Recurrent flagellate infection

[GotTort]

Anyone familiar with recurring flagellate infections? My 8 month RT hatchling was found to have a huge amount of flagellates in his stool about 3 months ago when he was tested for not popping and poor appetite. After a couple of courses of different antibiotics his flagellate counts returned to normal. he did great for 2 months: eating and active and popping like a champ. Last week he stopped eating again. A repeat fecal showed a high flagellate count and he is getting antibiotics again.

My question is why he keeps getting this. Vet says it is from exposure. From what I've read flagellates are a normal constituent of tortoise poop but if too many can cause problems. Some sources say diet too low in fiber and too hot am environment can cause. I thought there was enough fiber in diet. He may be too warm. His basking is 95, hot 85 and cool mid 70s. I live in Phoenix so nighttime doesn't drop below low 70s (vet had said this was ok). I try to keep him moist but the little bugger avoids moist areas of substrate and never uses a humid hide. I soak him 20 min daily and he occasionally will drink from his water dish.

I suspect it is diet and heat rather than exposure that is causing his recurrent flagellate issues. He is captive bred and breeder says he's never had trouble with flagellates. My tort is not exposed to other torts or other animals.

I'm Thinking that to avoid further problems I should cool his enclosure at night and make extra sure he is getting fiber and moisture?


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[sibi]

Sorry to hear of this problem with your tort. I'll let someone more knowledgeable about this chime in. Hope you can find a resolution soon.

 

[ascott]

After you began the treatment, how often did you remove the substrate as well as disinfect all items in the enclosure? If your tort had a heavy gut load of the ick then a second treatment is not unusual...HOWEVER...if you treat too often then the gut can get void of the good bacterium which then leaves the tort vulnerable to easy reinfection and bloom of the bad levels....

I would be dutiful in having the minimal amount of substrate in the enclosure and I would every day remove that at the end of the day and replace with new minor layer--and do this for the entire treatment--being diligent on spot cleaning ALOT in addition to the high volume of substrate removal...you can do the change of the substrate when you have the tort out in a warm water soak...

I would also feed the tort items that help/promote movement of his bowels so that the ick gets moved out a bit quicker....

You can also check with your vet to find out what he thinks about you finding a tort of same species that is healthy and producing good poop and it being tested to assure healthy then offering up some of the poo to your tort after worming meds...this will help your tort to acquire the benefits of the good poop and all its good properties to help build back up your torts system...

 

[BeeBee*BeeLeaves]

Wondering, can they get the needed good bacteria to fight this with probiotics, or even yogurt? Would that help? Are probiotics that we take, something that tortoises can also benefit from if we mix it into, say, their Mazuri? GotTort, let's see what people think about this ...

 

[GotTort]

Thanks for the responses. While he was being treated for the first infection I kept him on newspapers which I changed daily. Interested on thoughts on probiotics.



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[ascott]

A clean tested feces from the same species of tort is going to be the best natural organic probiotic around

 

[Pokeymeg]

You could try TNT powder with probiotics from Carolina pet supply

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[BeeBee*BeeLeaves]

Does anyone know, does plain yogurt or kefir work? Are the probiotics in run to store and get it now people food sympathetic with our little friends?

Thanks for the tip about TNT, Pokeymeg. Just wondering if there is an around the corner now remedy, too. : )

 

[Tom]

Does anyone know, does plain yogurt or kefir work? Are the probiotics in run to store and get it now people food sympathetic with our little friends?

Thanks for the tip about TNT, Pokeymeg. Just wondering if there is an around the corner now remedy, too. : )

I don't know whether this "works" or not. However, I would not want to feed dairy products to a tortoise.

 

[BeeBee*BeeLeaves]

Oh, yes, of course, the dairy part. Duh. Good point. Thanks Tom.