My iguana has worms. What's the best medicine or treatment for them?

Hello, this is a tricky question as tortoises can have very serious sensitivities to some deworming medications. Therefore, I strongly recommend you bring your tortoise to have an exam by a veterinarian. They can test the feces and tell which parasites might be present and then choose the safest and most effective medication. Please, do not give ivermectin to any tortoise.

Ideally, you should submit a stool sample to your veterinarian to diagnose and identify the worm in question. It may be something normally found in the environment or it could be an intestinal parasite. If it is a parasite, your veterinarian can dispense an appropriate dewormer to treat Toru.

Hello. Good question. Mites unfortunately, are not easy to get rid of. You have to treat both the iguana and her environment. It is not recommended that you use any medications on your iguana without speaking to your vet first. Over the counter treatments do not usually work well and can often times be toxic if not used correctly. No matter what treatment you use it will likely take multiple treatments. It is best to obtain treatments directly from your veterinarian. If you do not already have a vet that you work with, this is a veterinary hospital near you where the vets are well versed in treating reptiles: http://chadwellanimalhospital.com/about-us/the-hospital/ You must also treat Li Mai's environment. Remove her from the cage. Throw away and branches or other organic material including the substrate. Soak the bowls and the enclosure itself in a 10:1 dilution of water to bleach. Let is soak for at least an hour but as long as you can. Be sure to get the bleach water in all the crevices. You will probably have to do this twice weekly over the next few months. Please consult with a veterinarian as these mites can be VERY difficult to get rid of. They can cause a myriad of other health problems including issues with shedding, damaged scales, stress, scratching, and more so you need to work together with a vet you trust to make sure all of her husbandry is correct. This includes her diet, the lighting, the temperatures and humidity in the cage. I hope this helps. Best of luck to you and Li Mai! Dr. Amber

Hi and thank you for your question :) The little bugs you saw are called mites, and they are parasites similar to the ticks dogs get (only much smaller). There are different treatments that can take care of these bugs. One way would be to get an anti-flee spray called 'Frontline' and apply a bit to a piece of cloth. Then whipe it over Roxy. Please have your parants help you with that and use disposable gloves. Otherwise, your vet should be able to treat it by other medications.

Hello and thank you for reaching out to Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach. This appears to be a tapeworm. This can be treated with praziquantel, a type of deworming medication. This can be obtained from your primary veterinarian. I hope this is helpful!

Thanks for reaching out about Turbo. It is not legal to prescribe or give a dose of a medication over the internet, without the veterinarian performing a physical examination. A local veterinarian should be scheduled and a fecal examination performed, so a treatment plan can be presented. Good luck.

Thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! The worms in the photo appear to be tapeworms or, less commonly, pinworms. these can cause impactions and diarrhea, especially in kittens. Unfortunately, I am unable to prescribe medication for Coco without having examined her. However, your veterinarian can quickly determine the exact type of parasites present with a fecal sample and prescribe the appropriate treatment. Because many parasites are transmitted by fleas, it is important for Coco to be on a monthly flea preventative. You should also be careful when cleaning out her litter box to make sure you wash your hands well with soap and water, as some of these parasites can infect humans. I hope all is well!