Reptile & Amphibian Forums

When I I took my snake to the vet, she told me that she wanted a stool sample to check for worms and such. I asked why, because mine are CB.

Her daughter did some kind of study for a science fair. The vet collected stool samples from all different types of non mammal pets. The samples were brought in from the owners. They were tested. Many of them were found to have some type of worms, about 30 percent of them. Most of which were snakes and iguanas.

That is all I know about this study / project. Now if the snakes and iggy's were wild caught, I can see this. If they were all CBB, I would be suspicious. Maybe if they were some CBB, probably some wild caught, then 30% might sound ok. I don't know if any more notes were taken that should have been. Like if it was CBB, did it have contact with wild caught? Did they let it eat wild prey items? F/T or live items? Did it ever get loose and then found? Probably many more questions should have been asked to make this "study" better.

Whenever I can get a fresh sample, I'll bring it in to get it checked. But what do you think of this unscientific study? Do you have your BRB's stool samples checked every so often?

Thanks for your thoughts,
Rob
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For Sale cheap: One (1) 6' 19 yr old male. Does no house work. Has no job and will complain. Constantly.
0.1 Brazilian Rainbow Boa-Ziggy
1.0 Creamscicle motley corn--Cozmo
0.1 Creamscicle corn--Wanda
0.0.1 Normal corn
0.1 Black Pine - Spazz
1.0 Eastern King-Ozy
1.0 Bearded Dragon - Gomer

Mike,
....Snakes that are healthy and eating and digesting and growing well will have microorganisms in their stool samples. Many of these microorganisms are considered to be normal gut flora but if they reproduce into large numbers they can be pathogenic. There are other microorganisms that are not normal gut flora and they can be pathogenic even in small numbers. Many of these microorganisms are effectively treated with metronidazole (Flagyl).
....Worms are another story. There are many different worms which can live within snakes. I think most of them are considered to be harmful to the snake but many snakes do survive in the wild and in captivity with worms. I have had stool samples from imported boids show worms and/or their ova. They seem to be easy to treat as those snakes did well after two treatments with fenbendazole (Safe Guard). I have also found subcutaneous worms in wildcaught boids and removed them using a scalpel to lance the skin and then squeeze the worm out. These snakes also did well after the removal of the subcutaneous worms.
....Snakes that are captive born can and do get internal parasites including worms from being kept in dirty cages or from rodents. IMO most of the commercial rodent breeders do not keep their cages as clean as they should. I am a little surprised that your vet is finding worms in 30% of the snake stool samples but then there are a lot of people out there keeping snakes in filthy cages and feeding them strange things. Most captive snake health problems including parasites are caused by improper husbandry.
Jeff

>>When I I took my snake to the vet, she told me that she wanted a stool sample to check for worms and such. I asked why, because mine are CB.
>>
>>Her daughter did some kind of study for a science fair. The vet collected stool samples from all different types of non mammal pets. The samples were brought in from the owners. They were tested. Many of them were found to have some type of worms, about 30 percent of them. Most of which were snakes and iguanas.
>>
>>That is all I know about this study / project. Now if the snakes and iggy's were wild caught, I can see this. If they were all CBB, I would be suspicious. Maybe if they were some CBB, probably some wild caught, then 30% might sound ok. I don't know if any more notes were taken that should have been. Like if it was CBB, did it have contact with wild caught? Did they let it eat wild prey items? F/T or live items? Did it ever get loose and then found? Probably many more questions should have been asked to make this "study" better.
>>
>>Whenever I can get a fresh sample, I'll bring it in to get it checked. But what do you think of this unscientific study? Do you have your BRB's stool samples checked every so often?
>>
>>Thanks for your thoughts,
>>Rob
>>-----
>>For Sale cheap: One (1) 6' 19 yr old male. Does no house work. Has no job and will complain. Constantly.
>>0.1 Brazilian Rainbow Boa-Ziggy
>>1.0 Creamscicle motley corn--Cozmo
>>0.1 Creamscicle corn--Wanda
>>0.0.1 Normal corn
>>0.1 Black Pine - Spazz
>>1.0 Eastern King-Ozy
>>1.0 Bearded Dragon - Gomer

I forgot to mention a good book on the subject. "Understanding Reptile Parasites" by Roger Klingenberg. Small book in paperback with lots of good info.
Jeff

>>Mike,
>>....Snakes that are healthy and eating and digesting and growing well will have microorganisms in their stool samples. Many of these microorganisms are considered to be normal gut flora but if they reproduce into large numbers they can be pathogenic. There are other microorganisms that are not normal gut flora and they can be pathogenic even in small numbers. Many of these microorganisms are effectively treated with metronidazole (Flagyl).
>>....Worms are another story. There are many different worms which can live within snakes. I think most of them are considered to be harmful to the snake but many snakes do survive in the wild and in captivity with worms. I have had stool samples from imported boids show worms and/or their ova. They seem to be easy to treat as those snakes did well after two treatments with fenbendazole (Safe Guard). I have also found subcutaneous worms in wildcaught boids and removed them using a scalpel to lance the skin and then squeeze the worm out. These snakes also did well after the removal of the subcutaneous worms.
>>....Snakes that are captive born can and do get internal parasites including worms from being kept in dirty cages or from rodents. IMO most of the commercial rodent breeders do not keep their cages as clean as they should. I am a little surprised that your vet is finding worms in 30% of the snake stool samples but then there are a lot of people out there keeping snakes in filthy cages and feeding them strange things. Most captive snake health problems including parasites are caused by improper husbandry.
>>Jeff
>>
>>>>When I I took my snake to the vet, she told me that she wanted a stool sample to check for worms and such. I asked why, because mine are CB.
>>>>
>>>>Her daughter did some kind of study for a science fair. The vet collected stool samples from all different types of non mammal pets. The samples were brought in from the owners. They were tested. Many of them were found to have some type of worms, about 30 percent of them. Most of which were snakes and iguanas.
>>>>
>>>>That is all I know about this study / project. Now if the snakes and iggy's were wild caught, I can see this. If they were all CBB, I would be suspicious. Maybe if they were some CBB, probably some wild caught, then 30% might sound ok. I don't know if any more notes were taken that should have been. Like if it was CBB, did it have contact with wild caught? Did they let it eat wild prey items? F/T or live items? Did it ever get loose and then found? Probably many more questions should have been asked to make this "study" better.
>>>>
>>>>Whenever I can get a fresh sample, I'll bring it in to get it checked. But what do you think of this unscientific study? Do you have your BRB's stool samples checked every so often?
>>>>
>>>>Thanks for your thoughts,
>>>>Rob
>>>>-----
>>>>For Sale cheap: One (1) 6' 19 yr old male. Does no house work. Has no job and will complain. Constantly.
>>>>0.1 Brazilian Rainbow Boa-Ziggy
>>>>1.0 Creamscicle motley corn--Cozmo
>>>>0.1 Creamscicle corn--Wanda
>>>>0.0.1 Normal corn
>>>>0.1 Black Pine - Spazz
>>>>1.0 Eastern King-Ozy
>>>>1.0 Bearded Dragon - Gomer

Thanks for all that information Jeff. And the info about the book as well.
Rob
-----
For Sale cheap: One (1) 6' 19 yr old male. Does no house work. Has no job and will complain. Constantly.
0.1 Brazilian Rainbow Boa-Ziggy
1.0 Creamscicle motley corn--Cozmo
0.1 Creamscicle corn--Wanda
0.0.1 Normal corn
0.1 Black Pine - Spazz
1.0 Eastern King-Ozy
1.0 Bearded Dragon - Gomer

I don't the answer but am interested in this sort of thing. I went through a fecal examination phase a bit back. Will do so again at some point with an improved technique. Out of maybe 12 samples I don't recall a single one with a negative (no parasites or ova seen) result. I do not believe to keep my snakes in filth of any sort. Fresh-killed, frozen/thawed and sometimes live are fed to mine. About 80 of their diet is f/t. and 15 f/k.

I've found strongylides, coccidia and pinworms. Pinworms eggs cannot become pathogenic without an intermediate host and just pass on though with without causing real trouble. The others should be somewhat self-limiting with proper husbandry and the snake's natural immune response.

It's interesting to me....need to run fecals on the prey that I allow to be consumed.

Linda

>>When I I took my snake to the vet, she told me that she wanted a stool sample to check for worms and such. I asked why, because mine are CB.
>>
>>Her daughter did some kind of study for a science fair. The vet collected stool samples from all different types of non mammal pets. The samples were brought in from the owners. They were tested. Many of them were found to have some type of worms, about 30 percent of them. Most of which were snakes and iguanas.
>>
>>That is all I know about this study / project. Now if the snakes and iggy's were wild caught, I can see this. If they were all CBB, I would be suspicious. Maybe if they were some CBB, probably some wild caught, then 30% might sound ok. I don't know if any more notes were taken that should have been. Like if it was CBB, did it have contact with wild caught? Did they let it eat wild prey items? F/T or live items? Did it ever get loose and then found? Probably many more questions should have been asked to make this "study" better.
>>
>>Whenever I can get a fresh sample, I'll bring it in to get it checked. But what do you think of this unscientific study? Do you have your BRB's stool samples checked every so often?
>>
>>Thanks for your thoughts,
>>Rob
>>-----
>>For Sale cheap: One (1) 6' 19 yr old male. Does no house work. Has no job and will complain. Constantly.
>>0.1 Brazilian Rainbow Boa-Ziggy
>>1.0 Creamscicle motley corn--Cozmo
>>0.1 Creamscicle corn--Wanda
>>0.0.1 Normal corn
>>0.1 Black Pine - Spazz
>>1.0 Eastern King-Ozy
>>1.0 Bearded Dragon - Gomer
-----
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