update on Shiao-Heh & question about Mazuri, cypress substrate vs. worms

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taurusgi

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hello! I have some update on the "running poop" post last month.

I went see the vet and they said they found worms in Shiao-Heh's running poop sample. They asked me to give Shiao-Heh antibiotics shots everyday for 10 days, and also because Shiao-Heh was living with Panda George, even though Panda George didn't have running poop, they both had to take the oral de-worming treatment twice.

The shots were very scary!! I only did it once and I just couldn't do it anymore... I can tell Shiao-heh was freaking out (she was peeing a lot) when I was struggling with the needles.. Luckily my boyfriend didn't mind to do it for me. Probably he is not attached to my babies as much as I am! The treatments and the stool tests are not cheap either. I had to separate them for a while just so that Panda George would not get further infection. They are both doing good now! :) I just hope that they are not gonna get sick again for the rest of their lives!! (I can't imagine how I'm ever gonna have kids if one sick tortoise is worrying me to death.... :p)

uhhh.. sorry.... back to the topic. So I'm wondering if Mazuri or cypress substrate could cause the worm issue? My ladies are never outside, and I always double wash their organic vegies, so I don't understand how Shiao-Heh got the worms? (I have Shiao-Heh for a year already, and Panda George for 6 months). The only thing I can think of is I got new cypress substrate about a month before Shiao-Heh started having running poop. That was also about the same time I started feeding them Mazuri.

Anybody have experience or some kind of explanation how indoor tortoises got worms? I'm trying to prevent the same thing happens again... thank you!! :tort:
 

dmarcus

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I don't know but I would be more suspect of the substrate than the Mazuri. Where did you purchase both of them from if you don't mind answering...
 

taurusgi

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Thank you both for the replies! I need more ideas about preventing this from happening again. It's not fun to put the needles in my baby and paying for the bills... :p


I got both of the cypress substrate and Mazuri from Taylor. I didn't want to mention it in my original post because I didn't want people to think that I'm blaming him. I got cypress from Taylor several times before and they were fine. Taylor and his wife are both very nice and willing to help all the time. Is it possible that the worms got into the Mazuri? The Mazuri I got from Taylor wasn't in the original package. I wonder if Taylor bought the bulk and just distribute them into smaller containers for sale, and that's when the worms got in?

The nurse at the vet told me I should put the Mazuri in the freezer for a while to kill the possible worms in it. How about the cypress? Has anyone tried to cook it in the oven before using it? :p

I thought about maybe they already had worms before I got them. But it seems odd that Shiao-Heh was the one who had running poop, and I had her for a year already. If one of them had it already, shouldn't Panda George show the symptom first, since I only have her for 6 months? ahhhhhh......~~~ I wish there is a way I can figure it out!! :(
 
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