Reptile & Amphibian Forums

Every chameleon I have bought has had hook worms. I buy them from different breeders, all CB babies. and they all get quarinteened for a month before even breathing the same air as the other chams. Is every Chameleon born with worms or is my vet just out to make a quick buck? does anybody else have this problem?
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From Sunny Florida
Jovana's Kids listed below
1.1 Veiled
1.0 Ambanja Panther
0.1 Tamatave Panther

I have never purchased a CB chameleon that had any parasites. This doesn't mean it can't happen but I have never had one. I have not had any of the baby chameleons I have hatched with any parasites but they are raised outdoors which means they could get any parasite at any time. So far it hasn't happened though. CB chameleons are less likely to have a heavy parasite load if raised properly but that doesn't mean that a CB chameleon will never have parasites.

If you suspect your Vet might be trying to make a "quick buck" the best thing you can do is take a fecal to him/her and tell him/her you want to wait for the results. If he/she tells you that the animal has hookworms then tell him/her that you want to see the eggs. Any Vet should be able to show you the hookworm eggs under the microscope. That is the only way I can think of you verifying that the information given to you by your Vet is true.

Hi-

Ivan said it perfectly. The only thing I would add is your feeder source could be infected with the parasites. Thus you are receiving a clean chameleon from the breeder, then infecting it with parasites from your food source! Where are you getting your food from? Hope this helps!
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John W. Lucas

CHAMELEON PARADISE

CHAMELEONS ONLINE E-ZINE AUTHOR

Feeding Baby Chameleons
Caging Baby Chameleons

F. pardalis

Ambilobe Locale
Nosy Be Locale
Sambava Locale

Rhampholeon uluguruensis

Eggs Incubating-

F. pardalis - Ambilobe Locale

got SILKWORMS!

Photo © Chameleon Paradise 2003

I'm getting my feeders from Grooms cricket farm. has anyone used or had any problems with them?
*side note* the worms have never been bad, they've never caused any apparent harm to my chams and they are easy to get rid of. it's just odd to me that they ALL had it. I take a fecal to the vet within the first week i recieve the chams. they are all clean now so it cant be the crickets. . . could it?
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From Sunny Florida
Jovana's Kids listed below
1.1 Veiled
1.0 Ambanja Panther
0.1 Tamatave Panther

I think you can have the crickets tested. just smear the guts from a few onto whatever you would use for the feces of a fecal exam, and they do the same thing with it as with a fecal exam.

I use only Grooms for all my crickets and they are great. As it was mentioned, you can have the crickets tested to see if they are carriers. It can be the crickets but I have not had any problems with my chameleons and I do fecals on them twice a month.