Hello all
I have a 4 year old Hermanns called Lloyd who is currently undergoing pinworm treatment, first treatment was 4 days ago. I have replaced his soil with newspaper after advise from previous threads on here and vet but he has started eating it, he is generally a greedy guts just wondering what you would do?
I have a problem.
Re: I have a problem.
Hi Grecond and welcome to The Tortoise Table.
Oh dear, that is a bit of a problem. Is he eating lots of newspaper? I don't think a few nibbles will hurt him as they will probably just go straight through his system, but you certainly don't want him eating lots.
What is his enclosure made of? If it is not wood and has a floor that would not absorb water (and worm eggs), then maybe you could just have him on the floor of the enclosure with no covering and disinfect it every day (but if it's a very large enclosure then that might be difficult, and also the smell and any lingering disinfectant wouldn't be good for hiim).
Do you have any old towels/sheets/bedspreads that you could use instead, and could be laundered while he is being treated but thrown away afterwards? Or something like a ground sheet or large sheet of plastic that could be put down instead, and regularly taken up and disinfected while he is being treated?
Alternatively, could you put the newspaper down and then put something like bricks all around the edges, so that there are no ends of the paper that he could get hold of? I'm assuming he is biting the paper at what would be the edge of a page, so if you cover all of those I doubt he could bite any if the paper is completely flat with no edges available.
I've alerted my colleague, Lin, to this post, as she often has good ideas, and hopefully she'll come on with some suggestions.
Nina
Oh dear, that is a bit of a problem. Is he eating lots of newspaper? I don't think a few nibbles will hurt him as they will probably just go straight through his system, but you certainly don't want him eating lots.
What is his enclosure made of? If it is not wood and has a floor that would not absorb water (and worm eggs), then maybe you could just have him on the floor of the enclosure with no covering and disinfect it every day (but if it's a very large enclosure then that might be difficult, and also the smell and any lingering disinfectant wouldn't be good for hiim).
Do you have any old towels/sheets/bedspreads that you could use instead, and could be laundered while he is being treated but thrown away afterwards? Or something like a ground sheet or large sheet of plastic that could be put down instead, and regularly taken up and disinfected while he is being treated?
Alternatively, could you put the newspaper down and then put something like bricks all around the edges, so that there are no ends of the paper that he could get hold of? I'm assuming he is biting the paper at what would be the edge of a page, so if you cover all of those I doubt he could bite any if the paper is completely flat with no edges available.
I've alerted my colleague, Lin, to this post, as she often has good ideas, and hopefully she'll come on with some suggestions.
Nina
Re: I have a problem.
H Grecond, and welcome from me as well.
I like and prefer Nina’s suggestion of the towel, if you have a few old spare towels at least these can be boiled or washed at hot temperatures with a spot of disinfectant like Zoflora in the drum. Even placing the newspaper under the towel and weighing down the edges to prevent him getting to the paper.
It’s not going to be for that long because once treatment has finished all that go through will be eggs that will already be dead.
Lin
I like and prefer Nina’s suggestion of the towel, if you have a few old spare towels at least these can be boiled or washed at hot temperatures with a spot of disinfectant like Zoflora in the drum. Even placing the newspaper under the towel and weighing down the edges to prevent him getting to the paper.
It’s not going to be for that long because once treatment has finished all that go through will be eggs that will already be dead.
Lin
Re: I have a problem.
It sounds like Lloyd is quite the character! To prevent him from eating the newspaper, you might consider providing him with some safe, edible alternatives, such as hay or grass. These can keep him occupied and satisfy his chewing instincts without the risks associated with newspaper. Additionally, ensure he has plenty of fresh greens to munch on, which can help divert his attention. Best of luck with his treatment!
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