My tortoise has transparent worms in his stool. What should I do now?

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.

It is difficult to determine what they may be based on the images. You can submit a stool sample to your veterinarian. Monitor for lethargy, decreased appetite or loose droppings. These are symptoms that should be addressed by your veterinarian.

These are likely not parasites, but rather insects that made their way into the enclosure. To be sure, you can submit them and a stool sample to your veterinarian to diagnose intestinal parasites. Clean the enclosure and water bowl as planned. Fresh water should be provided daily.

Thanks for reaching out about Peanut. Intestinal parasites (including worms) are fairly common in aquatic turtles. The best thing to do would be to present him and some feces, to a veterinarian for examination and to run a fecal examination. Identification of the parasite will suggest a treatment plan. Some of the worms seen in the aquaria are not pathogenic and live/breed on detritus in the water, but is suggestive of non-ideal water quality. Good luck.

Hello, & thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach. Yes, you should tell your friend about the worms. Intestinal parasites are quite common & over time can cause some serious problems for your tortoise, as well as your friend's. It is important to check a fresh stool sample, at least twice a year, & deworm your pets with an appropriate medication. This should be a part of the routine care that should be given to all tortoises. As for the children, hopefully they know to wash their hands after handling any animals, as all parasites & most other infectious diseases are transmitted through the fecal oral route. Hope this helps. Take care.

Depending on the parasite, your turtle may be fine...or may still be infected but not have any adult parasites. Certain parasites require an intermediate host to complete the lifecycle. Ideally, you should submit a stool sample to your veterinarian to definitively diagnose or rule out infection. if your turtle is positive for parasites, a dewormer can be administered. You may need to repeat it in several weeks.

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.