Ruckus has hook worms :(

[MissMeg]

Im going to do some research,.but does anyone know about hookwodms? or has ad them before? Well not you personally, but your bts?

[Katrina]

Some sort of parasite isn't uncommon - pretty much all wild BTS would have them (but if healthy they can live just fine - it is only when the bluey is sick / has a compromised immune system that the parasites would be noticeably harming it). Deworming is quick and easy - I've done it on a couple skinks.

I think Brad would likely know most about the specifics of hookworms.

[MissMeg]

The vet said I should give him this medication once a week.for.4 weekz. Is that de-worming or is there another process?

[MissMeg]

Sorry for the unnessisary use of punctuation. I posted it from my phone and that darn space bar is so close to the period function.

[Katrina]

That is deworming, Just give meds, follow instructions. It helps to have someone else to hold Ruckus if you are syringing meds into his mouth. But it is super easy.

[MissMeg]

Oh Dear, Hes going to hate me. I get the meds on sat.

Where would he have gotten the worms? At they always in his body like you said? I wonder what he would be sick from to make them try to eat him.

Should I higher the heat a bit more to help his immune system? Also should I just put paper down on the ground and not have shreaded paper. Its more sterile.

Im having problem with humidty right now. It cant seem to stay humid very long, and I dont want to soak the paper just incase mould starts. If theres no substrate how do I keep his humidty up?

[Linnea]

worms can come from the ground, mud or substrates. but also from unwashed veggies and perhaps even more usual, cats, dogs and small children.
of course there are many other places but....i think these are the most common?

EDIT: after googling for a bit it seems they are very commong among cats and dogs and sometimes humans (mainly from feces ).
they are not always in the body of a skink, im guessing, since they can cause some minor issues in the body if left to multiply for a while.

[Coomassie]

It can also come from food. If you feed any kind of live food, the insects can carry worms. I wouldn't worry too much about it. Psycho, one of my leos, had pinworms. They are really common, the deworming isn't bad, and Ruckus will be fine. Although, the deworming (at least at my place) usually comes with a treat. I would always give Psycho the dewormer and then give him some mealworms.

[Fatal_S]

From my understanding of worms:
Worms are very simple and safe to treat, so don't worry. Almost all WC animals have worms, and so do many captives. For the most part worms aren't a huge problem, but when added to stress (being captured, changing homes, etc) the reptile can get overwhelmed with worms. The worms live in the gut and drain the nutrients of food that is eaten, so too many worms leads to an animal that's losing weight no matter how much it eats.

I've dewormed all my reptiles at least once each. It's such an easy & cheap thing to fix and yet it can be amazingly helpful for the skink The dosages are also very safe.

When giving the meds, see if you can trick him into openning his mouth by rubbing along the sides. Be ready with the syringe and you can get the meds in quick and easy. Second option is to rub the syringe against him mouth to see if he'll the end; be sure to ask for a couple extra syringes if not provided. If he won't oblige, see about grabbing a second person to help. Hold him securely and pry the mouth open (gentle, constant pressure, nothing quick). Once it's open enough to fit the syringe push in the meds. Those are my methods for skink-meds.

I may be wrong, but his immune system isn't really useful against parasites (as opposed to infections/bacteria). While it probably naturally kills off some of the worms to keep the population low, the medicine is the big weapon here. I would just leave him be and make sure to remove poop when it's there. IMO the meds will do all the work, so just continue life as normal.

[Katrina]

Exactly what Mel said.

Don't worry about his immune system - I only meant that worms can be a bigger problem for worms that are unhealthy or have a compromised immune system. For healthy BTS like Ruckus, worms won't be a big deal at all but deworming is better. Just another one of those luxuries that captive skinks enjoy.

[MissMeg]

I did feed him a few snails back in the summer. I thought I quarintined them long enough, but I bet that was it. (Even though It could have been anything).

Does the deworming usally work the first time?
I only ask because I dont want to buy the second fecal sample. I want to find a new vet after this.

[Katrina]

He could have had worms from way before you got him - if he is WC or I've heard that parasites can possibly be transferred from mother to young, so if his mother was WC. Or it could be snails or any number of things.

It really isn't a big deal.

Instead of taking a second fecal sample to the vet, send a baggie of poop to Brad. He would be happy to check for you (he is weird like that). It will only cost you a couple stamps.

[Fatal_S]

Send Brad a before and after fecal sample? He keeps offering to check for free, but no one seems to take him up on the offer.

[Spindown]

lol thats nice of brad, but really, who wants to send poo through the mail?

[Katrina]

lol thats nice of brad, but really, who wants to send poo through the mail?

I did. The boyfriend thought I was crazy. Double bagged it in the little zip-lock baggies and it seemed to work fine.

I think the bigger question, is who wants to receive poo through the mail?!

[xxmonitorlizardxx]

To help you with the syringe.
http://bluetongueskinks.net/forum/viewt ... ht=#349119

[MissMeg]

Lol Id be glad too, but what if the poop dries out? how would I keep it moist. EW I cant belive I just said that.

Thanks for the tip on medicating him. Ruckus is much bigger than that guy though so it might have to be a 2 peron job. We will see.

I gotta remeber this is no biggie. It happens and hell be fine.

Oh another question. Is it likely for them to reoccure? If so, how can I try to provent this?
Wash all foods before feeding them
Keep a clean tank (this is a given though)
...

[Bird_Brain]

I want poop!

Really almost everyone covered what I was going to say. The only thing I will add is Id recommend to temporarily use paper for bedding until the parasites are under control. I would put down paper when you give the initial dose. After that dosage, I would change paper everytime he poops. That way you will minimize the risk of re-infestation. If you are worried about them reoccurring, once to twice a year, see if your vet will provide you with a dewormer. The vast majority of dewormers are very safe as stated before.

In the past, members have discussed how dewormers have messed with the beneficial bacteria, etc in the gut of animals. It was recommended adding probiotics to the diet after treatment to replenish what the dewormers removed.

This is the brand that I'd recommend and use.
http://www.reptileuv.com/nutribac-df-pr ... ptiles.php