Reptile & Amphibian Forums

I would much apreciate any information you could give me on flukes(lungworms), as well as symptoms in lizards. thank you.

Here's one of my favorite sites for health info:
Link

Trematodes (flukes) are most often found in wild caught herps as most have an indirect life cycle that requires ingestion of an intermediate host (such as aquatic snails for some fluke species).

Depending on the species of fluke, they may infect the lungs, oral cavity, stomach, urinary tract, circulatory system or intestines.

Clinical signs depend on what organ is infected, how many parasites are present and the general health status of the animal. The clinical signs are not specific to flukes (with the exception of visualizing flukes in the oral cavity) so a vet visit is required for appropriate diagnostics to be done.

Method of diagnosis also depends on what organ is affected. For gastrointestinal signs a fecal exam is typically in order. For respiratory signs an x-ray and tracheal wash may be done. It all depends on the vet's interpretation and plan according to the clinical signs and history.

Do you suspect that one of your animal's has a trematode infection? What are the signs being exhibited? If you cannot pin down a husbandry issue that you are certain would be causing the problem, then a visit to a qualified, experienced herp vet is in order to get your herp a check-up. Check out www.arav.org to find a vet near you.

Whoops, I missed something. If you are asking about "lungworms," then I imagine your lizard is exhibiting respiratory signs.

If the trematodes present in the lungs are numerous enough, then the herp would have difficulty breathing and may gape while breathing.

Unfortunately, difficulty breathing can also mean a bacterial, fungal or viral lung infection, a foreign body in the respiratory tract, or even ascites (fluid in the abdominal cavity- well, coelomic cavity for herps) putting pressure on the lungs (since reptiles [excluding crocodilians] lack diaphragms), and I'm sure there are other potential causes.

If your lizard is gaping to breathe, first re-evaluate your husbandry. Herps that are kept too hot will often gape to try to cool themselves down.

If your enclosure temps are fine, then please consult a herp veterinarian.

Christina