A trip to the vets

[davidoneill]

Hi all as some of you might remember I put up a post about 1 of my new 7 month old horsfields (stanley) not being very active and not eating much at all . Well I checked his weight a couple of days ago and he had lost 2g since the last time I checked, mable had stayed the same. I took them both to the vet's yesterday as I was concerned and he said they both look extremely healthy bright eyed and very well hydrated. He has asked me to get a poo sample from them to check for parasites as Stanley is definitely not 100%. Hopefully that will be the cause of his problems
Thanks
Dave

[Ozric Jonathan]

Let us know how you get on Dave. The 2g fall in weight is a really small amount and maybe doesn't mean anything at all but if you noticed a change in Stanley then perhaps there is something. Worms in tortoises are extremely common and easily treated. If your vet finds one of the common worm species in Stanley's poo then a treatment for worms will most likely be recommended.

[emma_mcraf]

Hi Dave. Sorry to hear Stanley isn't feeling too great. As Jonathan says, worms are common and can cause a loss of appetite and lethargy. Panacur is a popular worming treatment and works very well. If worms are the cause, you should see a change in Stanley within a couple of treatments.
Let us know how things go.

[davidoneill]

I will let you know how I get on. The problem is waiting for Stan to do his business by the amount he eats I think I may be in for a bit of a wait 😉

[emma_mcraf]

You could increase his baths. I'm fortunate that mine tend to do their toileting in their baths and when I've had the need to do a worm test I tend to add in an extra bath at the end of the day and it often does the trick. This also helps if they appear constipated. I'm sure his digestive system will soon get there and he'll produce a sample for you.
I'm not sure how much you're paying your vet for the test but for future reference, a lot of us use wormcount http://wormcount.com/exotic-animals/ for tests. They are excellent and usually email the results within 24 hours of receiving the sample.

[davidoneill]

Brill will try giving him an extra bath to see if that does the trick. I did look at that site but thought it would be a good idea to get the 1st 1 done at the vet's so they could have a check up at the same time. My vet is the same one that looks after the torts at Paignton zoo so I am sure that comes with a few extra £££ lol

[emma_mcraf]

Originally Posted by davidoneill

Brill will try giving him an extra bath to see if that does the trick. I did look at that site but thought it would be a good idea to get the 1st 1 done at the vet's so they could have a check up at the same time. My vet is the same one that looks after the torts at Paignton zoo so I am sure that comes with a few extra £££ lol

Ah....is that Quarry House?

[davidoneill]

Yes that's the one. I do have a vet's closer but they haven't really got a specialist
Dave

[emma_mcraf]

I'm not sure where you are but Marcus Langley at Quarry House sounds ok. Silverton Vets has an exotic specialist called Ian Sayers. My son is training to be a veterinary nurse and has spoken to both regarding reptiles. Also Cranbrook vets in Exeter has a specialist exotic ward.
It's interesting how much prices vary when you ring around for quotes!

[davidoneill]

Yeah I didn't call round many I just heard good thing's about quarry vet's so went with them.
Dave