Reptile & Amphibian Forums

can a leopard tortoises have hook worms if so what can be done about it thanks brad

In short YES your tortoise can get hookworms and they are able to kill Torts as they have a direct life cycle (Do not need to infect an intermediate host). You too can catch hookworms from your Tortoises.

You should worm your tortoise. DO NOT use Ivermectin (Used for killing worms in mammals like dogs, cats and humans – it will kill your Tortoise).

Here is what I did when I thought my Tortoises had worms:

1. Emptied out all the bedding from the tortoise box
2. Washed out my tortoise box with bleach (To kill any worms and eggs)
3. Replaced the bedding with shredded paper and water (I will replace the bedding often (Every 2 or 3 days)
4. Wormed my Tortoises with a product called Worm Rid (Science Product) – active ingredients Praziquantel and Fenbendazole twice (Two weeks apart)
After 3 weeks I put back sand from my parents farm – what my Tortoises are normally on.

Worm Rid is designed for reptiles and I dosed at the rate using the total tortoise weight – The shell is a living part of the Tortoise and should be part of the over all calculation.

There are many reptile worming products – MAKE SURE the product you (or your vet) decides to us is not Tortoise Toxic.

THANKYOU I HAVE STARTED CLEANING PLUS A TRIP TO MY VET