Deworming Mellers

[Joy Leaf]

After taking Joy to the vet, the fecal came back as her having roundworms (ascardis) we were given Fenbendazole for treatment. BUT I want to make sure we have the proper dose. Joy weighs 260 grams and we were given a cream/paste in small oral syringe. In all reality Im not sure how to read this particular syringe, so I added a couple pics to see if you guys could help me out. Also, whats going to be the easiest way to administer this? She doesnt seem big on wanting to open up her mouth. And shes not one to take on a defense display as shes really calm and walks up and onto us with no problems. Is there an easier way?

 

[toddmkeller]

Each syringe looks set up for one dose on a 260g animal. It looks like you have .26ml in each syringe which would be correct for a dose of 100mg/kg with the 10% Fenbendazol paste. I would give her the one dose, then the next 10 or so days later.

To give it to her you can either make her open her mouth (I grab behind the head firmly and they usually will open up) OR you can inject into a feeder if she hand feeds.

See ya,

Todd

 

[Joy Leaf]

Thanks Todd! Any tips on getting her to open up so we can give it to her?

 

[eisentrauti]

You must hold her behind the head, two fingers under the month and she will open it (and become angry)
Softer method: Try to give her water with the pipette and then the medicin

 

[Joy Leaf]

Hahah, I think I'll try the softer method first. Ill let everyone know how that goes

 

[Dave Weldon]

Howdy,

I was in agreement with what I read about the dosing and everything until it hit me that your nice photo showed a typical 3/10cc insulin syringe . 3/10cc is the same as 0.3ml which is just a little more than your prescribed 0.26ml dose. That dose should just about fill that syringe . As Todd noted 0.26ml for a 260 gram chameleon is the commonly prescribed dose for the typical strength (100mg/gram = 10%) Panacur that almost all of us use. I've dosed at that level with many chameleons and no issues.

Bottom-line is that I believe that you are dosing at 1/10 (0.026ml) the amount that you need. Check with your Vet to be sure. I got a nickel that says you'll see a red-faced vet .

(P.S. Just to be sure I wasn't seeing things, I dug through my reptile medicine case until I found a syringe exactly like yours .)

Syringe info: http://www.gorbzilla.com/files for download/syringe_basics.PDF

 

[summoner12]

I get HWs and fill a nice big fat worm up with panacur (to the right dose of course). The HW won't last long with the hole in it's side. I find that injecting almost parallel to the skin with the needle in kinda far (to keep the panacur from coming out of the hole you just made with the needle). You'll see the area around the needle turn white and you'll get green fluid oozing from the hole where the needle is.

To be sure you aren't going to waste a worm.... I tempt the chameleon first with the treat and gauge the interest. If a eager looking face and focused eyes is the response, I go for it.

Now if your cham likes roaches you can smear the dosage onto the underside of the roach. The chams I have that eat dubia, like me to hold the roach bottom up in the air. They see the legs moving and that entices them. it also ensure that the medication is going to make it to the mouth of the cham.

 

[Joy Leaf]

Dave, that's what I was thinking in regards to the syringe. But I'm am not a vet or Very medical beyond the claritin I take for my allergies . But the 3/10cc marking threw me off from syringes I am familiar with. I will take the syringe back up to the vet today and find out for sure with the info u sent me.

Joy opened right up for the syringe after she pushed it away the first time. She gave me a dirty look after I injected the meds so I gave her the biggest cricket I could find and she got over it.

 

[Joy Leaf]

OK, so after talking to my vet, come to find out they did not give me Febendazole (panacur) I was given Pyrantel (Strongid). So I need to do a little searching and find out if the dose pictured above is correct for my 260g Melleri.

 

[Pure]

Next time if she is fussy about opening her mouth. Mist her until she starts drinking. My guys close their eyes wile drinking so I just sneak up on them with the syringe and when they open up I squirt it in real fast. It's funny the look you get sometimes when they realize that was some funny tasting water.

 

[Carlton]

Joy sounds like a...well...a joy! Nice melleri are wonderful. My first wc female Mufindi was like this, so gentle and almost social. She had a free range bedroom but would roam the house and voluntarily climb up onto me, rest on my shoulder for a while roaring into my ear. I was always very flattered!

I just have to share my favorite story about her.

I had invited local friends with 2 teenage kids over for pizza and a movie I hadn't seen. Before they arrived I was cleaning up and Mufindi was basking in a south window. Then she strolled behind the fridge to a favorite spot on the condensor housing. It was warm there and she would often sit there quite a while. I forgot about her.

Guests arrived in a flurry and we sat down around the TV to watch the movie. The kids had brought one of the Jurassic Park sequels. During one of the more gory dino-human-feasting scenes Mufindi decided to stroll over to the couch and climb up the back. None of my guests had met her yet. I noticed her just as she reached out to grab the shirt collar of the boy. Before I could react, she touched him with her front foot. He whipped around, took one look at the 2-foot green and yellow goggle-eyed dinosaur staring at him from inches away, screamed, and leaped off the couch. Everyone else scattered, with Dad yelling "What the f*&$# is THAT!" I just bent over howling with laughter. Mufindi sat there calmly as if to say "what is your problem? It's MY couch!"

Apologies, introductions, and explanations followed.

 

[Joy Leaf]

So pyrantel (strongid) is ok for chams? I searched both terms here on the forum, and didnt find much at all about it.

^ Hahahahahahah great story!

 

[Dave Weldon]

Howdy,

Here's some mention of it for reptiles (Iguanas):
http://www.anapsid.org/resources/rxdose.html

Treating Strongyles:
Fenbendazole (Panacur) 50-100mg/kg PO rep q 2 wks
Thiabendazole 25mg/kg PO rep q 2 wks 2-3x
Pyrantel pamoate (Strongid-T) 25mg/kg PO sid 2-4 d

Note that that the dosage listed here is between 1/2 and 1/4 of Panacur so I'm not sure where your level of 1/10th the dose of Panacur came from. If your vet is good at treating exotics then go with it. The worst that might happen is that you don't clear the parasite.

There's also some info here that relates Panacur and Pyrantel regarding horses... http://www.lambriarvet.com/vet-deworm-chart.php

 

[Joy Leaf]

Came home from work this afternoon to find Joy had finally pooped since being given the strongid. There were atleast 6, 1"+ worms in and around the fecal. Poor girl, we're just glad its doing its thing. She ate about 7 nice size crickets though and had a nice little drink afterwards. Thanks again everyone for your help!

 

[CleaTheChameleon]

Glad to hear she is doing ok