A few mite questions

I'm sorry, but my snakes are like my children and I am not going to risk their lives just because I want to save a buck. I can do that elsewhere, such as not eating out at McDonald's for a day.

If I have to pay $22 for the safety and well-being of my snakes, proven safety at that, then I will, because it is worth it to me. Even if I only have to use it once per year just to treat some rescue I took in. And who cares how much a can of PAM or Equate costs. How much are those necropsies going to cost you so you can determine the cause of your animals' deaths from that Equate Bedding Spray. How much is it going to cost you to get those animals euthanized when they are having seizures, have kidney or liver failure, lung damage, or hemorrhaging internally from god knows what in those non-approved treatments.

In the field that I work in, I can also use many other different drugs to combat mites. Do I? No. Because they're not proven to be safe with reptiles. I can find 2-3 different types of ivermectin and all will have different strengths and different ways of working. Some may work with reptiles, and some may have adverse reactions. Not something I want to go around experimenting on.

If someone wants to risk it, fine, but my animals are gold to me and I'm not risking their lives just so I can save money.

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Originally Posted by SatanicIntention

I'm sorry, but my snakes are like my children and I am not going to risk their lives just because I want to save a buck. I can do that elsewhere, such as not eating out at McDonald's for a day.

If I have to pay $22 for the safety and well-being of my snakes, proven safety at that, then I will, because it is worth it to me. Even if I only have to use it once per year just to treat some rescue I took in. And who cares how much a can of PAM or Equate costs. How much are those necropsies going to cost you so you can determine the cause of your animals' deaths from that Equate Bedding Spray. How much is it going to cost you to get those animals euthanized when they are having seizures, have kidney or liver failure, lung damage, or hemorrhaging internally from god knows what in those non-approved treatments.

In the field that I work in, I can also use many other different drugs to combat mites. Do I? No. Because they're not proven to be safe with reptiles. I can find 2-3 different types of ivermectin and all will have different strengths and different ways of working. Some may work with reptiles, and some may have adverse reactions. Not something I want to go around experimenting on.

If someone wants to risk it, fine, but my animals are gold to me and I'm not risking their lives just so I can save money.

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Outstanding post as usual!!

http://www.glassreptiles.com/pictures/rep.jpg

Agree totally......

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Originally Posted by SatanicIntention

I'm sorry, but my snakes are like my children and I am not going to risk their lives just because I want to save a buck. I can do that elsewhere, such as not eating out at McDonald's for a day.

If I have to pay $22 for the safety and well-being of my snakes, proven safety at that, then I will, because it is worth it to me. Even if I only have to use it once per year just to treat some rescue I took in. And who cares how much a can of PAM or Equate costs. How much are those necropsies going to cost you so you can determine the cause of your animals' deaths from that Equate Bedding Spray. How much is it going to cost you to get those animals euthanized when they are having seizures, have kidney or liver failure, lung damage, or hemorrhaging internally from god knows what in those non-approved treatments.

In the field that I work in, I can also use many other different drugs to combat mites. Do I? No. Because they're not proven to be safe with reptiles. I can find 2-3 different types of ivermectin and all will have different strengths and different ways of working. Some may work with reptiles, and some may have adverse reactions. Not something I want to go around experimenting on.

If someone wants to risk it, fine, but my animals are gold to me and I'm not risking their lives just so I can save money.

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Here are my thoughts on the issue between paying a bit extra for PAM (and recommending that others do so as well) versus using some other remedy like Nix or Equate...


While they may technically use the same chemicals to get the job done...PAM is specifically forumulated and tested to be safe on reptiles and snakes when used as directed. Those are key words. PAM has specific directions for using on snakes so the person using it has a very good chance of not killing or torturing their animal if they have the wits to read and follow directions.

Nix does not have directions for how to use on your snake. Nor does Equate. If I were to pick up either of those and look at the box, there'd be nothing on it to tell me how much to use and in what manner to apply it. MAYbe someone on the Internet will tell me...but how do I know they're right?

So I have to say I'm with the others who express this side of the issue. It's all fine and dandy for experiened keepers to use their own mite remedies...but to recommend them to anyone else as a viable alternative to an already excellent and relatively SAFE product like PAM just doesn't make any sense to me at all.

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Originally Posted by JLC

Here are my thoughts on the issue between paying a bit extra for PAM (and recommending that others do so as well) versus using some other remedy like Nix or Equate...


While they may technically use the same chemicals to get the job done...PAM is specifically forumulated and tested to be safe on reptiles and snakes when used as directed. Those are key words. PAM has specific directions for using on snakes so the person using it has a very good chance of not killing or torturing their animal if they have the wits to read and follow directions.

Nix does not have directions for how to use on your snake. Nor does Equate. If I were to pick up either of those and look at the box, there'd be nothing on it to tell me how much to use and in what manner to apply it. MAYbe someone on the Internet will tell me...but how do I know they're right?

So I have to say I'm with the others who express this side of the issue. It's all fine and dandy for experiened keepers to use their own mite remedies...but to recommend them to anyone else as a viable alternative to an already excellent and relatively SAFE product like PAM just doesn't make any sense to me at all.

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Great post! Welcome back! :sunny:

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Originally Posted by djslurp1200

Same for sterilite tubs, were these marketed for keeping snakes? I can go on Reptiletubs.com and buy $10.00 tubs or I can buy at Wal-Mart for $2.00!

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Actually Eric at Reptiletubs sells a heck of a lot nicer Iris brand tubs as well as very hard to find sizes not readily available at your local WalMart in the $2.00 range. :)

I have to agree with the majority here. PAM is specifically tested safe for reptiles, it's a difference of what 20 bucks or so to the other stuff. Sorry but I can blow $20 on a pizza or waste is in a ton of other silly ways. I'd rather spend that same $20, know I'm doing right by the snakes and feel confident in a product that is known to be safe, comes with directions and has been recommended by folks who know what's best to use for mites. There's a lot of ways to save money in a snake collection...the health and welfare of these lovely living creatures is not the place I'm looking to cut corners though.

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Originally Posted by djslurp1200

So would a can of equate! For $17 less.

There are 100's of testimonials of people who've used Equate as PAM with great success all over on other forums. The same way Ed Clark and others have had success with Nix when used properly. Can you harm or kill your snakes if misused, YES. Can you very easily kill your snake with PAM if misused (even though it states for Reptiles)...YES!

Guys, I'm not arguing here. Use PAM if you want to pay $20.00, it's a great product used by many many people in the hobby. If you want the same effect with the same usage as PAM, others have used Equate as an alternative for $4.00 purchased at any Wal-Mart. If you prefer another method and don't mind the mixing, Nix is also another alternative used by many as well as stated by Ed. I personally prefer a spray like PAM or Equate rather than Nix, but I am not harassing those who use Nix.





To each his own!


:rockon:

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What's 17$ a year? When it comes to living creatures that are under your care, how can you think about "saving" money by buying the cheaper product, which is said to be the same? I don't care what the label says, there's no way it has the exact same ingredients and exact same amount of ingredients than the one made specifically for mites on reptiles. You may have not had any problems yet, but all snakes are different just like us, and one of them might be just a tad more sensitive or have just a little weaker immune system and that 17$ you saved on a can will look foolish when you have to spend money on veterinary care or even worse, loose your animal.