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Old 04-17-2004, 11:59 AM   #1
Storm55
Parasite treatment

I have some questions about what I suspect to be parasites...Last night as I was cleaning cages, I saw one of my two year old girls deficate. It did not look normal. It was watery and lose and the color was light tan. Upon inspection, I discovered little strands in it. I do not know if these were undigested bug parts or not, but they looked like small worms to me. This gecko had been losing weight but I thought it might be due to the fact that the other 2 females she is housed with were intimidating her. She is alone now, but I need to know what I should do from here...Is it safe to treat all of my geckos for parasites? I don't want to take the chances of any other animals aquiring this, as they are all housed rack style. So my questions are:

1) Does anyone recognize this type of illness?

2) How is it treated?

3) Is it safe to treat all geckos as a precaution?

Thanks in advance.

-Jackie
 
Old 04-17-2004, 12:58 PM   #2
Golden Gate Geckos
well...

Jackie, what you are describing sounds like it could very well be a parasitic infection, and only a vet can determine what it is from a stool sample and administer the appropriate treatment. Most infections of this nature are highly contagious, but are easily treated if caught early enough. If you need help finding a reptile vet in your area, here is a link to the ARAV:

http://www.arav.org/Links.htm
 
Old 04-17-2004, 05:37 PM   #3
Glenn Bartley
Jackie,

You can perform parasite examinations from fecal samples yourself with the right equipment, and a little know how, but my guess is you probably need the vet as Marcia said because this needs to be checked right away. Those threads could have been tapeworm strands/segments or other worms like ascarids (roundworms).

Take a FRESH fecal sample to a veterinarian, then ask that a fecal float and fecal smear be performed. These two tests can determine lots concerning parasites. The Leo probably does not have to see the vet at all for testing, but may have to go to have medications administered. Then again it is possible if they are parasites the vet will sell you the meds and have you administer them if you want. Some meds can easily be given with food. Treatment will quite possibly consist of orally administered medications.

Only use a well experienced herp vet. and make sure the vet has seen lots of reptiles before.

The parasites may or may not be easily transmitted to other animals in your collection. This depends in large part as to whether or not they have a direct life cycle, or indirect life cycle.

Regarding parasites, a direct life cycle means they are fully capable of completely reproducing inside a single host animal and do not require an intermediate host animal for any part of the life cycle - therefore potentially constantly reinfesting. Any eggs, larvae or adults that are excreted can be consumed by the same critter, or by another creature of the same type (such as a cage mate) and it will then be infested too. This can lead to rapid buildup of the parasite load. Hookworms are a direct lifecycle parasite; they can decimate an animal rapidly under captive conditions.

Indirect life cycle parasites require an intermediate host or hosts -of another animal type for the various stages of the life cycle to develop. For instance the eggs may be passed in the feces of a lizard, but may have to be ingested by an insect, or snail, or fish or whatever, to hatch and develop the larvae. Then when the intermediate host is consumed by a larger predator, the predator can become infested. These are not easily/readily passed onto cage mates as far as I understand unless possibly an adult is passed in the feces or regurgitated and then eaten by a cage mate. Roundworms are one such example.

The best thing to do is get a fecal sample to a vet. Use a fresh sample, as fresh as possible. Don't use a dried out one. Don't freeze it. Try to get it right to the ver right after it is passed. Sometimes a vet will give you a collection tube in advance. Call the vet first and ask.

Make certain to quarantine this animal and any others that had been kept with it recently. Keep the animals' enclosures extremely clean of any feces. Use paper toweling as a substrate (easier to clean). If it is a direct life cycle parasite, then any eggs passed in the feces can be ingested by the lizard and will develop inside the lizard leading to an extremely rapid parasite load buildup. Keeping it clean helps delay any buildup. Wash before and after handling any of these animals. Besides not wanting to transmit parasites to other lizards, you do not want to run the outside risk of picking up any yourself. I doubt that most reptile parasites are capable of infesting people, but I would not want to chance it myself and; I believe that some roundworms and tapeworms that infest herps can cause problems in humans.

Good luck.

Best regards,
Glenn B
 
Old 04-18-2004, 11:56 AM   #4
Storm55
Thanks to you both for your replies. She is currently in quarantine as well as the two other females who were with her. I am taking a sample to a veterinarian Monday.

Do you think it would be safe to treat all of my geckos as a precaution? I have 28 living in the rack that this girl was in and I know you said it is not transmitted easily but I would feel better knowing everyone was protected and parasite free. Especially since my new babies are hatching and while they are in a hatchling rack in another room right now, I do not want to take the chance of infecting them when I bring them to the adult racks.

Thanks again and I will be sure to let you know what happens.

-Jackie
 
Old 04-18-2004, 03:24 PM   #5
Golden Gate Geckos
treatment

Depending on the results of the fecal test, you may want to treat the geckos the infected one was housed with.
 

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