Reptile & Amphibian Forums

Hey everyone,
I know I barely ever post and when I do I try to only answer those questions that I think I can answer. And now I've got a serious question needing a fast and hopefully accurate answer. I have also posted this on the treefrog forum and through Becki was advised by Colchicine to try over here.

I have a WTF (who is currently in quarantine)exhibiting strange behavior and a reluctance to eat. Well, I hadn't had a chance to get her fecal done right away, but today I dropped by the vets office and discovered she not only had roundworms but also a species of segmented tapeworm the vet was wholly unable to identify. His discription went along the lines of "scary looking".

Here's the problem (beyond the obvious), the vet will be able to treat the roundworm no problem but as far as the tapeworm goes he is at a loss. We both agreed to do some research and get in touch tomorrow. He is a knowledgable vet and has worked with herps in the past but states this is the first time he has come across this type of infestation in an amphibian (which he doesn't treat too often) He will be contacting some folks at the University of Minnesota, but has already stated that the prospects of anyone there knowing what to use and how to dose are slim. He has told me that he could treat the tapeworm effectively with the same type of dewormer used on dogs but that would obviously be too strong for the frog. Has anyone else out there treated any of their amphibians for a tapeworm infestation? If so, what was used, in what doseages, for what duration and what type of amphibian was it used for?

Please respond quickly if you have any ideas or suggestions. And please, even though I know it is well intentioned, no replies telling me to find another vet (it's not possible where I live and he does have some experience with herps) and no replies informing me how to avoid parasite infestations. At this point I'm simply looking for effective treatment (and yes, the frog is in quarantine and has not had the chance to infect the rest of my colony)...returning the frog to the seller is not a viable option.

Thank you very much,
Brandon
P.S. You may email me if it is easier

the_frog_guy @ hotmail.com

Normally tapeworms are treated with Praziquantel (Droncit) or Niclosamide. I believe that treatment is usually safe (at least in reptiles) & most of the time it is given orally. If the drugs are allometrically scaled down (to the weight of the frog) it should be safe. Dr. Kevin Wright's book: Amphibian Medicine and Captive Husbandry probably has more updated information & treatment for these problems.
Goodluck.

I've seen snakes with six different parasites. I have a wild-caught Cribo right now that I'm treating for 4 different parasites, roundworms, hookworms, tapeworms, and entamoeba. Luckily, Panacur kills 3 of the 4 so I only have to use 2 drugs....same as your situation.

In your case, he will need to treat the roundworms with Panacur, no problem..he probably already knows that. For the tapes, they are probably Taenia ssp. and should respond well to Droncit. Droncit is normally dosed 5 to 8 mg/kg injectible, but may also be given orally. Niclosamide can also be used, as well as Bunamadine-HCI. However, Praziquantel (Droncit) is safer for the animal, and the injectible will kill extra-intestinal tapeworms which the others won't.

Thank you very much that was exactly what I was looking for.
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In the right hands patience, curiousity and willingness to learn can work miracles. In the wrong hands they are mankind's curse and nature's greatest fear.