Scary fecal

[Todnedo]

I did a fecal smear on a new import nosy Faly today and the whole slide was moving
There was so much movement I had a hard time focusing on one thing at a time. I took the sample to my vet for ID on all the pathogens and worms.

So for you knewbies think twice before you kiss that cute lil chameleon goodnite and treat their poop as highly infectious waste!!

 

[sdheli420]

I did a fecal smear on a new import nosy Faly today and the whole slide was moving
There was so much movement I had a hard time focusing on one thing at a time. I took the sample to my vet for ID on all the pathogens and worms.

So for you knewbies think twice before you kiss that cute lil chameleon goodnite and treat their poop as highly infectious waste!!

sounds like every wc chameleon ive ever seen or had..they are quite literally filled like balloons..what even weirder..is they live in the wild like this completley fine..(the stress of being captured, and caged is what causes the parasite to become too much of a toll on their body)...gluck cleanin your faly out!

 

[lslcronk]

ewww...I deal with cat/dog poo at least once a day but still...ewww!

 

[Texas Ranger]

I did a fecal smear on a new import nosy Faly today and the whole slide was moving
There was so much movement I had a hard time focusing on one thing at a time. I took the sample to my vet for ID on all the pathogens and worms.

So for you knewbies think twice before you kiss that cute lil chameleon goodnite and treat their poop as highly infectious waste!!

So how are you going to attack this problem with a cham so infested. I would not even now were to start.

 

[Todnedo]

Ok just called the vet's office and they said the fecal was clean I guess I need to find a new vet that actually does their job

 

[sdheli420]

could be clean for a wc animal..they WILL have noumorus parasites..maybe they wore looking for the really bad ones (funny they would tell you that, when you know damn well there ARE at least some bad ones in there..regardless you will find somthing on a wc..but clean..i dont think so..

 

[DavidBuchan]

Ok just called the vet's office and they said the fecal was clean I guess I need to find a new vet that actually does their job

I think you need to check on that - just in case there is a problem at the vets - if someone really isn't doing a job you want to at least let them know they've been rumbled......

 

[Todnedo]

I called back and asked if they did a smear or a float and the receptionist said she will have the vet call me back.

 

[suzi]

Ok just called the vet's office and they said the fecal was clean I guess I need to find a new vet that actually does their job

That is pretty sad that the fecal came out clean when it could have walked itself to the vet!

 

[BPelizabeth]

Was it a fresh fecal you took to the vet?? I know mine says the fresher the better as you can catch much more. ?? Just a thought but I would definetly let them know.

 

[Ryan Jarosek]

Ok just called the vet's office and they said the fecal was clean I guess I need to find a new vet that actually does their job

Wow that sucks... kinda scary in itself. Talk about a false sense of hope.

Do you have blood done on the imports as well? I lost a melleri that was CH to microfilarial . It is believed it was passed on from the WC mother through the egg. Fecal after fecal and I had no idea never showed up. Never had blood done because it was CH so it didn't even cross my mind. I kick myself to this day for not checking the blood but I really had no idea. I didn't think a CH or WC could pass microfilarial through the egg.

Scary site to have a melleri for 2.5 years do great ,change to the color of death in minutes then dead a few hours later. You would never have known she was sick. A microfilarial worm exited to the body cavity through an artery and she bled out internally. Body was full of worms. None of them ever got outside of the body so I never knew.

 

[Todnedo]

The vet just called back and said she did a float and didn't see anything.
I did a smear and saw plenty of eggs so she must be blind.

 

[Todnedo]

Wow that sucks... kinda scary in itself. Talk about a false sense of hope.

Do you have blood done on the imports as well? I lost a melleri that was CH to microfilarial . It is believed it was passed on from the WC mother through the egg. Fecal after fecal and I had no idea never showed up. Never had blood done because it was CH so it didn't even cross my mind. I kick myself to this day for not checking the blood but I really had no idea. I didn't think a CH or WC could pass microfilarial through the egg.

Scary site to have a melleri for 2.5 years do great ,change to the color of death in minutes then dead a few hours later. You would never have known she was sick. A microfilarial worm exited to the body cavity through an artery and she bled out internally. Body was full of worms. None of them ever got outside of the body so I never knew.

Ok my skin is crawling even more now. These parasites are really worrying me as to what if I got infected by something from Africa or Madagascar.

 

[Chuck G]

The chameleon is clean because you are infected.Send them your fecal and get a new vet.Give me a call tomorrow when you have time.Want to discuss something.

 

[laurie]

That is nothing but scary, both of you, Todd & Ryan, ugh. How are you going to sleep tonight? makes me want to have all 7 of mine tested but it would do no good. Every sample taken to the local vet has had parasites! I took a sample from the same cham back in 3 days later and sure enough it has parasites and they are different ones. I guess I never thought it was that difficult to do a fecal. And that is the only vet within 150 miles who will even agree to see or discuss a chameleon.

Todd let us know what happens with your faly.

 

[robmd1]

The chameleon is clean because you are infected.Send them your fecal and get a new vet.Give me a call tomorrow when you have time.Want to discuss something.

lol @ send them yours..

 

[ferretinmyshoes]

The vet just called back and said she did a float and didn't see anything.
I did a smear and saw plenty of eggs so she must be blind.

Many eggs do not float, or need a specific type of media with a different specific gravity to float, or can even be too small to see under the magnification used for a float, which is why they should have done a smear as well. So the float may very well have been clean, but I have no doubt that you saw what you saw. I wouldn't immediately write them off as not doing their job, they just didn't do all the tests. It's why I will always being doing smears in addition to the float in reptiles!

 

[sdheli420]

That is pretty sad that the fecal came out clean when it could have walked itself to the vet!

not an lol situation..but lol and good call..

 

[Seeco]

Many eggs do not float, or need a specific type of media with a different specific gravity to float, or can even be too small to see under the magnification used for a float, which is why they should have done a smear as well. So the float may very well have been clean, but I have no doubt that you saw what you saw. I wouldn't immediately write them off as not doing their job, they just didn't do all the tests. It's why I will always being doing smears in addition to the float in reptiles!

Eh, I think it is pretty clear the vet did not do his/her job. Todnedo, did you get a refund? Wait, let me guess: you did not.

 

[lslcronk]

Eh, I think it is pretty clear the vet did not do his/her job. Todnedo, did you get a refund? Wait, let me guess: you did not.

He just needs to ask them to do a smear as well. A float is a reasonable start to a fecal, that is a very standard test and is done for every fecal I have every done. As previously pointed out, not all eggs float, etc. They did do part of thier job, they just need to complete it by running a smear, which is very easily done.

Really, guys, I know there are not a lot of "good" reptile vets out there...that is because a lot of ppl wont take their reptile to a vet or it happens so infrequently that we dont get to see them enough to get good at working with/treating them. Just because they dont have the skills you would like with herps does not make them evil or bad doctors, nor does it make what they do malpractice - they may be fantastic with thier usual dogs/cats/horses. They should, however, not be touting themselves as qualified reptile vets if they are not. That I agree with. Being fanatical everytime something does not go well is not the correct way to deal with anything.