahead and administering the Panacur. Mine hate it, so I gently hold their heads, pull open the mouth, push the syringe halfway in then pushing the plunger. Easy as pie (except on Sulcata...he is difficult).

I hope this his helpful.
Sounds like your DVM is knowledgeable and cares. I do wish you had been better educated about your visit and why he chose to Rx a dewormer and not do a fecal flotation test.
But no worries. You are in very good hands.