Reptile & Amphibian Forums

Hi all! I am new to the boards, just thouht I'd pose a question and see what your opinions were....

When dealing with the various Uroplatus species that happen to be wild caught, is it worth it to de-worm? Or does the stress from doing so do more harm than good?
Thanks

I think you will find this to be a controversial subject, and there are people who will argue both sides of the fence strongly.

I have a feeling most people on this forum will be giving you the "pro-vet" point of view though. I did some research on the subject, and after speaking to a herpotologist whom I respect, he told me to save my money and he would show me exactly what a reptile examination includes. He checked over my geckoes, asked how long I've had them (about a month each, with one of them being in captivity for 6 months before I bought her), and declaired that they were in general good health. He did mention to keep an eye on my male and make sure he was eating since he appeared a bit skinny. The male has since grown a bit larger and has a healthy appetite.

He advised me that they most likely have some parasites of one sort or another, however, the treatment is usually worse than the symptoms (and can frequently result in killing the gecko).

I'm not really in a position to give an opinion of reccommendation, but given the fact that I was quoted over $50 just for a check-up for my geckoes, and they have been doing very well in my ownership for the past 5 months, I don't see any need for me to go myself. I did use some worm & parasite control powder on my crickets, and still dust them with it from time to time.

Anyways, just my 2 cents.

-Matt
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After working with a large amount of WC Uroplatus I can safely say that due to the improper conditions during the pre-export, the importation process, and post-exportation stress levels (among many other things) will cause parasitic levels to become extreme. I find three things important when receiving freshly imported Uroplatus species:

1. Hydrate them ASAP

2. Get a fecal and start any medication that is needed (Ferbenzole and flaygl are all I have ever needed and are relativity safe to use).

3. Maintain the geckos in appropriate housing with closely maintained environmental conditions in pairs or singles.

Uroplatus often fail to thrive within captivity if these steps are not taken. If one dies for unknown reasons I suggest you take the deceased Uroplatus to the vet for a necropsy or you can perform one yourself if you have some basic knowledge of internal anatomy and how to identify common problems associated with reptiles (uric acid build up, dehydration, kidney failure, poisoning, parasites, etc.) Often several causes will contribute tot he death of a Uroplatus. One of the most important things I stress is to only buy from a reputable dealer who offers only CBB or quality wild caught specimens. Make sure they are fairly knowledgeable. Also, I have found it better to buy recently imported specimens form the following species that take cooler temperatures (phantasticus, ebenaui, sikorae, etc.) only during the winter months to prevent possible kidney failure and various other problems. Another ting is to stay away from the majority of breeders or importers offering CB or CBB Uroplatus until they are at least 2-3 months old. Often people will incubate the eggs are higher temps and while the gecko does hatch out they often fail to thrive past a month. Well I'll end this with a picture of some nematodes in a deceased Uroplatus s. sikorae.

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Justyn
Intense Herpetoculture

While it is true that high stress levels cause great imbalance in the natural internal fauna of WC Uroplatus (and all WC animals for that matter), people will argue both points... I certainly know people that have never treated and their geckos have done great, people who have never treated and their geckos died, and both cases with people who have treated...

Ultimately I think a huge consideration is whether or not you currently have or will eventually have CB Uros, or other “clean” herps… If you will or do, I think its necessary to try and get your WC as clean as possible…

The fact of the matter is that there are some things in your WC gecko that are hard, and perhaps impossible to eradicate... Some spp. of coccidian for example... Flagyl is not a miracle drug, and is not highly effective for removing coccidians... Even though I am not a licensed vet, it seems that initially the only way to effectively control these parasites is to reduce stress... There are preventative meds however... Ascarids, on the other hand, can usually be wiped out successfully, but this may also come at the expense of your gecko’s life... If treatment yields too many dead worms or one that has migrated to just the right spot and died, it can literally cause system blockage...

Most parasites are very host and site (within the body) specific, and a good herp vet can correctly ID the oocysts or eggs to at least a broad categorization... So if you plan on treating, I think it’s worth the money to get some fecal floats done professionally… Do a lot of research though and find a very reputable herp vet… Do exactly as Justyn said in the previous blurb… I will add a couple things that have worked great for me when acclimating WC Uros…
1)Assist feedings with herptivite/reptocal/pedialyte (if you want more explanation on this let me know)
2)Do as much as possible to not disturb your new WC geckos for a while.. ie. no handling, keep them out of common areas of the house, keep their light cycle regular and their temperature consistent (Justyn touched on this)

It's your call! There are definate pros and cons that's for sure...