Administering Reptaid to

GECKOS

Geckos  experience health challenges with various parasites and infections.  A healthy gecko  can become infected with parasites through the food source or through contamination from another animal.   Common parasites include coccidia, flagellates, pinworms, roundworms, and hookworms.  Sometimes the immune system of the gecko  is weakened by stress or an overload of parasites making the animal susceptible to bacteriological infections.   Most commonly this is seen as an Upper Respiratory Infection (URI) , lip rot, or eye infections.   Reptaid has been very effective in helping many reptiles  overcome all of these health challenges. 

DOSING:

Reptaid is dosed at .1ml per 100g animal weight.   It is always administered orally either directly into the mouth or injected into a food item before feeding the reptile.  Following is a dosing chart for various weights of geckos:

1 gram = .035 ounces

HOW TO ADMINISTER REPTAID TO THE GECKO.

1. There are literally thousands of different species of gecko and although Reptaid is always treated orally, the way to get the Reptaid into the mouth of the gecko can vary from species to species. 

 2. With most reptiles, you just squirt the properly diluted Reptaid in the mouth of the animal according to the dosing chart.  However the geckos this can be difficult.  If you restrain many kinds of geckos, even gently, you face the possibility of the gecko dropping its tail.  This is entirely undesirable and should be avoided if possible.  So being creative with them  to get them to take the Reptaid is helpful.

 3. For crested geckos, most of their diet is Repashy Crested Gecko Diet.  So the simple method is to just mix one or two drops of Reptaid into the portion of CGD that you put into their little food bowl.  Then any animal who eats out of that bowl will be treated with the Reptaid.  The measurement and the dose is not very scientific  but this is the method we have used for Cresties and it has worked fine. 

 4. For Leopard Geckos, many times you can simply put a drop of Reptaid on the nose of the Leo  and they will reach up with their tongue and lick it off.  It could not be easier.  If the Leo will not lick the Reptaid off the nose, either because they are very ill or they are just not into that, then you have to get it in the mouth.  Many Leos are gentle enough and know their owner enough  to let you pry the mouth open for treatment.  Just squirt the dosed amount into the mouth. 

 5. For Uroplatus  species treatment is the same as other geckos, just getting the Reptaid in the mouth.  These guys basically eat bugs so injecting the Reptaid into a bug is a good practice but you have to be sure the gecko eats that bug.  You just use the needle on the syringe and inject the proper dose into the belly of the cricket or worm.  Then feed that worm to the gecko which needs the Reptaid. 

If your uroplatus gecko is sick and is not feeding then gently pry the mouth open and squirt the Reptaid into the back of the mouth without the needle. Just the syringe. 

TREATMENT FOR PARASITES

Detection of parasites is best performed under laboratory conditions using a microscope.  Symptoms of parasitic problems include loss of appetite, lack of activity, dark coloration, diarrhea, blood in the feces or urates, very smelly feces, visible worms in the feces.  If any or all of these symptoms are present, you can treat with Reptaid being confident that if parasites are present, treatment will help solve the problem.  Treatment for all parasites should be once a day per the dosing chart.  If the animal  is very sick, not eating at all, very dark and very inactive, Reptaid can be administered twice a day.   At this point you are fighting for its life.  You can also mix the Reptaid with some mashed up bugs or baby food so the gecko gets some nutrition as well as the healing herbs.  

Continue with Reptaid for 10 days.  You should see improvement after 3-5 days but continue for 10 days.  Then wait 2 days and start another 10 day treatment.  In most cases 20 days of Reptaid is sufficient to rid the gecko of any and all parasites.   A fecal check is needed to be sure the problem is solved. And of course, as with any treatment for parasites, quarantine, disinfection of the habitat, and proper hygiene are essential to prevent reinfection. 

TREATMENT FOR BACTERIOLOGICAL INFECTION

The most common infections from bacteria which afflict geckos  are eye infections, lip infections,  and  URI, upper respiratory infections.  For all these  dosing is per the chart above.  Administration is the same as for parasites. For a severe respiratory infection, the gecko will be showing foam in the mouth, holding his mouth open a lot, making definite breathing noise, and possibly coughing.    Most infections will show signs of improvement in 2-3 days and be completely clear in 5-10 days.  One 10 day treatment is usually sufficient to completely clear up any infection. 

COMBINING WITH DRUGS

Reptaid is not a drug. It is an herbal all natural alternative to drugs.   It is not recommended that Reptaid be administered at the same time as any drug.  If a course of drugs is underway, discontinue the drugs and just use the Reptaid. Or finish the course of drugs and then begin the use of Reptaid.  Do not use at the same time. 

PROBIOTICS

When using any antibiotic drug, it is highly recommended that a probiotic such as benebac  be used along with the drugs.  Drugs eliminate the good gut flora in the digestive tract of the reptile.  A probiotic replaces that gut flora.  But Reptaid does not kill the good gut flora with its natural antibiotic properties so a probiotic is not needed with Reptaid. However Benebac can certainly be used with Reptaid as an additional boost to the immune system during treatment. 

 USING REPTAID PROACTIVELY

You can use Reptaid products to keep your reptiles healthy and vibrant, rather than just as a treatment for sickness or disease. It is suggested to administer Reptaid or Reptaid XL to your reptile, per the dosing chart, for 2 or 3 days at the beginning of each month.  This has shown positive results in keeping  animals healthy and thriving.