NEMATODES

Yes, this covers the kinds of worms your geckos and other reptiles can contract, and possible medication your vet can prescribe. I emphasize many times “what your vet prescribes” because the dilutions of the medication is done by your vet for the prescribed weight of your gecko, something most of us are not really qualified to do. It is important to have a good, experienced reptile vet recorded regardless, you may need them.

ROUNDWORMS

Caused from eating infected intermediate hosts, particularly pinkies. The effect of roundworms is them absorbing up to 40% of the reptile’s useable nutrients in the system. The larvae, which can grow 1” and more, can migrate up to the lungs causing lesions and making them susceptible to more infection. If passed in feces, the larvae are practically unmissable.

HOOKWORMS

Not host specific, it can be contracted through skin, food or water. Found anywhere from throat to vent, they attach to the intestinal lining leading to ulcers, inflammation, anemia and a suppressed immune system.

PINWORMS

More common, pinworms have a direct life cycle and can be contracted through feces contaminated water, food or even crickets. Causes irritation to the digestive system and can cause bleeding if left untreated.

Treatments of all three of these is usually Panacur® (fenbendazole) prescribed in proper dilution and doses calculated by your veterinarian. It is directed to give orally, If you have difficulty getting your gecko to lap up the medication, even when mixing it with something like ensure fruit baby food, injecting a waxworm in the behind also works (do this only in desperate times). I had to do that, my leopard geckos were not accepting the lapping and did not particularly like the baby food I tried to mix it with to say the least. Apparently now this medication is coming in flavors, which seems to make giving doses easier.