Fecal Test Results

[cushcameleon]

I finally got my fecal test results and sadly my male verru has tested positive for physaloptera. I talked with my veterinarian for about 15 minutes about the whole issue. Unfortunately she is out of town and will not be able to prescribe medicine, so I am being sent to one of her colleges instead. Wish me luck. Any information you have on this parasite would be appreciated, sadly I was not given much good news.

 

[Warrix642]

Do you have any idea how it got that? Was it wc or cb? How long have you had it?

 

[cushcameleon]

Do you have any idea how it got that? Was it wc or cb? How long have you had it?

He is WC and I have had him for two weeks.

 

[Warrix642]

Sorry to hear that hope you can cure him soon.

 

[Ryan Jarosek]

I believe you can treat physaloptera with Fenbendazole (Panacur). What bad news were you given? Mind sharing?

Also you do not need a prescription for Panacur you can get even at LLL, Horse Feed Store, lots of places.

 

[cushcameleon]

I believe you can treat physaloptera with Fenbendazole (Panacur). What bad news were you given? Mind sharing?

Also you do not need a prescription for Panacur you can get even at LLL, Horse Feed Store, lots of places.

The bad news was that he has parasites and the vet talked with me about using Panacur. Does anyone know the lethality of this parasite?

 

[laurie]

I have used Panacur for years, on bearded dragons and chameleons. Just use VERY little amonunts. I haven't used it in a while and the chams are asleep but I can check tomorrow. I beleive it is 7 days on 3 weeks off the another 7days on. Dave Weldon will know off the top of his helpful head. I would PM him.

 

[Ryan Jarosek]

I treat with Panacur ... One Drop by mouth , every two weeks for 3-5 treatments.

Thats what Dr. Greek has me do.

 

[ciafardo 4]

I have used Panacur for years, on bearded dragons and chameleons. Just use VERY little amonunts. I haven't used it in a while and the chams are asleep but I can check tomorrow. I beleive it is 7 days on 3 weeks off the another 7days on. Dave Weldon will know off the top of his helpful head. I would PM him.

YES! Dave is a parasite geek ! And i mean that as a compliment ,i have learned alot reading his threads!

 

[laurie]

YES! Dave is a parasite geek ! And i mean that as a compliment ,i have learned alot reading his threads!

Thanks guys, I still have my instructions from Dr. Greek ( boy I miss him) but really didn't want to dig tonight.

 

[ChameleonAyer]

Our WCs were prescribed panacure, the dosage was based off the weight of the chameleon.

 

[philanddeb818]

I found this, it's written about canine and feline health, however I do find the information important. Also good to be aware of our feeders being potential hosts. Hope this is helpful.


http://www.merckvetmanual.com/mvm/index.jsp?cfile=htm/bc/23502.htm

 

[Dave Weldon]

Howdy Cushchameleon,

There doesn't seem to much linkage specifically between physaloptera (a type of nematode [a worm]) and chameleons. One reference talked about Jackson's picking them up in Hawaii and not in Africa. So maybe it is a possibility of it not really being physaloptera but "just some misc. nematode". Either way, as was mentioned, Panacur is likely to take care of it. The upside of Panacur is it is well-tolerated and has a comfortable margin for error. There are many dosages discussed in various sources. An easy dosage to follow is 1cc of Panacur per kilogram of chameleon weight delivered once and again 2 weeks later. Another regiment is 1cc/kg a day for 3 days in a row and repeat again in 2 weeks. One danger with Panacur, as well as most parasite drugs, is that if too many parasites are killed at once, a "toxic shock" situation can occur, especially if they are deeply embedded in the tissue .

 

[cushcameleon]

I found this, it's written about canine and feline health, however I do find the information important. Also good to be aware of our feeders being potential hosts. Hope this is helpful.
http://www.merckvetmanual.com/mvm/index.jsp?cfile=htm/bc/23502.htm

Thank you for this link. It suggested that serious cases of this parasite lead to anemia, weightloss and loss of appetite. Unfortunately, my verru seems to be exhibiting all those traits (except for maybe the anemia). Based off of the posts some of you have left, it seems that Panacur is effective. But if it for some reason it does not work, perhaps I will go a step further by getting a blood test to check anemia.

Howdy Cushchameleon,
There doesn't seem to much linkage specifically between physaloptera (a type of nematode [a worm]) and chameleons. One reference talked about Jackson's picking them up in Hawaii and not in Africa. So maybe it is a possibility of it not really being physaloptera but "just some misc. nematode". Either way, as was mentioned, Panacur is likely to take care of it. The upside of Panacur is it is well-tolerated and has a comfortable margin for error. There are many dosages discussed in various sources. An easy dosage to follow is 1cc of Panacur per kilogram of chameleon weight delivered once and again 2 weeks later. Another regiment is 1cc/kg a day for 3 days in a row and repeat again in 2 weeks. One danger with Panacur, as well as most parasite drugs, is that if too many parasites are killed at once, a "toxic shock" situation can occur, especially if they are deeply embedded in the tissue .

I mailed you a fecal; there was no way I could possibly refuse your offer to check it. Hopefully it is still workable by the time it gets there. I know this worm is similar to roundworm, so it is possible that it was mistaken. However, the vet seemed confident in the results of the fecal test. She also was familiar with the parasite and explained to me how the chameleon would have come across it in the wild. What are the symptoms of "toxic shock" and what should I do if the chameleon begins to suffer from it?

 

[Dave Weldon]

...What are the symptoms of "toxic shock" and what should I do if the chameleon begins to suffer from it?

Howdy,

Basically, chameleons can end-up getting "poisoned" by the toxins released from the rotting, dead worms (usually an excessive quantity of worms dying all at once) trapped in the tissue, if there are any actually embedded. The ideal situation is that the killed worms are in the digestive tract and are expelled with other waste.

 

[cushcameleon]

Howdy,

Basically, chameleons can end-up getting "poisoned" by the toxins released from the rotting, dead worms (usually an excessive quantity of worms dying all at once) trapped in the tissue, if there are any actually embedded. The ideal situation is that the killed worms are in the digestive tract and are expelled with other waste.

So if the panacur works, I will see dead worms in his stools? Is there anything I can do to save the chameleon if he becomes a victim of "toxic shock"?

 

[Dave Weldon]

Howdy,

There is a chnce that you might see dead worms in his fecal material, but more often they seem to get broken-down before being expelled. As far as toxic shock treatment, I really don't know what to do other than "supportive care" like hydration etc. Your vet might know a way to deal with it more effectively. You'll know that the Panacur was successful when there are no more signs of nematode egg production in fecal samples. You've got a really good chance of this going very smoothly with no side effects.

 

[cushcameleon]

You've got a really good chance of this going very smoothly with no side effects.

Terrific . I start the Panacur treatments today.

 

[Vampire.queen]

I hope your darling will recover soon! My verru is crossing his eyes for you guys

 

[cushcameleon]

How do I handle the cage while he is on treatment? Should I be cleaning it everyday? What do I do with the live plants, since the soil is most likely contaminated?