Rebuilding after Parasites

[Chancla]

I’ve FINALLY gotten an all-clear after Neelix had to be treated for Coccidia and roundworm, and have time today to replace the current (very sad) hospital setup with a proper, bio-active, plant-populated/dragon-stranded enclosure.

This is my first Cham and all this came about within a couple of months of bringing him home.

I must admit though it was pretty painful though to have to throw out ALL the plants and cage items we had in there when we found out about the parasites…

My questions for y’all:

• Has anyone else struggled with rebuilding a full (esp. bio-active) enclosure after treating parasites?
• Are there setup methods/enclosure arrangements that could make the possibility of another scorched-earth disassembly less painful?
• Should I bother with a bio-active bottom?

Extra deets on my current supplies/intentions:

• I have a tree-bag bottom with bio dude soil ready
• I have isopods and spring tails I’ve been maintaining in a separate terrarium (we found out about the parasites within a day or two of getting them, so I’ve kept them in said separate enclosure)
• Dragon strands will be mounted today
• I’ll be mounting corrugated plastic on 3 sides to make the cage hybridized
• Neelix is at the vet today for a closer checkip
• I have plenty of absorbent pads I’ve been using to catch poo during the quarantine period, in case that could/should continue as a half-measure of some kind.

 

[DeremensisBlue]

Parasites are tenacious little buggers and so it is good to be cautious. I would suggest setting up your new cage and keeping a clear bottom for a little bit. Using the Dragon Ledges you can create a dense leafy area in the upper middle and have your perching sticks behind them so no poop hits the leaves (There is no way to make 100% sure he doesn't crawl on the plants, but you can decrease the odds.)
When you say you got the all-clear, how may fecal checks was that after? We generally want three negatives. If it was only after one then get two more on a bare bottom cage before you start filling out the bioactive elements.
After that you can do parasite preventative hygiene. That means that poop is cleaned up immediately upon deposit and the area disinfected. And it means that food is strictly monitored so there is no chance that it can jump and land on the bottom of the cage. By removing the infectious material (in the poop) and breaking the pathway back to the mouth (by monitoring the food) even if parasites are still lingering they will not be able to complete their lifecycle. If you keep that up just as a natural day-to-day practice even if you are unaware of parasites you will stop them from sneaking back in.

 

[Beman]

May I ask how many fecal tests you ran to make sure the coccidia is totally gone?

 

[Chancla]

May I ask how many fecal tests you ran to make sure the coccidia is totally gone?

The vet ran two, one on a fresh sample from home and a second a week later from a cloacal swab.

Unfortunately since posting this our Cham’s health has taken a turn. While there was no sign of parasites, an abundance of bacteria was found in the last stool sample. He’s been refusing to drink or eat (he’s been hiding weight loss well by maintaining some “puff” anytime I’ve observed him) and needs to be hydrated by hand - which he is always agitated by.

Unfortunately the level of care, resources, and rehabilitation he would need to bounce back is now beyond what we can provide. I have decided to surrender him tomorrow to a group that specializes in rescues, surrenders, and rehabilitation and works with a network of vet specialists.

Our vet wanted me to transport him to their office multiple times over the next week for calcium gluconate injections, but that amount of removal and transport feels like it would just compound the incredible stress he’s already under. I think it best to take him on a single trip to a location that can house, treat, and (hopefully) improve his quality of life rather than put him through this constant displacement combined with my inexperienced level of care.

 

[Beman]

The vet ran two, one on a fresh sample from home and a second a week later from a cloacal swab.

Unfortunately since posting this our Cham’s health has taken a turn. While there was no sign of parasites, an abundance of bacteria was found in the last stool sample. He’s been refusing to drink or eat (he’s been hiding weight loss well by maintaining some “puff” anytime I’ve observed him) and needs to be hydrated by hand - which he is always agitated by.

Unfortunately the level of care, resources, and rehabilitation he would need to bounce back is now beyond what we can provide. I have decided to surrender him tomorrow to a group that specializes in rescues, surrenders, and rehabilitation and works with a network of vet specialists.

Our vet wanted me to transport him to their office multiple times over the next week for calcium gluconate injections, but that amount of removal and transport feels like it would just compound the incredible stress he’s already under. I think it best to take him on a single trip to a location that can house, treat, and (hopefully) improve his quality of life rather than put him through this constant displacement combined with my inexperienced level of care.

My worry would be if he still has the parasite load... Typically 3 fecals are run over a period of say 6-8 weeks. To ensure coccidia is gone because it sheds the oocysts in cycles. Due to this you can get a false negative and think it is gone if you do not run them spaced out on multiple fecal tests.

I am sorry to hear that you are now in the position of surrendering him. These guys can be complex to care for and unfortunately when they are ill it is not an easy thing to deal with due to their size and specific needs.