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:
|
Animal
Weight |
Dose of
Reptaid |
|
<25g |
1-2
drips |
|
25g |
.025ml |
|
50g |
.05ml |
|
100g |
.1ml |
|
150g |
.15ml |
|
200g |
.20ml |
|
250g |
.25ml |
|
300g |
.30ml
|
|
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.
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