What de-worming medication and where?

[Philip Tyrrell]

My 5 year old popped out this live worm today while she was being bathed and her enclosure refreshed.

She's only about 5 to 6 inches herself and this thing is about 3 inches.

She hasn't' been off in any way. Eating normally and active as she normally would be.

I assume since this thing was alive coming out I should treat her for them.

That being said, can you buy the medication on line or over the counter or do you have to visit a vet?

What is the medication called?

I'm in Ireland by the way.

 

[Tom]

The first step is to go to the vet and get the worm identified. They should check a fecal sample too. Sometimes there is more than one kind. Once the worm is ID'd and the tortoise weighed, the vet will know which medicine to treat with, and how much.

 

[Philip Tyrrell]

So I have to convince Shelby to drink liquid from a syringe.
0.5ml today and 0.25ml for the next 4 days.

Anyone any tips on how to get her to take it for me?

 

[no one]

While she is eating and she takes a bite you can put the syringe in her mouth and push the medicine in.

 

[Markw84]

The easiest way is to put the medication in a softened pellet of Mazuri tortoise food. Hopefully you have introduced, and your tortoise already loves Mazuri. If you add just enough water to soften a pellet of Mazuri, you can then drop the medication on the pellet and it will soak in entirely. I Soak my tortoises for at least 30 minutes in nice warm (95°) water. After their soak, they are used to eating. Mine are so adjusted to this routine, they will even eagerly eat in the empty soaking tub. This allows me to put that piece of Mazuri on a grape leaf, or dandelion. I then can watch and be sure they eat the whole dose.

 

[Philip Tyrrell]

Thanks.

I'll try both methods.

 

[no one]

While my little Sterretje ate his medicine with a leaf right out of my hand. Indu on the other hand smells the medicine on the food, turns around and is literally running away. So the syringe while eating worked for him.

Let us know how it went. Good luck...

 

[Philip Tyrrell]

So I tried soaking it in to a couple of pieces of pellets but even with them damp it wouldn't soak in properly and I'd have had to use 20 pieces to get it all in to her unfortunately.
Got it in buy feeding her the pellet pieces and picking her up just as she took it then putting the syringe in her mouth when she opened to swallow it. Took 3 attempts to get the timing right but got it all in eventually.

Thanks for the advice all. Just 4 more times to go.

 

[no one]

Good for you. It will get easier.