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Tapeworm treatment?

Wyldrose

Wyldrose

Addicted to corns!
2 weeks ago I forgot to latch one lid and the snake got out... 3 days ago when we moved the outside rabbit hutch to clean under it there he was! Cold(it was 70f if that) and alive! I was so excited to find him, he is a 120 gram yearling and one of my favorites.
So when I found him he had a nice full belly 2 lumps. My shed, which the rabbit hutch is beside has a field mouse problem. My cat has been getting tapeworms from these mice, now there is a huge chance that Topaz ate mice who are infected with tapeworm.
I went to both Vets who treat Exotics, one Vet clinic said "If there is a way to treat ti we don't carry it" and the other one took my phone number and said they would call me. They didn't of course... I will call them again in the morning.
I had a hatchling from Petsmart with roundworms, I treated her with Pancur and she is doing fine now, eating, growing etc. I have Pancur but it doesn't treat tapeworms, they are hard to kill. I have to buy a special pill every 3 months for the cat to keep her worm free.
Anyone know what I could suggest to my Vet so he can mix a dose(s) for me?
 
I believe the tapeworms cats have are specific to them, one has fleas as the intermediate host, the other has rodents, so I'm not sure they could affect your snake at all. Probably getting a fecal test rather than just treating what may not be a problem would be the way to go?
 
How long do you think after he injested the mice that the worms would be present in his stool? The one I had with roundworms stopped eating and the worms where visable in her feces. I think I'll put him on papertowels and keep a close eye on his stools.

I will have to look more into it. Fleas are not an issue here, I have only seen 3 animals with fleas and I worked at the pound/spca for a year.
So Biggs' tapeworms come from the mice in the shed, which I have just cleaned out. I'm going to move my rabbits in the shed for the winter.
 
I think what J9 is saying is tapeworms come from fleas as in the fleas eat the tapeworm larva or tapeworm (can't remember exactly) and the cat or dog or any mammal that get fleas eats the fleas and the cycle goes round. I could be wrong but that is what I remember our vet saying. It is a two week cycle in mammals.
 
The stress of captivity coupled with a closed environment predisposes to a heavy internal parasite burden in reptiles. Many common endoparasites of reptiles have direct life cycles and can multiply to staggering numbers. Every effort must be taken to rid reptiles of parasite burdens, and the environment of intermediate hosts.
Pathogenic trematodes infect the vascular system of turtles, and the oral cavity, respiratory system, renal tubules, and ureters of snakes. Chemotherapeutic agents have not been effective in eliminating these parasites, although praziquantel administered at 5-8 mg/kg, IM or PO, has shown some promise.
Tapeworms are found in all orders of reptiles but are rare in crocodilians. Reptiles may act as the definitive, paratenic, or intermediate hosts for a large number of species. Although most species of tapeworms are generally nonpathogenic in wild reptiles, weight loss and death have been reported. The complex life cycle of cestodes and restricted geographic range of intermediate hosts limit the number of cases in captive reptiles. When present, proglottids may be found around the cloaca, or typical cestode ova may be isolated from feces. Treatment is with praziquantel at 5-8 mg/kg, IM or PO,


http://www.merckvetmanual.com/mvm/index.jsp?cfile=htm/bc/171410.htm


I'll keep researching for you, but this is all I found so far.
 
Thank you Lyion, it's so hard to find things about snakes. When Naos had the roundworms it was pretty easy to treat her, I put the dewormer on her f/t pinky and assit fed it, then did the same thing 2 weeks later. Her last fecal came back negitive for roundworms :) All of petsmarts corns have died, minus Naos since November. After getting the worms out of her I had to anole scent pinkys to get her to take them. It was a 4 month battle to get her worm free and eating on her own. It was well worth it, she eats right away now and is starting to grow like crazy.

I will write down the praziquantel at 5-8 mg/kg(he is 120g so his dose would be 0.0024mg) and I think I'll just book an appointment, then I can talk to my vet not some girl working reception thinking I'm crazy because I care about the health of my snakes... That way I can ask if mouse tapeworms can effect snakes, since I know they are not the flea ones.
 
I am not sure what the treatment would be, but I do know wild mice can carry tapeworms. I had a pitbull that got them from mice. She was a better mouser than most cats.
 
Yes and I know the mice in that shed do have tapeworms, it's been a 2 year battle with tapeworms and my cat. She basically lives in the shed and eats mice. I am going to stop in at the Vet today and hope my Vet is in today and see what he has to say. We have a small town here and have 4 vet clincs only 2 will see exotics. One is farm animals only, one is furry animals no herps and the other 2 will see anything small.
 
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