Tallula's Vet Visit Today !

[Madortoise]

I'm glad Tallula is doing well now.
Penelope didn't go #2 before the last (and her first) heatlhy-tort VET visit so we couldn't do the fecal test.
This post got me thinking...
Do you all think it's important to get fecal test done before they go to hybernate?
I am thinking that because then if the worms/eggs can be found/taken care of and do not have chance to occupy tort's intestine for such long time? That seems like it would impact the tort really badly, if s/he held on to them for so long. Parasites do not go dormant when the hosts go to sleep, I'm sure.

 

[Stazz]

Mado, I would think, naturally it would be bad if they had worms when the tort hibernates, as wouldn't the wormy feast on whatever is left there? Hmmmm interesting question. Tallula doesn't hibernate, so I wouldn't know, but its still interesting !!!!

Thanks Robs You know it !!! These wormies will be gone before you can say Jack Robinson !!!!! Not allowed in my house haha I sure hope I don't see adult worms.

 

[Crazy1]

Mado, a DT tummy should be empty when they go into hibernation. What they feed on is fat stored in their systems. And it is close to hibernation time now that I am questioning whether you would want to go another 4 to 6 weeks keeping Penelope awake to empty out her system??? Others I am sure may have different thoughts. My boys are already down. At least for now if the weather holds. When they come out of hibernation I will deworm them then.
Oh and you can always take a fresh poo to the vet you should not need to take her in for a fecal test.

 

[Shelly]

I am curious what the Vet's examination consisted of, other than weighing and visually inspecting the animal.......

 

[tortoisenerd]

Mine looked Trevor over and commented on his various aspects of his health and body. Listened to his heart beat. Took his temperature. Took records of various things. Actually didn't weigh him! I sent over the record I keep of his weight and SCL to add to his chart. They asked about my husbandry and commented on it. We actually discussed tortoises for about an hour my first visit and I found it very helpful. I think it's important to go once for the checkup plus get regular fecal visits. I go a step further and plan to take Trevor in yearly. Time for his second regular visit soon. What a vet check up entails really varies. I think the less experienced the vet, the less they will do.

 

[Stazz]

Yep, our vet did the same as Kate's vet, but they did weigh Tallula. She is all round healthy girl apart from her wormies ! Kate, I'm glad to know my vet has some experience !!!! Yeah, they discussed thing like, how good her 'skin' looks, how nice an smooth her shell is, how nice and hard her shell is, and the fact that she feels heavy and not light. The vet did tell me she still isn't sure how to tell ages and types, so I helped her out a bit. She doesn't see many tortoises, which worried me, but I know she's a good vet for Tallula, there just obviously aren't many people that take their torts!

 

[Madortoise]

Shelly,
My vet did pretty much what the two ladies mentioned above. Weighed her, checked her mouth, her nose, asked about my husbandry, commented on shell being softer than wild ones and recommendations to ameliorate it, and he clipped (or grounded her nails). Took a swab of excretion from her butt b/c we didn't have a poo sample and examined it under the telescope; found nothing. He was efficient but very attentive; the whole visit was about 40 min. max.

Robyn,
Thanks for reminding that her tummy s/b empty. This will be the first year we are going to allow her to hibernate. She was in/out last year b/c of the terrarium set up in the heated house. It sounds like a good idea to run a sample to a local vet before she goes out.

 

[K9KidsLove]

Hi...my vet (I was his tech for 8 years til I had to quit) uses Panacur, but doses it for once a week for 3 weeks, then does a retest. I have never seen any worms pass from any of my positive torts. Most have been positive when I aquired them. My most recent, a Redfoot I got 2 weeks ago was full of very large, very active protozoa, so he told me to dose her daily for 5 days then weekly until she is negative.
Are you sure the dose was for 100mg or was it 1.00mg?
We always recommend tortoise/turtle owners do a fecal before hibernating. Otherwise the parasites have a field day reproducing, and can cause death.
You might want to just put down newpaper or paper toweling until she has a negative fecal. That way you can change it daily and wash down the enclosure with a 5% bleach solution followed by a Nolvasan solution.

Good luck
Patsy

 

[Stazz]

Thanks for that info Patsy ! Tallula will FREAK out at me if I change her substrate, she is so funny, she'll actually ignore me. Anyway, thats a good idea, I have to be strong for her to get better hehe. It was a 100ml dosage our vet gave her....I'm going to the vets this wknd to buy my own bottle of Panacur to administer myself for next week. Tallula just isn't having any luck right now, and I feel I'm a terrible mom.