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ranging , wild reptiles as these animals can move away from their faecal material to break the faecal-oral cycle of most of these parasites . Captive reptiles are constrained by their enclosures , which prevent them from getting too far away from their faeces . Over time this can cause a superinfection of parasites leading to the heavy burdens which cause disease . The key to preventing heavy burdens in captive reptiles is to break the faecal-oral cycle . Consideration s include : � altering the feeding routine ; � suitable choice of substrate , and ; � enclosure disinfection and cleaning .
Changing your feeding regime is a good way to help prevent the spread of parasite eggs from faeces to your pet . Feeding lizards invertebrates , such as crickets , as part of a balanced diet is essential , however placing the invertebrates in the enclosure and allowing them to roam freely until the lizard eats them can exacerbate a parasite problem . The invertebrates will both ingest the reptile faecal material containing the parasite eggs and collect it on their external surfaces ; when the invertebrates are consumed by a lizard , this will perpetuate the parasite ’ s life cycle , resulting in a heavier burden . Feeding insects via tweezers or feeding lizards in a separate container - allowing them to eat as many insects as they can in five minutes before replacing them in their enclosure - breaks this cycle .
There is a wide variety of substrates available , ranging from those that are easy to clean ( e . g . newspaper ) to those that look good but are harder to keep clean ( e . g . bark chips and reptile sand ). It is important to find an appropriate balance between the aesthetics and enrichment benefits , and hygiene and ease of cleaning . It is also important to assess the depth of the substrate - the deeper it is the harder it will be to keep clean . Regardless of the option you choose , the enclosure should be cleaned regularly with a suitable disinfectant , and faecal material should be removed as soon as possible and not allowing it to sit in the enclosure . A regular complete disinfection of the enclosure with a commercial grade disinfectant ( e . g . F10 or Trigene ) will help reduce the parasitic load in the enclosure and prevent further reinfestation from faecal contamination .
Parasitology in Health and Disease , in Doneley , B ., Monks , D ., Johnson , R ., and Carmel , B . ( eds .), Reptile Medicine and Surgery in Clinical Practice , Wiley- Blackwell , Oxford , UK . Grenier , E . and Mader , D . 2006 , Parasitology , in Divers , S . and Mader , D . ( eds ), Reptile Medicine and Surgery , 2 nd Edn ., Saunders , Elsevier , Netherlands .
Dr Tom can be contacted at the Glenorie Vet Clinic on ( 02 ) 9652 1338 or via glenvet @ bigpond . com
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Prevention is better than a cure ; intestinal parasites are common in young captive reptiles , and the maintenance of appropriate management protocols coupled with regular veterinary examination of faecal samples will help prevent the necessity for more complicated treatments .
References : Klingenberg , R . J . 2007 , Understating Reptile Parasites , 2 nd Edn ., The Herpetocultural Library , Advanced Vivarium Systems . Irvine , California . Slapita , J ., Modry , D . and Johnson , R . 2018 , Reptile
Image by Michael Cermak .