Nim the Bredli

[Gobuchul]

I gave Nim the medical rat last Thursday. He tried to take the rat sideways for the first time, and eventually swallowed it backwards. I think he's ready to size up to weaned rats, but I used a pup for this because I wanted to make sure he'd eat it. I fed him a second, un-nexgarded pup rat which he ate normally. I wonder whether taking it sideways then backwards was somehow caused by the taste or smell of nexgard around the rat's mouth, or if it was just bad luck. He started nearer the front and took a long time to work his way around to try the back.

I saw no live mites while cleaning the enclosure today. I normally would see 0-3 mites on Nim himself, and while soaking him today I have so far seen none. Hopefully the number of dead mites will now begin to decline as well. Nim seems to be behaving normally today, so at least for now the nexgard doesn't seem to be causing him acute harm.

I am still treating the enclosure with PAM and have ordered two more cans because the first is close to running low.

[bcr229]

Nim's actual weight is 291 grams, which is way more believable than 127 grams (.28 lbs.) I should have noticed at the vet, but didn't do the unit conversion. I'm going to adjust accordingly and give him just under 2.3x the prescribed dose.

I should've also asked whether they mixed it at 2.5mg/kg or 2mg/kg.

Fortunately it has a very high threshold where overdosing becomes toxic. Also once the snake receives a dose it shouldn't need another for four weeks.

https://www.faunaclassifieds.com/for...-mites.824330/

[Malum Argenteum]

I saw no live mites while cleaning the enclosure today. I normally would see 0-3 mites on Nim himself, and while soaking him today I have so far seen none. Hopefully the number of dead mites will now begin to decline as well.

Sounds like the PAM was working, and just needed time to break the life cycle. Hope the one-two punch absolutely seals the deal.

[Gobuchul]

Sounds like the PAM was working, and just needed time to break the life cycle. Hope the one-two punch absolutely seals the deal.

I don't think the PAM alone would have worked, the mite population was very consistent for quite some time. This is the first time I've not seen any live mites while cleaning the enclosure, and it occurred a few days after using the nexgard. PAM definitely did kill mites and help keep the population low, but that population was very steady so I don't think I was going to see improvement from just the PAM.

This isn't a study of course, and it's possible that I would have eventually used the PAM more effectively. Assuming things go well from here, if I ever have to deal with mites again I will view nexgard as the primary treatment while PAM helps kill off the periphery and reduces transmission risk. I'd really hate to see the nexgard fail though, so I won't be slacking on the PAM.

[Homebody]

I would love an update, particularly, regarding the effectiveness of the afoxolaner (NexGard) treatment.

[Gobuchul]

I would love an update, particularly, regarding the effectiveness of the afoxolaner (NexGard) treatment.

Still no signs of mites, alive or dead. It seems to have killed them all on day 1, with no resurgence whatsoever. I moved Nim to his new pvc enclosure this week because it had been a month since mite sighting, and I was starting to have trouble keeping temps in the plastic tub. I'll keep an eye out of course, but I think the mites are done. Nim does not seem to have been acutely harmed by the treatment.

[Gobuchul]

This week Nim figured out how to reach the latch on his enclosure directly from the ground. Now he's able to sit up there just by holding it with his tail and bracing against the light. I am impressed by this feat.

He uses his rope perch too, but I should give him some more climbs.