pinworms.....visible to naked eye

[HUMBOLDTGUY]

so osker is on medication for pinworms right now and will still only poo when i bathe her.....my question is are these visible to the naked eye.....cause if what im seeing in her poo is pinworms she has a major case of them.

my other question is can they be spread to humans or are pinworms in reptiles different from the ones we can get??

also does anyone know where they come from so i can make sure she doesnt get em again

 

[kariann]

Pinworms are very small white thread-like organisms that you may see in your dragon's stool. You could save some of the feces and bring it to your vet if you want to know for sure.

There are a variety of different pinworms that infect different species (human pinworms, reptile pinworms, horse pinworms, etc). You can't get infected with pinworms from your dragon or any other non-human animal.

Pinworms have a direct life cycle so ingesting the eggs (i.e. fecal/oral route) is the mode of transmission. Pinworms have been proven beneficial in some reptiles and thought commensal by some herp specialists. In any case, they are generally present in small numbers in all dragons and not treated unless they are thought to be present in large numbers or the cause of ill thrift, etc. Therefore, they cannot be eradicated but reduced in numbers through good sanitation measures.

 

[ChamNW]

Pinworms are a parasite. They may be found in many reptiles but the reptile does not benefit at all from the presence of a parasite. That is why it is called a parasite. It is not a symbiotic relationship between host and parasite. If the numbers get too great, the parasite will kill the host. Or weaken its immune system to the place where the reptile will succumb to something else like a URI.
You can use Reptaid to completely eradicate the pinworms from your dragon (or any reptile) as well any any coccidia or other parasite. And in so doing you will have a much healthier and happier reptile.
We are chameleon breeders with between 200 and 300 chameleons in our facility at any time. And we strive to sell only parasite free reptiles to all our buyers.
You can read more about Reptaid in the ForSale section of this forum.

 

[HUMBOLDTGUY]

i actually just got some reptaid....now my problem is i have no idea how much she weighs so not sure how much i should give her.....other question is im supposed to give her another dose of panicure today....do i skip the reptaid today???

 

[ChamNW]

Give us an idea how long she is from snout to vent and how old she is. Maybe we can guess the weight. The dosing of Reptaid does not have to be exact like a medicine. did you get the Reptaid or the Reptaid XL?
If it were me, I would forget the panacur and just use the reptaid. We have not used Panacur for over a year, since we first found out how effective reptaid is for reptiles.

 

[HUMBOLDTGUY]

hey elliot....i just talked to you on the phone....called the vet for her weight....thanx for your help

 

[kariann]

Pinworms are a parasite. They may be found in many reptiles but the reptile does not benefit at all from the presence of a parasite.

I respectfully disagree, please review the below which is one of many scientific references to the contrary.

Adaptations to Herbivory in Iguanine Lizards
Condensed from the excerpt published in Iguana Times 3(3):2-10, the journal of the International Iguana Society.
John B. Iverson.
(complete text at: http://www.anapsid.org/iverson.html)

"The tremendous nematode densities in healthy lizards suggest they are not parasitic, but rather commensalistic, or perhaps even mutualistic. Potential roles for these nematodes include (1) the simple mixing and mechanical breakdown of vegetation, effectively increasing the surface area of digesta particles; (2) the production of useable waste products (vitamins, cellulose, volatile fatty acids?); and/or (3) the regulation of the composition and/or abundance of colonic microbes (on which some nematodes are known to feed)."

Pinworms (i.e. nematodes better known as oxyurids) cannot be eradicated from bearded dragons: serial fecal testing in healthy individuals will reveal this is an exercise in futility. They should only be treated when present in significant numbers or thought to be the cause of ill thrift.

Kari