"Panacur"...questions Please Help!!
 

Hi everyone, just a few simple questions I have and am looking forward to getting all of your opinions... I just want to know if you think it's a good idea to automatically treat a newly received monitor(one which is more than likely a wild caught lizard) with panacur/safeguard to be on the safe side of things and make sure most parasites and stuff is wiped clean... I don't keep monitors, but know people who do and see more and more people mentioning this, just curious if its even necessary or are they only further putting the monitor in danger? According to one friend, the place he got a water monitor from(he's in California and the monitor was bought somewhere in ca also), for some reason told him it would be a good idea to do this on his new monitor. Huh?!? Aren't they supposed to do that for the most part?? What happened was his water monitor wasn't eating how he thought it should have been, so he called the store about a week later and they immediately told him he should do this and that it won't hurt if not needed. I forget the exact dosage that they mentioned but I know it sounded very stupid. Let me know what this craps all about, I wanted to get a savannah as my first monitor this spring, waters get too big and are not legal:( But if this is becoming the new "normal", ill just stick to my snakes!! Ps... I would get my savannah cbb, pay the extra money, I know better than what some others do like this kid who's now worried what's going to happen to his new animal....

Imported reptiles of every kind carry a higher parasite load than typical since they are shipped over with other many other individuals in a crate, so there is a higher potential for parasites due to opportunity(feces) and stress levels of imports. The practice of shot gunning imports with panacur can reduce the infestation but I often wonder if the treatment kills any other beneficial fauna in the intestine. It is known to be very safe but only treats a few parasites that have direct lifestyles and doesn't kill adult tapeworms. The other side of it is there are 2 or 3 other treatments that could be necessary, so it may be a good idea to have a fecal float done. To my knowledge it is not a common practice of wholesalers to treat internal parasites.
Matt Schubarth

Most of the time, monitor health problems are a result of a)not having 2 feet of dirt substrate in your enclosure, b)not having a sealed enclosure, and c)not having a basking spot with a surface temperature between 130 and 150 F. People have this absurd notion that you can keep a monitor in a 40 or 55 gallon fish tank with newspaper substrate to grow out in...

I have read at least one study that indicated that monitors have a relatively low number of parasites compared to other species. Basking at such hot temps might have something to do with that.

Thanks guys!
 

I thought most places did some form of treating in the beginning on their end, but I was not so sure, thanks for the fast reply! Michael, yes, for sure, when I first learned of his situation, I thought to myself, this guy is worried because his new pet monitor wont eat after like 2 days! Of course, husbandry came to mind first thing!! I am pretty sure he has since adjusted everything, he was keeping it on paper towels, you were absolutely dead-on when you mentioned newspaper, this is what people constantly do and then realize theres a problem, but are sometimes too dumb to even realize its their own fault and could be fixed! A pic I have seen on his facebook, it appears to be in a 40 gallon breeder sized tank, about a foot of coconut fiber, soil, something along those lines and by the look of the lighting, I would have to say the basking spots look as though theyd have to be in the low to mid hundreds. Hopefully his little one kicks things back into gear!! I said its probably not parasites but you need to check temperatures and substarte and the way the cage is set up. Not to mention, the whole country has been a little extra cold this January, so maybe the cooler temps were making him less hungry too, I dont know,lol. Im a snake guy, nice and easy... Thanks foryour responses though, it meant alot and I have sent the entire thread to his email anyway, whatever... As far as I know, he doesnt have a fauna account yet. thanks again. BTW, if spelling is all messed up, my apologies, I am at work and in a massive rush right now!!!!

Most of the parasites a baby would have exist in a direct lifestyle. So if the cage is kept clean, the monitor doesn't reinfest itself and the parasites go away.

I can tell you from my experiences that I haven,mt had to treat wild caught monitors for parasites (not counting ticks or mites). In my experience I have had many species of monitors as wild caught. Most monitors can bounce back from things pretty quick if given the proper tools.

I have had monitors that tested for parasites and other pathogens and then six months later tested again and come up clean. I use basking spots of 140+ degrees.

If given proper environment and husbandry, unless at deaths door they can take care of themselves.