OH YUCK! filarial worms- now what? *WARNING - nasty worm pics!

[little leaf]

These were actually in a Mt. Horn dragon that passed yesterday - but I also know wc chams can have them- and boy have we had them pouring into the rescue latley -
I do practice very strong hygiene/ quarantine with all the chams and other reptiles , especially the wc rescue - but now I am just so grossed out!
IF I find more in any of the chams, (some are so new in, and not really up to much stress yet) how long is "safe" to wait to adress this issue? These were in the neck, and sides - this is the first time I have delt with them- how common are they?

 

[Scout]

I've seen parasitic worms before but never like that. Did they try and wiggle away when you opened up the Cham?

 

[little leaf]

I've seen parasitic worms before but never like that. Did they try and wiggle away when you opened up the Cham?

Not until the air really hit them- but the neck mass of them did seem to be more "alert " when disturbed -

 

[GrimCamel]

Ouch that must have hurt to have them inside!

 

[DaChameleonKing]

WOAH! That almost made me spit out my oatmeal

 

[Scout]

Not until the air really hit them- but the neck mass of them did seem to be more "alert " when disturbed -

That is very intriguing.. I found a praying mantis acting very weird and all of a sudden a worm broke through the stomach of the mantis and crawled out to find a new host, I assume... It was like watching something from a alien vs predator movie....

 

[GrimCamel]

That is very intriguing.. I found a praying mantis acting very weird and all of a sudden a worm broke through the stomach of the mantis and crawled out to find a new host, I assume... It was like watching something from a alien vs predator movie....

The world can be quite gruesome

 

[little leaf]

That is very intriguing.. I found a praying mantis acting very weird and all of a sudden a worm broke through the stomach of the mantis and crawled out to find a new host, I assume... It was like watching something from a alien vs predator movie....

Horsehair worm I bet, was it black

 

[little leaf]

WOAH! That almost made me spit out my oatmeal

I tried to warn you in the title - lol I was not kidding when I said GROSS - lol

 

[Scout]

Horsehair worm I bet, was it black

Yes it was. I bet your right.

 

[NickyChameleon]

These were actually in a Mt. Horn dragon that passed yesterday - but I also know wc chams can have them- and boy have we had them pouring into the rescue latley -
I do practice very strong hygiene/ quarantine with all the chams and other reptiles , especially the wc rescue - but now I am just so grossed out!
IF I find more in any of the chams, (some are so new in, and not really up to much stress yet) how long is "safe" to wait to adress this issue? These were in the neck, and sides - this is the first time I have delt with them- how common are they?

That looks almost like a regular earthworm, except it's covered in Cham blood and they must now all DIE

 

[DaChameleonKing]

Yeah he might've saw an earthworm crawl out of the soil and he must have ate it I think its an earthworm

That looks almost like a regular earthworm, except it's covered in Cham blood and they must now all DIE

 

[NickyChameleon]

Yeah he might've saw an earthworm crawl out of the soil and he must have ate it I think its an earthworm

Wow. And I was just spitballing....

 

[DaChameleonKing]

If there are more then one then its a parasite if it's just one then it might be an earthworm that he ate on accident

 

[NickyChameleon]

If there are more then one then its a parasite if it's just one then it might be an earthworm that he ate on accident

That would suck. Eating something and that something being a parasitic organism. That's like eating a pizza and the mushrooms suddenly take over your immune system

 

[GrimCamel]

If there are more then one then its a parasite if it's just one then it might be an earthworm that he ate on accident

Hah! Don't be silly...

 

[Lathis]

Unfortunately not an earthworm.

@little leaf - @ferretinmyshoes has some experience with these, I believe. She had a post a few years back about the mosquito vector for filarial worms not being present in the US, so it was likely contracted in the wild and unlikely to be transmitted/contagious once here. You might reach out to her if you have concerns about treatment for a future rescue.

Poor little guy - that must have been very unpleasant

 

[little leaf]

Unfortunately not an earthworm.

@little leaf - @ferretinmyshoes has some experience with these, I believe. She had a post a few years back about the mosquito vector for filarial worms not being present in the US, so it was likely contracted in the wild and unlikely to be transmitted/contagious once here. You might reach out to her if you have concerns about treatment for a future rescue.

Poor little guy - that must have been very unpleasant

I did read that, I have never in person had to deal with as of until now, kinda one of those things I aways wanted to see, but not! Lol my worry is, 9 were sent in, 3 were rehome, 3 died on the 1st and 2nd day, and 3 were here- I don't suppose the others will be free of them

 

[little leaf]

If there are more then one then its a parasite if it's just one then it might be an earthworm that he ate on accident

Their main diet is earthworms, and snails, that worm lives in the skin layer- eww! Lol

 

[wodesorel]

Ugh. Those make warbles seem like teddy bears by comparison, though I bet both are just as deadly in young or weakened animals. Would there be a way to treat them, short of surgery? I would think there is no way to kill them off safely with just meds as they would be trapped and rot inside the body.