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RE: Northern Copperhead questions
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by Nakita on June 23, 2010
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Thanks John!
I went to let him go and when I hooked him he rode it so well that I could examine him closely. He is so clean, healthy looking and calm that I brought him back home and set up a full blown quarantine enclosure.
I got him on white paper towels to see if I notice any signs of mites although I saw nothing upon inspecting him closely yesterday. If I find any I will treat them first. After his first bowel movement I will go ahead and begin a worming regimen since I can't find a vet willing to do a fecal.
Hopefully in 3-4 months he'll have a full time place of honor in my main reptile room.
Thanks again for all the helpful input!
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RE: Northern Copperhead questions
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by CanadianSnakeMan on June 23, 2010
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It's important to note that none of the medications listed will eliminate tapeworms of any kind, or nematode parasites outside the digestive tract.
To eliminate tapeworms, you will need Praziquantel, and for nematodes in hard-to-reach areas you need another drug from the same class of drugs as Panacur (the benzimidazole group) like mebendazole or albendazole or you could use Ivermectin, but dose it carefully.
This stresses the importance of at least doing some fecals yourself so you can properly target a reliable treatment plan without having to load a whole bunch of unnecessary drugs into your snake.
You can purchase Understanding Reptile Parasites (2nd edition) by Dr. Roger Klingenberg as a good introductory guide and reference book, as well as a child's toy microscope (that has adjustable magnification from 100x to 900x) all for probably less than $40. This will be invaluable for you as you add more reptiles to your collection and/or want to cut down on vet bills. Once you get used to it, it's actually quite easy.
If you're going to be using the microscope often, you might be better off to purchase one second hand from a university or even a pre-med or biology student who doesn't need their's for school anymore. They are much easier to use and of better quality than a toy microscope.
Ever since I bought my microscope from a retired biology teacher, I'll never have another fecal done by someone else again!
If you have any questions or want me to get into more detail, feel free to contact me.
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RE: Northern Copperhead questions
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by CanadianSnakeMan on June 23, 2010
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**EDIT** In the first sentence of my previous post, I meant that the medications listed (Panacur and Flagyl) WILL NOT eliminate tapeworms of any kind!
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RE: Northern Copperhead questions
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by Nakita on June 23, 2010
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Thanks again Luke!
I want to do it right so I am currently scouring Ebays' selection of microscopes to see what I can come up with. I have also ordered the book from an online retailer.
I had thought about trying to slip a fecal from the Copperhead in on my next visit with one of my tortoises. Since the vet has physically examined each one in the past and knows they are kept as a colony he will run fecals on the others as well as the one he is currently examining. It seems a bit childish but I'm struggling with the idea due to it being dishonest LOL.
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RE: Northern Copperhead questions
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by CanadianSnakeMan on June 23, 2010
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Jackie,
I think you're doing the right thing by learning to be self-sufficient. It will help your animals and your bank account.
Once you've researched which medications you need, you can go to a feed shop for livestock animals and purchase most of the anti-parasitics over the counter (at least you can where I live, perhaps not in your area). It's a good way of getting a large amount of the right medications at a lower price than a vet.
Good on you for researching and taking the right steps to keep your collection healthy.
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RE: Northern Copperhead questions
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by theemojohnm on June 23, 2010
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Good points, Luke.
Yes, an initial dose of Praziquantel is good protocol, too..
There are even a few other benzimidazole drugs that I
use here (mebendazole, albendazole) as well as a few
others, but I hardly feel that most of them are necessary..
I don’t feel that overloading an animal with drugs is a good thing, either.. (Especially using Ivermectin in
moderate-high doses, or in combination with other drugs)
Again, the quarantine/initial-parasite-treatment process are over-exaggerated in most cases..
Luke brings up another great point about discount scopes from High School or College Bio labs.. I have come across some great local deals on lab equipment, from the local college..
I also highly recommend Understanding Reptile Parasites by Dr. Klingenberg (1st & 2nd edition).
Good thread..!
This is how this place is supposed to run !
Take Care,
-J. Mendrola
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RE: Northern Copperhead questions
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by blainblain on June 23, 2010
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I just bought the book on Amazon for under $15 including shipping. Thanks for the information.
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RE: Northern Copperhead questions
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by CanadianSnakeMan on June 24, 2010
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Couldn't aggree more, John.
I'm no big proponent of loading an animal with as many drugs as possible hoping for a positive effect. I believe in targeted treatment in most cases, hence getting a microscope.
I like the 2nd edition of Understanding Reptile Parasites better. It contains updated information as well as coloured photos.
Another decent resource is The Biology, Husbandry and Health Care of Reptiles by Lowell Ackerman. It's not as good as Reptile Care by Fry or the Mader Manual, but it's less expensive and still provides a broad base of knowledge on reptilian diseases. It comes in a 3 part set, I reccommend only purchasing the 3rd book (Health Care of Rpetiles) if possible.
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