Taking Ryker into the Vet

[Andee]

Ryker's been worrying me lately, I am afraid he got a heavier parasite load than is normal because of some crickets. He's been eating on a pretty regular basis and yet instead of staying a normal weight or gaining he is losing. There is also the issue with what I am pretty sure is a stuck shed in his eye. Which no matter how many showers I give him or how many times I rinse it, I can not get it back to where it needs to be. *sighs in resignation* Either way we are making an appointment tomorrow and seeing what can be done to help him... Is there any other way to check for parasites other than a fecal? Or if he doesn't poop the between now and the appointment is there a way for my vet to get fecal matter out?

 

[Extensionofgreen]

They can do a cloaca swab, but fresh poo is best. You can store one in moist paper towel and in a plastic bag, in the fridge for a day or 2.

 

[Andee]

Hopefully he goes then between now and then, I am just worried, I don't want him to give out on me. He's my baby.

 

[Extensionofgreen]

Understood. The shed in the eye could be another issue. Are you supplementing with preformed A? The CBB melleri, from Kristina Francis showed eye problems, including the appearance of a cream colored, cheesy secretion, like shed or what we call eye boogies, due to not being supplemented with A. Not all recovered and not all suffered, but healthy CBB started on Vit A never had an issue. The vet was unable to diagnose or resolve this issue, in that case.

 

[Andee]

He was being supplemented with preformed for the first 2 years of his life, I just recently took him off, probably in the last 5 months or so because of my Jackson who is super sensitive to vitamin A supplementation.However I do not know if she is still like this, she came to me with severe MBD, so bad that her front forelimbs will forever have a bend in them half way up. When she was recovering and still really bad she seemed super sensitive to any sort of vitamin supplementation, however now she is less sensitive to vitamin D3 so maybe now she will be less sensitive to vitamin A and I should test it?

 

[Extensionofgreen]

I can't say. I'd imagine a problem would take a bit longer to develop, but it may be worth it to consult a vet or reptile nutritionist, from the forums and see if there's a way you can introduce smaller amounts, than given my many vitamin dust. For example, you may be able to dilute a multivitamin product by mixing in a certain amount of calcium, so that a smaller amount of vitamins is given, when prey is dusted or they may recommend a human vitamin source and a way to administer smaller dosages from it.

 

[Andee]

So as an update. Ryker got treated for parasites today, got his eyes flushed, and got a combination d3 and vitamin a shot. The vet noticed some early signs of what could be mbd though she's not sure and I am unsure of why that would be. His light does need to be replaced but it's only been a month, i am just waiting on my next check... and I dust every feeder. My bugs are raised on a good diet... idk either way he's on liquid calcium for a bit until we are sure he's out of harms way.