Dealing With Reptile Parasites

Looking for information on dealing with reptile parasites? Read on. Like all other animals reptiles can get parasites. Parasites are annoying to reptiles as well as harmful. There are various types of parasites, but they can usually visibly be seen or suspected by a reptile's symptoms.

External parasites such as mites and ticks are usually visible to a reptile's owners. Ticks are small, but large than mites. They are usually a dark color and they feed on a reptile's blood. Ticks detach themselves when they are full, but by then they could have already transmitted a disease to your reptile or made them anemic. If you spot a tick on your reptile, immediately get tweezers and carefully remove them. Make sure you remove their whole body and don't just rip it off, you don't want to cause your reptile to get any secondary infections. Once you remove the tick be sure to look for another other abnormal symptoms in your reptile. If they seem fine after a few days, hopefully they didn't get any diseases from the tick. Mites are small, but move around on a reptile's body. They can come in large numbers as a infestation, making them easier to notice.

Internal parasites can sometimes be the most harmful and hardest to notice. Reptiles with internal parasites such as worms or microscopic parasites will have symptoms. These symptoms usually include, loss of appetite, lethargy, vomiting, and diarrhea. There are medications that can kill internal parasites. However, internal parasites can sometimes spread to different organs and cause more damage to a reptile.

Some parasites can be tricky to treat. Contact a veterinarian with any questions that you have. There are medications that kill some parasites while simple tricks can kill others. Once you get rid of parasites, try to make sure you prevent your reptile from getting them again in the future. Being careful where food and object come from is one way to prevent parasitic infections. Keeping your reptile's home clean is another easy way to avoid parasite infestations.

The information provided on this site is for informational purposes only and is not intended as a substitute for advice from your veterinarian or other health care professional. You should not use the information on this site for diagnosis or treatment of any health problem or for prescription of any medication or other treatment.