Re: Petco leopards are sick!!!!

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Posted by Dan on February 20, 1999 at 11:29:30:

In Reply to: Petco leopards are sick!!!! posted by William Mcclanahan on February 19, 1999 at 14:45:17:

Sounds like your vet might be over dramatizing your tortoise's problems. Hookworms and coccidea are probably normal parasites in wild tortoises. It's just in captivity where they can really wipe out a tortoise due to stress and the captive environment. But those parasites are treatable (just don't ever use Ivermection (Ivomec) in a tortoise/turtle for hookworms or other nematodes!) Also remember that most reptiles are bacteria factories just like us. Where did the vet culture Proteus from? Feces/oral cavity/abcess? It makes a difference.

Be careful giving antibiotics to a tortoise that does not need it. You really can imbalance the normal bacterial flora in the gut that they need for proper digestion.

That being said, get the parasites treated and take the bill and the vet's diagnosis/lab report to Petco and demand they pay the bill. If enough people will do that, and cause a stink when the bill exceeds the retail cost and certainly the profit margin on the tortoise, maybe they will get a clue about wild caught animals.

While wild caught animals can be acclimatized to captivity, they should not be mass marketed and sold to an unprepared public that is often unwilling to take a reptile to a vet.

You think Petco would get away with selling a puppy with hookworms? In Florida at least, puppies have to have a health certificate that certifies they are healthy and free of parasites (except fleas of course). Health certificates are issued by a vet, giving some guarantee of the animal's health status.

Good luck with the tortoise.

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: Sounds like your vet might be over dramatizing your tortoise's problems. Hookworms and coccidea are probably normal parasites in wild tortoises. It's just in captivity where they can really wipe out a tortoise due to stress and the captive environment. But those parasites are treatable (just don't ever use Ivermection (Ivomec) in a tortoise/turtle for hookworms or other nematodes!) Also remember that most reptiles are bacteria factories just like us. Where did the vet culture Proteus from? Feces/oral cavity/abcess? It makes a difference. : Be careful giving antibiotics to a tortoise that does not need it. You really can imbalance the normal bacterial flora in the gut that they need for proper digestion. : That being said, get the parasites treated and take the bill and the vet's diagnosis/lab report to Petco and demand they pay the bill. If enough people will do that, and cause a stink when the bill exceeds the retail cost and certainly the profit margin on the tortoise, maybe they will get a clue about wild caught animals. : While wild caught animals can be acclimatized to captivity, they should not be mass marketed and sold to an unprepared public that is often unwilling to take a reptile to a vet. : You think Petco would get away with selling a puppy with hookworms? In Florida at least, puppies have to have a health certificate that certifies they are healthy and free of parasites (except fleas of course). Health certificates are issued by a vet, giving some guarantee of the animal's health status. : Good luck with the tortoise.

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