Pinworms, Help!

Randers88

Established Member
Hello Everyone, Rob here. After a few days of scrubbing/deep cleaning, I've come to you for help. After six months of almost endless eating, my ten month old Male Panther Chameleon appetite dropped to essentially none existent in the matter of a few days, last week. The girlfriend took him to a vet listed on the ARAV website that had great reviews. She said that he seemed to ask all of the right questions and even ones she wasn't expecting. Knowing that she would be taking him to the doctor that morning, I asked her to get a fecal sample for him and our female panther as well just to check in on her too. The females results came back fine but unfortunately my male tested positive for pinworms. The doctor told my girlfriend that the levels were extremely low and was nothing to be alarmed about as long as he stayed healthy otherwise. Although his appetite still isn't what it was, I have slowly got him back on track with Silkworms and the occasional hornedworm. The vet told her that he wouldn't need any medication because the amount of pinworms found in the sample were so low that he didn't think it warranted any. He told her that our husbandry sounded like we had it under control as well.

I have deep cleaned / Sanitized everything in his cage, my female's cage, and scrubbed down all of my cricket bins / roach containers / worm containers as well.

The chameleons share no supplies aside from a cup that is used to dump feeders into each's own feeder cups inside their cages.

I'm doing my very best to keep each cage sanitary , doing a cleaning each day once I return home from work.


I'm just wondering if I should get a second opinion regarding Zeppelin not getting any medication?????

I have been reading "Understanding Reptile Parasites" in order to educate myself, and I went ahead and bought a microscope to begin looking over fecal samples in attempt to keep an eye on the levels of parasites.

Husbandry Information is as Follows:
Zeppelin, Ten Months Old, Male Ambilobe Panther, 105 Grams
Lighting = 12 hrs on / 12 hrs off
Basking: 75 watt Basking Bulb, Basking Temp: 87*
UV: Arcadia 24" 7% T5 HO
Temps Hi/Low: Basking = 87*, Lowest: 76*
Humidity:
Day time = 69%
Humidifier = On Timer in two - Three Hours Increments at night when lights are off
Plants: Schefflera Arboricola and Golden Pothos
Diet: Feeding every other day = Crickets gut loaded with Bug Burger / Collar Greens / Carrots
Occassional Horned worms ( Gutloaded with Repashy Horned Worm Food)
Green Banana Roaches: He will rarely eat these but they're gut loaded with Bug Burger and apple slices (My Female Panther loves these)
Silk Worms: Starting to feed daily as these are what he will really only eat currently.
Handling: Every other day, he gets a few hours of free roam time in the living room on a few trees with some vines that we ran for him (I have sanitized the vines, ripped the trees out of their pots, soaked them in StarSan then washed them out and repotted them after sanitizing the pots as well. I'm not playing around here. )
Supplements: Repashy Calcium NoD 2x a week, Repashy Calcium LoD 2x a week.
Stools: Generally pretty standard, somewhat moist, brown with white urate with tanish hint to it. Usually solid but not runny.
**** Yesterday he did pass a rather large stool that was very runny, kind of milky in color, it looked somewhat thick that had his usual brown feces with white urate as well. He dragged his back-end on one of his vines for a short period to wipe himself off... honestly he seemed quite relieved after this (Who am I to say that this is true or not but judging by it, I'd say I would be if it were me).
Water: Mistking - runs on four three minute increments throughout the day.

He's always been very mild mannered and only snippy when awoken from his favorite tree to be put back into his cage. He's remained docile and mild mannered throughout all of this.

We've had him since he was three months old and has always been handled often.

QUESTION:
Should I get a second opinion? Is there a special supplement that you would recommend to help? I just want to know what I need to do to keep my boy healthy.

I appreciate any help any of you would be willing to provide.
Rob
 
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You are an a++ keeper, never had experience with parasites, but would like to thank you for caring!!
 
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