Questions for Coccidia treatment

[appamama]

Hi everyone. Some background - My beardie is three years old and his name is Appa. I adopted him from a rescue back in November. I got him set up in a bio active vivarium in a 90 Gal enclosure. From the time I got him he had very inconsistent poops. I just assumed it was stress because aside from that he was healthy, eating, hydrated, and all parts of the husbandry were good as well.
Fast-forward to this month, he had a poop that was just very, very stinky and wet so I took him in for a fecal test and it came back that he did have coccidia, parasites, and very minimal pinworms which I was told was normal (the pinworms, not the parasites of coccidia).
I took all of the stuff out of the enclosure and I sanitized it and he’s currently in there with paper towels, and I change out his water every day and he is currently taking Albon. He’s been on Albon for about two weeks now and he gets .1 ML a day. He is about 575 g in weight. He has about six more days left of the treatment and then I’m gonna have his poop tested again to make sure the parasite is gone.

My issue, however, is that he is refusing to eat anything but hornworms or blueberries. I’ve been dusting the hornworms in calcium and probiotics, so he has been getting that and today I bought some baby food and mixed in his calcium, vitamin, and probiotics, and that he ate by spoon. He’s pretty lethargic and is mainly basking. He won’t even look at Dubai’s or his treat of a waxworm.

I guess my question is is this normal behavior while on Albon? I assume he’s also really bored in the tank without having all of his normal stuff in there to play on or to burrow in. Is there anything else I can do to help him during this time?

 

[Sadie]

Hi everyone. Some background - My beardie is three years old and his name is Appa. I adopted him from a rescue back in November. I got him set up in a bio active vivarium in a 90 Gal enclosure. From the time I got him he had very inconsistent poops. I just assumed it was stress because aside from that he was healthy, eating, hydrated, and all parts of the husbandry were good as well.
Fast-forward to this month, he had a poop that was just very, very stinky and wet so I took him in for a fecal test and it came back that he did have coccidia, parasites, and very minimal pinworms which I was told was normal (the pinworms, not the parasites of coccidia).
I took all of the stuff out of the enclosure and I sanitized it and he’s currently in there with paper towels, and I change out his water every day and he is currently taking Albon. He’s been on Albon for about two weeks now and he gets .1 ML a day. He is about 575 g in weight. He has about six more days left of the treatment and then I’m gonna have his poop tested again to make sure the parasite is gone.

My issue, however, is that he is refusing to eat anything but hornworms or blueberries. I’ve been dusting the hornworms in calcium and probiotics, so he has been getting that and today I bought some baby food and mixed in his calcium, vitamin, and probiotics, and that he ate by spoon. He’s pretty lethargic and is mainly basking. He won’t even look at Dubai’s or his treat of a waxworm.

I guess my question is is this normal behavior while on Albon? I assume he’s also really bored in the tank without having all of his normal stuff in there to play on or to burrow in. Is there anything else I can do to help him during this time?

Yes albon will kill the appetite - I will have Tracie address this- she's our vet tech on the forum- please NO enemas- please take a fecal in when finished w/ meds- I am glad he ate the baby food - what did you feed and the probiotic will help the stomach- the uvb is in the tank I am guessing - do you have it directly above the basking decor?

 

[appamama]

Yes albon will kill the appetite - I will have Tracie address this- she's our vet tech on the forum- please NO enemas- please take a fecal in when finished w/ meds- I am glad he ate the baby food - what did you feed and the probiotic will help the stomach- the uvb is in the tank I am guessing - do you have it directly above the basking decor?

Hi Sadie, okay copy that. He pooped the day he started the meds and hasn’t pooped since then. Gradually over the last two weeks since starting meds is when he has been losing his appetite which I assume leads to less poops. I got a mix of pumpkin and squash. Tried finding some with greens but they all had other ingredients that didn’t seem suitable for him. I am going to a different store to get a green baby food also.
So the tank is about 4 feet long and the uvb is at an angle across the entire tank so it shines over him where the basking bulb does as well. I bought one of the uvb testing cards that turns purple to make sure the uvb was strong enough also. I have had the bulbs for about 2.5 months so far. His basking temp is at 100 - 102 and humidity is around 20-25 (been hard to control because of the lack of anything in the tank)

 

[appamama]

Hi Sadie, okay copy that. He pooped the day he started the meds and hasn’t pooped since then. Gradually over the last two weeks since starting meds is when he has been losing his appetite which I assume leads to less poops. I got a mix of pumpkin and squash. Tried finding some with greens but they all had other ingredients that didn’t seem suitable for him. I am going to a different store to get a green baby food also.
So the tank is about 4 feet long and the uvb is at an angle across the entire tank so it shines over him where the basking bulb does as well. I bought one of the uvb testing cards that turns purple to make sure the uvb was strong enough also. I have had the bulbs for about 2.5 months so far. His basking temp is at 100 - 102 and humidity is around 20-25 (been hard to control because of the lack of anything in the tank)

This is his temporary basking spot. I had to get a non porous one as the vet said any wood or anything else might have the parasite or eggs on it. He’s been closing one eye since this started as well and that eye seems to be sticking out a bit more than the other. Is that normal for parasites? Sorry for all the questions,

 

[Sadie]

This is his temporary basking spot. I had to get a non porous one as the vet said any wood or anything else might have the parasite or eggs on it. He’s been closing one eye since this started as well and that eye seems to be sticking out a bit more than the other. Is that normal for parasites? Sorry for all the questions,

The uvb cards in accurate - what is the bulb brand and how far from basking decor the closest and furthest? The one eye maybe going into shed keep an eye on it- what brand and bulb of basking bulb? You don't want any off white yellowish or daytime bulbs- this would not be caused by parasites - you can get some baby food chicken- the pumpkin will make him poop

 

[appamama]

The uvb cards in accurate - what is the bulb brand and how far from basking decor the closest and furthest? The one eye maybe going into shed keep an eye on it- what brand and bulb of basking bulb? You don't want any off white yellowish or daytime bulbs- this would not be caused by parasites - you can get some baby food chicken- the pumpkin will make him poop

The bulb brand is Reptihome and it’s about 7 inches from where he is basking. The furthest is about a foot or so but he isn’t really leaving the basking spot. I will buy some chicken baby food!
I attached photos of the 2 bulbs I have on during the daytime. At night I have a ceramic coil that doesn’t emit any light and the other 2 are off.
What does it mean his eye might start shedding?

 

[Sadie]

The bulb brand is Reptihome and it’s about 7 inches from where he is basking. The furthest is about a foot or so but he isn’t really leaving the basking spot. I will buy some chicken baby food!
I attached photos of the 2 bulbs I have on during the daytime. At night I have a ceramic coil that doesn’t emit any light and the other 2 are off.
What does it mean his eye might start shedding?

I would recommend you get a better brand of UVB - there are 3 of them that are really good I can post links for them- the basking light is it given off a yellowish hue - you want a solid clear bright white bulb - sometimes the eyes will bulge meaning shedding is coming on or they are shedding -- the temps in the tank at night are what temp? You want cool temps at night 65-75 nothing over 75-- dragons like cool and dark -- can you get a side view of the normal eye -- I will have Tracie take a look at it

 

[appamama]

I would recommend you get a better brand of UVB - there are 3 of them that are really good I can post links for them- the basking light is it given off a yellowish hue - you want a solid clear bright white bulb - sometimes the eyes will bulge meaning shedding is coming on or they are shedding -- the temps in the tank at night are what temp? You want cool temps at night 65-75 nothing over 75-- dragons like cool and dark -- can you get a side view of the normal eye -- I will have Tracie take a look at it

If you could please post the links that would be amazing! Would I have to buy a new hood or can I just buy a different bulb that goes into that hood? As for the basking light, it is kind of giving off a yellowish hue. Do you have any suggestions for basking light as well?
The temperatures in the tank at night are in in the low 70s I believe, but I will check tonight when I switch them over. Thank you for your help. Will upload a picture of his eyes.

 

[appamama]

If you could please post the links that would be amazing! Would I have to buy a new hood or can I just buy a different bulb that goes into that hood? As for the basking light, it is kind of giving off a yellowish hue. Do you have any suggestions for basking light as well?
The temperatures in the tank at night are in in the low 70s I believe, but I will check tonight when I switch them over. Thank you for your help. Will upload a picture of his eyes.

 

[appamama]

The eye picture with my finger in it is the one that seems bigger

 

[appamama]

Here’s a better angle to show the difference

 

[Sadie]

If you could please post the links that would be amazing! Would I have to buy a new hood or can I just buy a different bulb that goes into that hood? As for the basking light, it is kind of giving off a yellowish hue. Do you have any suggestions for basking light as well?
The temperatures in the tank at night are in in the low 70s I believe, but I will check tonight when I switch them over. Thank you for your help. Will upload a picture of his eyes.

I have never heard of reptihome and I would recommend a new fixture as well- you can get just the bulb to either a reptisun 10.0 T 5 or a Arcadia D 3 12% bulb- a 22" bulb would fit a 24" fixture - basking bulbs flukers basking you can order them off walmart.com search for them or exo terra intense or Arcadia halogen- I can still post links if you like for the fixtures/ hood- it's up to you

 

[Sadie]

Here’s a better angle to show the difference

I still need Tracie to look at the eyes- since you don't have loose substrate in the tank I would think it's not that unless this was going on before you took it out

 

[appamama]

I have never heard of reptihome and I would recommend a new fixture as well- you can get just the bulb to either a reptisun 10.0 T 5 or a Arcadia D 3 12% bulb- a 22" bulb would fit a 24" fixture - basking bulbs flukers basking you can order them off walmart.com search for them or exo terra intense or Arcadia halogen- I can still post links if you like for the fixtures/ hood- it's up to you

I’m going to look now but if you have the links then I’ll feel more confident I’m getting the right one. Thank you!!

 

[appamama]

I’m going to look now but if you have the links then I’ll feel more confident I’m getting the right one. Thank you!!

The enclosure is 4 feet long so how long of a uvb would I need? I have a 48 inch hood with a 46 inch light right now

 

[Sadie]

The enclosure is 4 feet long so how long of a uvb would I need? I have a 48 inch hood with a 46 inch light right now

4ft long I would go half the tank - I use 24" fixtures for my 2 4x2x2 tanks
You want the 12% bulb 24 watt https://www.reptilebasics.com/t5-light-fixtures-kits/arcadia-prot5-uvb-kit-24-with-bulb/
You want to change the bulb out to the 10.0 Reptisun this one comes w/ a 5.0 bulb

https://www.petsmart.com/reptile/environmental-control-and-lighting/bulbs-and-lamps/zoo-med-reptisun-t5-100-high-output-terrarium-hood-86817.html

22" Reptisun 10.0 T 5 https://www.petsmart.com/reptile/en...zoo-med-t5-high-output-10-uvb-lamp-86813.html
or this one you need the 2ft or 24" Sunblaster Nano Tech the bulb needs to be changed out to the Reptisun posted above https://hydrobuilder.com/sunblaster-nanotech-t5-ho-fixture-with-6400k-lamp.html
when you get the UVB please post back on here placement and distance will be determined by the screen on the tank - screens will block 30% of the UVB rays

 

[appamama]

4ft long I would go half the tank - I use 24" fixtures for my 2 4x2x2 tanks
You want the 12% bulb 24 watt https://www.reptilebasics.com/t5-light-fixtures-kits/arcadia-prot5-uvb-kit-24-with-bulb/
You want to change the bulb out to the 10.0 Reptisun this one comes w/ a 5.0 bulb

https://www.petsmart.com/reptile/environmental-control-and-lighting/bulbs-and-lamps/zoo-med-reptisun-t5-100-high-output-terrarium-hood-86817.html

22" Reptisun 10.0 T 5 https://www.petsmart.com/reptile/en...zoo-med-t5-high-output-10-uvb-lamp-86813.html
or this one you need the 2ft or 24" Sunblaster Nano Tech the bulb needs to be changed out to the Reptisun posted above https://hydrobuilder.com/sunblaster-nanotech-t5-ho-fixture-with-6400k-lamp.html
when you get the UVB please post back on here placement and distance will be determined by the screen on the tank - screens will block 30% of the UVB rays

Thanks! I just ordered the Arcadia one mentioned.
As for the basking, when searching for the flukers or exo terra the most I can find is 100 watt. Is that okay?

 

[Sadie]

Thanks! I just ordered the Arcadia one mentioned.
As for the basking, when searching for the flukers or exo terra the most I can find is 100 watt. Is that okay?

Surface basking temps should be taken w/ a digital probe thermometer- they will tell you what wattage - you have a 150 now I would stick w/ that if your getting the temp w/ the probe- I think PetSmart carries the flukers check on line I know they carry the exo terra but they are spendy- let me know if you find them if not I can look on some websites for you and post links

 

[appamama]

Surface basking temps should be taken w/ a digital probe thermometer- they will tell you what wattage - you have a 150 now I would stick w/ that if your getting the temp w/ the probe- I think PetSmart carries the flukers check on line I know they carry the exo terra but they are spendy- let me know if you find them if not I can look on some websites for you and post links

Thanks so much. Really hoping the chicken baby food will help nourish him while he is on the Albon and hope his next fecal test comes back negative
I appreciate your helpfulness and guidance

 

[Drache613]

Hello,

Sorry your boy is having so much trouble! While Albon is a good medication, usually effective against
coccidia & other parasites, it is very hard on their system most of the time. Has his stool improved?
Are you giving a probiotic for him while he is on Albon? Perhaps you should give a few days off of the
meds, if he has improved but has lost all appetite.
As for the eye, has it been a variance in size since you have had him? The eye appears clear without
any infection. Does he seem to be able to see out of it normally?
It could be a type of birth defect, or perhaps a side effect from the UVB light, in the case it's giving off
low wavelength that might have caused some damage. Is that eye the one that is closest to the UVB
tube bulb?
I would also try to keep him a little warmer over night to help boost his system.

Tracie