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treating for parisites?

D

Donna

New member
I was wondering if anyone treat their snakes on a regular basis for worms weather they see them or not. As a preventive measure. Does this hurt them or in some way bad for them?

I know vets recommend that you deworm your cats once or twice a year to prevent worms. But is this safe for snakes?
 
I know some people who do, but I don't. Cats usually need worming if they are outdoors as they kill and eat wild rodents that carry worms. Also, fleas can carry the roundworm parasite as well. Frozen mice will not have live worms. The freezing should kill them. If you feed live, or you feed some sort of lizard or frog to your snakes, then you need to worm. I don't think that giving poisons to the snake is all that beneficial. If you want to be sure...have your pet fecaled once a year and see if it is in fact full of parasites. If it is...then worm it.
 
Our 3 year old corn snake was just determined to have roundworm and coccidia via a fecal test. We only give him frozen (then of course thawed) mice. We have had him since he was a few months old, we have no furry animals and he has never been outside. Any ideas? :shrugs:
Would a preventative worming be a good idea for corns who have a history of parasites, and if so what would you suggest?
 
We have a 4 year old Rankin bearded dragon that was just treated for pinworm about a month ago...he seemed healthy since the day we brought him home 2 years ago but I just thought I 'd be on the safe side.

We have a one year old fat tailed gecko. Awaiting her next "pass" to get it tested.

We brought home two hatchling crested geckos a month ago. not tested yet.

They are all in separate rooms, i wear disposable gloves to clean their cages with a toxic bleach solution. Our kids never take them out of their rooms and always wash up with disinfectant soap.

The vet I get the fecals checked at is only a few minutes away but the vet I really trust is over an hour away and I have had several phone conversations regarding dosing that this other vet had suggested etc. The far away vet thinks this is very strange and wants our 3 boys to be tested immediately.

ARGH! Any input is MORE than appreciated. I feel like you all know more than anyone. I am buying Cathy Love's Biik and the Understanding your reptiles parasites book. But I feel like they can;t get here soon enough. And Money is honestly becoming an issue, with the last three visits averaging $100 plus $80 in medseach time.
 
I don't think preventative deworming for a snake is a good idea. It's stressful for the snake- getting a tube put into the stomach. Mine needed four treatments to kill all the worms. There's always a risk of damaging something during the process. Out of the four snakes I've just had dewormed, I only had one injury- that was when Zee bit his tongue during the process- but still. Plus you need an acurate weekly weight to calculate the doseage- it's not as simple as horses or even dogs and cats- because snakes are so much smaller, it has to be more accurate.

I'd get your snake dewormed- and good luck with the coccidia- that's tough to get rid of, and in birds, they always carry a small amount- it's just when other bacteria gets out of whack that the coccidia can multiply. Then check the fecal after the deworming, and then again in six months or a year. If they haven't picked up anything then- :shrugs:

Nanci
 
MegF. said:
Cats usually need worming if they are outdoors as they kill and eat wild rodents that carry worms. Also, fleas can carry the roundworm parasite as well.
Click to expand...
Actually, fleas carry tapeworms, not roundworms. Also, dogs and cats can pick up intestinal parasites simply by walking on contaminated ground. The worm larva can burrow into the feet or are ingested when the pet grooms itself. Roundworms and hookworms can also transmitted directly to puppies and kittens before they are even born. Roundworms and hookworms are also a concern for humans as we can pick them up walking outside barefoot. Children are at a higher risk as their sanitary habits are usually not as good as adults. Humans can also get a variety of other parasites (worms, etc) from many other sources, but I don't want to really gross everybody out with details. Just remember to cook your meat and wash your hands.

As for deworming snakes periodically, I used to do it, but don't anymore as the chances of them picking any up that are treatable is very slim to none. But I do recommend that everyone do their best to keep the fly population to a minimum.
 
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