Administering Panacur to redfoots. [somewhat graphical]

[rey]

hey everyone, here's a story about me and the red foots at work.

So at the museum, we moved our red foot tortoises to a new enclosure. Much nice, larger, and the new location can help bring more attention to our butterfly garden, and our tegu section.

Now due to the humidity level of florida. Some of them tend to suffer from UPD. So to help solve this, we put the turtles into a big rubbermaid bins. And we use a standard nebulizer compressor, and administer the medication, thru a medical tube that is taped into the lid of the bin. We leave them there for about an hour. And then eventually we remove them. We've used this technique with many other snakes that we have in our park. Just recently, i was helping the ladies in the hospital administer the medication via nebulizer to a red rat snake that we had in display. Okay sorry for getting off topic.

So this weekend, they gave me a task. I was to administer to the redfoots some medication. Panacur to be exact. Which is an antiparasitic drug. Now originally you can't administer panacur into water because panacur does no dissolve in the water, and the reptiles wont drink it.

So the solution to this is to inject the panacur into the mice, and then feed it to the turtles. Which what we did. And although it was a bit graphical, for those who arent use to seeing mices being ripped up into pieces. It was really amazing, to see how fast turtles can actually move.

I had to run around the enclosure, moving one red foot to one side of the enclosure, and then run back to the turtle who is in the middle of eating his mouse, and removing the other redfoots who are rushing to steal the mouse away.

So imagine doing this over and over again for 7 tortoises. I eventually figured out that if i put the redfoots on their side. That it would stall them for a while. But i felt so guilty seeing the turtles trying to roll over. So i didnt do it again, and went back to chasing turtles around.

They all ate their meal. Well except one redfoot. Who doesnt want to eat. Which is an indication that he has a possible parasite infection.

so anyways, here are some pictures of the red foots, eating, running around, and trying to escape from the enclosure.

IF YOU DONT WANT TO SEE THE GUTS OF A MOUSE. DON'T SCROLL DOWN. A BIT GRAPHICAL.


we have 7 red foots of various size.
http://i30.photobucket.com/albums/c344/getcrunked_/redfoots/IMG00240.jpg
http://i30.photobucket.com/albums/c344/getcrunked_/redfoots/IMG00233.jpg
http://i30.photobucket.com/albums/c344/getcrunked_/redfoots/IMG00239.jpg

each turtle has a certain amount of medication they have to be administer. All depending on how much they weight. Some were given 60mgs, some less.
to keep note of each turtle, and the amount of panacur they needed. they were tagged with numbers on the back of their shell.
http://i30.photobucket.com/albums/c344/getcrunked_/redfoots/IMG00238.jpg
http://i30.photobucket.com/albums/c344/getcrunked_/redfoots/IMG00237.jpg

each napkin has a number that pertains to a specific turtle. in the napkin are mice, some bigger than others, and some turtles were given two mice due to the fact that they needed higher doses of panacur.
http://i30.photobucket.com/albums/c344/getcrunked_/redfoots/IMG00235.jpg
http://i30.photobucket.com/albums/c344/getcrunked_/redfoots/IMG00236.jpg

in the middle of me running around the enclosure. i caught turte number 1 trying to escape. "SLOWLY-RUNNING AWAY". a little bit more, and i almost lost him.
http://i30.photobucket.com/albums/c344/getcrunked_/redfoots/IMG00241.jpg

i watched him, and i was hoping he ate it real quickly. before the other red foots came.
http://i30.photobucket.com/albums/c344/getcrunked_/redfoots/IMG00232.jpg
http://i30.photobucket.com/albums/c344/getcrunked_/redfoots/IMG00234.jpg

the turtles licking the ground, tasting the remains of the mouse.
http://i30.photobucket.com/albums/c344/getcrunked_/redfoots/IMG00242.jpg

chomping away... see the head on the floor?
http://i30.photobucket.com/albums/c344/getcrunked_/redfoots/IMG00244.jpg

[droogievesch]

I think you have the most amazing job in the world :)

[slygecko]

Wow, I never imagined tortoises eating mice with gusto. That second-to-last pic, I can just imagine them like raptor-tortoises squabbling over the remains. Scary thought.

~ Nick

[rey]

Wow, I never imagined tortoises eating mice with gusto. That second-to-last pic, I can just imagine them like raptor-tortoises squabbling over the remains. Scary thought.

~ Nick

yeah had i not been there, they wouldve probably tried to steal pieces from each other.

[ominously]

I have to agree - I couldn't imagine watching a tortoise ripping a mouse to shreds for food. Is there no other food source you could have introduced it through or no other dosing method that could hae been used? Awesome phot set though - I particularly liked hearing about how you had to chase them around while the one ate - couldn't you have put them into the Rubbermaids you were talkng about? ;)

[mike]

that's pretty interesting, seems like a good way to administer medication for picky eaters.

[rey]

I have to agree - I couldn't imagine watching a tortoise ripping a mouse to shreds for food. Is there no other food source you could have introduced it through or no other dosing method that could hae been used? Awesome phot set though - I particularly liked hearing about how you had to chase them around while the one ate - couldn't you have put them into the Rubbermaids you were talkng about? ;)

well they have a taste for mice, and most of the time they are usually eating greens and so forth. so mice was possibly the best method to feed them.

i actually didnt know red foots ate mice. I always thought they stuck to fruits and greens. SO i was pretty intrigued to see them eat these mice with much anticipation.

the me chasin them around was pretty fun kinda tiresome, but i got the job done!

oh and we only have 1 rubbermaid. i doubt they couldve all fit in there. And deep inside i wanted to chase them turtles. hehe...