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Deworming Tortoises

Hypancistrus

Hypancistrus

New member
We had our yearling Sulcata tortoise at the vets just before Daytona due to a significant (in our opinion) lack of growth. Vet prescribed Baytril to cover the chance of any low lying infection, like an RI, and panacur to deworm her.

We started the panacur the Monday after Daytona, and saw an almost immediate improvement. She is now eating more (which is saying something, because her appetite before was pretty darn good) and her weight has started creeping upwards, from 53 grams at its lowest point to 59 grams today. So apparently the meds are working.

I am inclined to wonder where she got the worms, though. We bought her in December of '09 from Hamburg as a newly hatched baby. She started dropping weight in early February, but then it would go back up... then slide down... constant fluctuation without real growth. If it was worms, when did she get them? We take her outside every now and then when the weather is nice, but we clearly didn't have her out in January to pick the worms up. So did she come with them??

I am also wondering if we should talk to the vet about making deworming a regular part of her care. Does anyone else do this routinely with their tortoises?
 
did the vet do a fecal to determine what type of parasites she had?

i know some animals (like beardies) have certain amounts of coccidia naturally that can flourish under stress...

i don't know many people that deworm on a regular basis, but i know many that do bring in annual stool samples for a fecal test just to be safe.
 
Yeah, and that's how I'd feel if she was an indoor only animal. I am just wondering if it's worth considering given that she does spend time grazing outside.

We deworm our horses regularly... they graze outside... so would a tortoise not be the same?
 
Isn't it important for tortoise babies to eat poop from their parents, to get their gut flora going?? I know they _do_ eat it! In the case of horses, they poop on the ground. Worm eggs get on the ground. Horses nibble stuff off the ground, and have a perpetual supply of worms. Probably something like that happens with tortoises.
 
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