Hey guys, given all of the new threads that have been popping up in regards to worming reptiles i thought i would put together a basic guide for the people just getting into reptiles. I have tried to explain the principles of parasites in simple terms and believe me, its NOT a simple subject! it can be very complicated and remember

IF IN DOUBT GO TO A VET! ANY VET, RATHER THAN IGNORE A PROBLEM!!

Internal Parasites in reptiles.
Many people ask the question “do I need to use wormer on my reptile?”. the answer is a great deal more complex than people expect. ALL ANIMALS CAN HARBOUR PARASITES!! Before using any medication, its important that the person responsible for the animal understands the cause and consequences of any treatment. The area of parasitology is extremely complicated and can leave people baffled and unsure what to do. It can also create a false sense of security within the keeper. Many people have used a worming treatment and considered that enough. In reality, some medicines only work on some organisms. So correct identification, treatment, and aftercare is very important.

People assume that internal parasites are just worms. Easily treated when you see them in faeces. The truth is, parasites come in MANY different forms. Some are microscopic and some are visible to the naked eye. All of them have the potential to cause harm to your animal, if they are left untreated.

Symptoms.
For many keepers, the first sign of parasites may be weight loss, lack of weight gain, poor/lack of appetite, lethargy, diarrhoea, and visible worms in the faeces. Some animals will display no symptoms at all. With new acquisitions it is VITAL to get a faecal check done before they come in to contact with your other animals. The first step is to collect a fresh sample of faeces and take it to a vet. Even a seemingly parasite free sample can harbour a massive amount of single celled parasites and their eggs. These can be seen under a microscope and need to be properly identified in order for the correct treatment to be given.

Knowing your nasties
Internal parasites, also known as endoparasites can be broken down in to four smaller groups, with many types within each group. The four family names to listen out for are
Protozoa ( cryptospyridium, coccidiosis, flagellated protozoa ETC)
Cestodes (Dilepididae, Proteocephalidea, ETC)
Nematodes ( Ascarids, Rhabitida ETC)
Trematodes (Digenea, Monogenea, ETC)
These can be found in many different internal organs of the animal, the gall bladder, intestines, kidneys, blood stream, digestive tract and lungs. Some types are know to affect some animals more than others. Some are even beneficial to their host which is why a proper qualified diagnosis is necessary.

Treatment
Treatment will be dependant upon diagnosis. I am not going to list any recommended treatments because that may encourage people to self medicate their animals. I am great believer in learning the correct techniques to care for your animals and I have learnt to stomach tube , assist feed, administer antibiotics and dress wounds, but all skills have been taught by a recognised vet AFTER diagnosis. Once a diagnosis has been made, the vet will prescribe a anti-parasitic. The most common active ingredients tend to be Febendazole and Metronidazole, But a great deal more are available . Some drugs must be administered in near fatal doses in order to work correctly, hence the need for a qualified vet to make the diagnosis. Your vet will work out the correct dosage to a tiny fraction and, if you are keen, show you the correct way to administer treatment. This is often less stressful for the animal on future occasions.

Aftercare.
There are a great many other courses of treatment and combinations of treatment. Some will be a course of treatment lasting a few weeks and others may just be a brief trip to the vets. The point of a course of treatment is to break the life cycle of the parasite. This often can not be done with just one dosage, as the eggs will survive and go on to create more eggs, and cause re-infestation. It is very important to keep enclosure scrupulously clean during this stage. Faeces should be removed as soon as its discovered and a disinfectant used to clean the cage/vivarium every day.

Some of the drugs commonly used can often cause an upset in the friendly gut bacteria. This means that they can have problems digesting food. In tortoises a common way around this is to feed some screened faeces from the same species to boost the bacteria back to healthy levels. In snakes, this drop in gut fauna could lead to regurgitation so always follow veterinary advice on feeding routines during worming.
Animals that eat whole prey items must be checked every year to ensure that no parasites have been passed on through food. Animals MUST be checked for parasites and quarantined before being brought into an established group.

__________________