# need some info on parasites?



## dertien616 (Jul 28, 2011)

ok so i am fairly new to the hobbies. I have built 4 huge vivariums 200gal - 400 gallons now and had reptiles and amphibians o just recently built a vivarium 7ft tall 7ft wide and 2ft deep peat moss background. i will be using all air plants. i will probably have dart frogs or tree frogs in it or i might do some small reptiles

I dont know anything about parasites the last think i want is to have a parasite ruin this vivarium i have $2000 stuck into it

do i quarantine everything i get for a month or two before i put it in this big vivarium and anything i get should i do fecal sample or is it not a big deal if a frog has them.

also how do you treat a parasite if they have one and and who do i send samples to or go to i need to know every thing on the subject. 

o yeah one more ? can plants transfer anything that will ruin a viv should i do anything to plants before putting them in my vivarium


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## Ed (Sep 19, 2004)

In short everything including plants should be quarantined. You may want to take steps to avoid nemerteans, snails and slugs.. as well as parasites.

If we go by institutional standards (which are fairly rigorous compared to the hobby) then all frogs should be quarantined for 30 days or three clean fecals which ever is longer. Fecals should be done and ideally if you can use a vet that can actually see the frogs then it is probable that you may not have to treat the frogs depending on how the frogs look. There is some paradigm shifts occuring with some of the more progressive vets. (see http://www.dendroboard.com/forum/ge...regular-treatment-parasites-4.html#post298624 for one side) and whether or not your going to be monitoring the condition of the animals on a routine basis (institutions tend to do fecals at least once and usually twice a year. In animals that housed together (you do not have to get fecals from each animal only from the enclosure)). 

Depending on the parasites involved, and the vet you use, you will have more than one option for treatments. As an example for some worms you can use topical ivermectin which is dosed for that frog or an oral treatment which can be dusted (which isn't ideal as you can't be sure that you are going to hit the target dose) on flies or given a bath. If you have help or the vet is willing to do it, larger dendrobatids are easily tubed for exact oral dosing. Some parasites like cocidia can only be controlled and not cured. Once infected, treatment renders the frog asymptomatic but not cleared. 

As with other herp hobbies, people often significantly underestimate the frogs ability to deal with treatments like that... and often overcompensate by treating the frogs as being overly fragile. 

If possible go with a local vet, even if they are willing to consult to get the needed information. If not then there are some vets that do distance consulting but the best treatments are going to originate with a vet that can look at the frogs themselves otherwise you are probably going to get the most conservative treatment regimen. 

Ed


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## dertien616 (Jul 28, 2011)

i read a post that a guy had parasites in his vivarium and he had to take everything apart and staralize everything.

is this necessary if frogs have parasites does it just live in living things or could parasites get behind the background and everywhere throughout the enclosure?


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## Ed (Sep 19, 2004)

dertien616 said:


> i read a post that a guy had parasites in his vivarium and he had to take everything apart and staralize everything.
> 
> is this necessary if frogs have parasites does it just live in living things or could parasites get behind the background and everywhere throughout the enclosure?


This depends on the parasite. Search Rhabdias on the forum. 

Not trying to be offensive but if you don't use proper sentence structure, your less likely to get good information as people have to figure out what you want to know. 

Ed


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