Reptile & Amphibian Forums

Hi there all, I am looking into getting a pair of Uroplatus. I haven't decided which kind, but that is not my question... All the geckos available to me are Wild Caught, and usually when you buy a wild caught animal you should get it treated for parasites. But, these geckos are very delicate and I'm afraid treating them could kill them. I asked my reptile vet, but he does not have very much experience with them. Others have told me don't treat them unless you have a problem. Anyway, please help me with some input!
Thanks

well yea, the external parasites (i.e. mites) are easy to recognize and relatively easy to get rid of. the internal parasites (coccidians, worms, etc.) are the hard part. they're nearly impossible to detect with the naked eye. you'll have to check out the feces for that. as far as treating them, there are some remedies available, such as panacur or parazap, but from what i've heard from people around here is that you need precise measuring tools and whatnot. when i had a mite problem on my pietschmanni, i took it to the local exotics vet who gave it 3 shots of ivermectin at 2-week intervals. at the end test results came up negative. now im not sure what ivermectin is used for exactly, but i think it was for internal and external parasites. as far as what it treated internally, i dont know.

but as far as i know, one of the biggest hurdles after finding your gecko has parasites is finding a way to treat it. many areas dont have specialized exotic/reptile vets and they arent guaranteed to know what to do with your animals. my vet was pretty inexperienced with uroplatus specifically, but still knows what he's doing. i was a bit scared one of my spiny leaf tails would have dropped its tail when given the shot, but although she struggled a tiny bit when first handled, she took each shot very well. so if you or your vet thinks that he/she is the wrong person to treat your animal(s), see if they can refer you to someone better suited for the job. im pretty sure theres a webpage out there too with a listing of all the reptile-certified (or whatever) vets across the country. hopefully someone else can provide the link for that page.

hope you find good leaf tails and a good vet!

Ivermectin is actually commonly used as a horse wormer.
My reptile vet is excellent when it comes to reptiles, especially turtles which is mostly what I have. I totally trust him with my animals, but he has just not has the oppertunity to work with the Uroplatus. I think what I will do is attempt to get a fecal sample myself, and take it to him. I think it would be too stressful for the vet to get a sample him seflf. I will keep up to date on this forum.

well what my vet has me do anyway is collect any fecal samples i can while they're still fresh, nothing dried out. i would say get a fecal sample and wrap it in a wet/damp tissue or paper towel. the only thing vets can do to get a fecal sample from such small animals is sit back and wait, so yea you can save the vet some time by getting the sample yourself.

You want to get a fresh sample and if you cant get it to the vet right away, put it in a plastic bag in the refrigerator.
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www.wildeyereptiles.com

Chameleons, geckos & invertebrates

Ivermectin kills roundworms (nematodes) as well as snake mites. But dosages have to be calculated very carefully. It doesn't take 500X the normal dose to kill the lizard instead of the parasite. Personally, I like Panacur for roundworms and Praziquantel for tapeworms. But I'm no vet, just an aquarist with a twisted fondness for reptiles.
Rich

Definately have your vet (or someone knowledgeable) run a fecal ASAP. As you already know, all WCs are invariably loaded w/ parasites. All clinical remedies come w/ differing severities of side effects, and in regards to those, should only be dispensed when exact measuring devices are available. PARAZAP is an all natural compound that has had mixed results. I have found it effective in the handling of nematodes, while its effects on coccidians is negligible. This is a topic that I could go ramble on substantially, but I'll try to sum up...Before you do ANYTHING, continue your research on these amazing animals and all that goes into their husbandry. They don't tolerate ignorance well. Check this forum regularly, you'll pick up copius amounts of usefull advice. Then, if you do acquire a Uro have a fecal run. I know that in my immediate area there aren't any herp vets that have sufficient knowledge of Uroplatus. Again, if something happens w/ your gecko, someone here has had it happen too....

Well, I think I will wait for them to drop me a sample, and then run it to the vet before I decide on anything. I know that a few parasites are normal, but if there is I really heavy load then I will have them treated. I have heard of people giving the lizards smaller doeses over a longer time. I will talk to my vet about that.