Loosing weight on Panacure?

[samstar]

My tort has worm eggs, not many but just a little so she is on Panacure which works but she has also loss weight from 110 grams down to 90 grams in a matter of 4-6 weeks.
She is active and eating well but does Panacure make them loose weight?

 

[bettinge]

I'm not sure the answer, but a 18% weight drop in weeks would concern me!

 

[samstar]

I'm not sure the answer, but a 18% weight drop in weeks would concern me!

Took her to the vet today due to some injury which is ok now and she said that it is normal for them to loose weight when on Panacure BUT if she keeps dropping than to bring her back to the vet. the funny thing is that she is active, eating well and her feces only showed worm eggs which has much been reduced.

 

[tortoisenerd]

That med upsets the tummy, causing them not to want to eat. Also, pooping out the worms&eggs can cause weight loss. I agree with the vet to keep a very close eye on it (I would offer as much food as the tort wants and weigh weekly under the same circumstance, such as after a soak and poop or whatever). Most of the time parasites have to get severe before the tort shows symptoms. You want to treat them once they are moderate (only keeping an eye on a mild case), thus why I believe in fecal tests even for torts not showing symptoms. Best wishes.

 

[biglove4bigtorts]

I never experienced weight loss in chameleons, except when parasite loads were very high (wild caught imports), but it is much easier to keep weight on a carnivore/insectivore. I would keep the tort warmer by a few degrees and soak it daily for 5mins or so to make sure it is staying well hydrated. You did not mention what type of tort you had, but if it is a species from an arid region, make sure the tortoise drys out, after the soak, so you don't end up with further problems. I would also place the tort in a ''sterile'' cage, just basking lights and UVB on papertowels or newsprint. This allows you to monitor stools and remove them, so that the tort isn't rexposed to worm eggs, during and after treatment. Certainly the full time cage should have the substrate replaced and the container wiped down with bleach or chlorahexadine, rinsed, and let dry. If outdoors, this is not possible, but try to keep stool from accumulating in the enclosure. I think, if you house your tort indoors in the winter, turning the soil and covering with plastic to allow the sun to heat the soil wouldn't hurt. Good luck and hop your tortoise recovers without any further complications.

 

[samstar]

Checked her weight today and it's back up to 100 grams. Also I did add a bit of yoghurt in her food mixed with Mazuri, salad mix and she finished most of it up. Also soaked her for a good 10-15 minutes in luke warm water which I will be doing for the next few weeks, she also drank a bit of the water.

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I never experienced weight loss in chameleons, except when parasite loads were very high (wild caught imports), but it is much easier to keep weight on a carnivore/insectivore. I would keep the tort warmer by a few degrees and soak it daily for 5mins or so to make sure it is staying well hydrated. You did not mention what type of tort you had, but if it is a species from an arid region, make sure the tortoise drys out, after the soak, so you don't end up with further problems. I would also place the tort in a ''sterile'' cage, just basking lights and UVB on papertowels or newsprint. This allows you to monitor stools and remove them, so that the tort isn't rexposed to worm eggs, during and after treatment. Certainly the full time cage should have the substrate replaced and the container wiped down with bleach or chlorahexadine, rinsed, and let dry. If outdoors, this is not possible, but try to keep stool from accumulating in the enclosure. I think, if you house your tort indoors in the winter, turning the soil and covering with plastic to allow the sun to heat the soil wouldn't hurt. Good luck and hop your tortoise recovers without any further complications.

She's a beautiful shining Star and the weather where I live is warm 24/7.

 

[JourneyTort]

Checked her weight today and it's back up to 100 grams. Also I did add a bit of yoghurt in her food mixed with Mazuri, salad mix and she finished most of it up. Also soaked her for a good 10-15 minutes in luke warm water which I will be doing for the next few weeks, she also drank a bit of the water.

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She's a beautiful shining Star and the weather where I live is warm 24/7.
[/quote]

Why would you give your Star yoghurt? They don't get dairy products in the wild? I have never heard of this before and can't imagine it being beneficial to a tort? I have given yoghurt to a dog before but dogs get dairy/milk from their mothers. Would you have given your tort this for the same reasons?

 

[samstar]

Checked her weight today and it's back up to 100 grams. Also I did add a bit of yoghurt in her food mixed with Mazuri, salad mix and she finished most of it up. Also soaked her for a good 10-15 minutes in luke warm water which I will be doing for the next few weeks, she also drank a bit of the water.

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She's a beautiful shining Star and the weather where I live is warm 24/7.

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Why would you give your Star yoghurt? They don't get dairy products in the wild? I have never heard of this before and can't imagine it being beneficial to a tort? I have given yoghurt to a dog before but dogs get dairy/milk from their mothers. Would you have given your tort this for the same reasons?
[/quote]

Marcus Langford a very reputable or probably one of the best Star Tortoise breeders told me to add a little youghurt in her diet to build up her good bacteria in her gut since she has lost quote a bit of weight due to the worms and panacure. No harm done.
http://www.startortoiseuk.co.uk/
Also I got a reply from a forum member in Shelled Warriors forum:
Panacur has the side effect of killing good gut bacteria and to build it up with yoghurt.

 

[biglove4bigtorts]

A better option would be some of the probiotics actually designed for reptiles. Yogurt can cause issues from the fats, sugars, proteins, and the fact that it has minimally active benificial bacteria for reptiles. I don't think we are talking life and death, but lactose intolerance in tortoises would not be suprising and that can cause bloating, loose stools, and general discomfort.

 

[tortoisenerd]

Agreed that if you choose, feed probiotics (even the Total Nutrition for Tortoises supplement from Carolina Pet Supply), but please not yogurt! Glad to hear she gained weight. Best wishes.

 

[samstar]

Agree with you'll but I was told to give ghe yoghurt for just 2-3 days. Will 2-3 days do so much damage?

 

[samstar]

just an update, I weighed her today and she's 110 grams! Back to what she was when I first brought her home. Also stopped giving her yoghurt, she is eating well but only very active which is a good thing. She eats, drinks, soaks all well. Now i only got to make sure no more worms.