Heika
New Member
I recently had a terrible experience with a beautiful nosy be female that has been in my care since February. She was purchased as a CB animal, and was around 6 months old when I received her. I don't believe in breeding chameleons young, and so I waited to breed her until just recently. The breeding was successful, and she began showing the typical signs of being gravid. When it came time to lay her eggs, it was obvious that something was wrong. I suspected she was egg bound, and took her to the vet. X-rays confirmed that she was gravid, and believing she was egg bound, my vet prescribed medication to induce labor. X-rays also showed that her bone density was not good. This was extremely concerning for me, because she had been kept under UVB lights, supplemented, and fed well gutloaded feeders for her entire time with me.
Despite the drug to induce labor, she didn't lay. The following morning, she was in very bad shape. I took her back to the vet. After some discussion, my vet and I agreed that removing the eggs and spaying her at the same time was the best option. If she survived, I planned to rehab the MBD and then rehome her to a pet home. My vet began the procedure.. cut into her abdomen.. and a worm popped out of the incision. To my horror and his, her abdomen was filled with filarial worms. There were somewhere around a hundred or more of these worms, all feasting on her organs and eggs. My vet did his best to remove them all, but she died within 10 minutes of being sewn back up.
At no time was a subcutaneous worm ever visible on this female. In addition, fecals performed were all clear of parasites. All animals that I purchase are given routine fecals to make sure they don't need to be medicated, but filarial worms in a CB animal was simply not considered to be a problem, and she wasn't checked for them. Neither were the other animals, also CB, that I acquired from the same source. At least nutrient robbing, organ destroying worms explains why she had MBD, but that is very small consolation.
I have some questions for the experts on this forum, because I am simply at a loss as to how to proceed. The animals came to me in my region's winter from a more tropical location. Mosquitoes are the common carrier of these worms, and up until the last two or three weeks, it hasn't been warm enough for them. I haven't seen any in my shop, and all of the chameleons live in screen caging that would prevent mosquitoes from entering the cages to spread the disease from one animal to another. Due to the MBD, it is believed that this female carried the worms for quite some time before being overcome by them while she was gravid. I have reason to believe that at least one other chameleon from the same source is also infected with the worms.
Now, the questions. For the experts.. what are the chances that the rest of my chameleons, both from the same source and ones that I acquired from other breeders, are infected? Should I perform blood tests on all of the chameleons, or just the ones that were shipped from this breeder? Can filarial worms be transferred sexually? What is the best method for treating them? My vet prescribed panacur, which has now been administered to every single animal in the shop, as a precautionary step. He feels that low doses of orally administered ivermectin would be more effective. In researching, I have read that ivermectin kills the microfilarials too quickly, and causes them to clog the bloodstream, etc. Would the best strategy be to perform blood tests and cull any animals that have been infected? Will panacur kill the microfilarials? Finally, what is the best strategy for collecting blood from a chameleon for blood smears?
I do realize that admitting to a dangerous, contagious and deadly infestation in some of my chameleons could be considered economic suicide if I ever plan to sell any of my chameleon's offspring. I am asking for assistance on a public forum because the wellbeing of my animals is my primary concern and I know that the knowledge I seek is here amongst our members, whether they will publicly admit to it or not. If someone does not feel comfortable posting a reply on the forum and has information that can assist my vet (who primarily treats mammals) and I in treating this, please feel free to email me privately at [email protected].
Thanks for any help!
Heika
Despite the drug to induce labor, she didn't lay. The following morning, she was in very bad shape. I took her back to the vet. After some discussion, my vet and I agreed that removing the eggs and spaying her at the same time was the best option. If she survived, I planned to rehab the MBD and then rehome her to a pet home. My vet began the procedure.. cut into her abdomen.. and a worm popped out of the incision. To my horror and his, her abdomen was filled with filarial worms. There were somewhere around a hundred or more of these worms, all feasting on her organs and eggs. My vet did his best to remove them all, but she died within 10 minutes of being sewn back up.
At no time was a subcutaneous worm ever visible on this female. In addition, fecals performed were all clear of parasites. All animals that I purchase are given routine fecals to make sure they don't need to be medicated, but filarial worms in a CB animal was simply not considered to be a problem, and she wasn't checked for them. Neither were the other animals, also CB, that I acquired from the same source. At least nutrient robbing, organ destroying worms explains why she had MBD, but that is very small consolation.
I have some questions for the experts on this forum, because I am simply at a loss as to how to proceed. The animals came to me in my region's winter from a more tropical location. Mosquitoes are the common carrier of these worms, and up until the last two or three weeks, it hasn't been warm enough for them. I haven't seen any in my shop, and all of the chameleons live in screen caging that would prevent mosquitoes from entering the cages to spread the disease from one animal to another. Due to the MBD, it is believed that this female carried the worms for quite some time before being overcome by them while she was gravid. I have reason to believe that at least one other chameleon from the same source is also infected with the worms.
Now, the questions. For the experts.. what are the chances that the rest of my chameleons, both from the same source and ones that I acquired from other breeders, are infected? Should I perform blood tests on all of the chameleons, or just the ones that were shipped from this breeder? Can filarial worms be transferred sexually? What is the best method for treating them? My vet prescribed panacur, which has now been administered to every single animal in the shop, as a precautionary step. He feels that low doses of orally administered ivermectin would be more effective. In researching, I have read that ivermectin kills the microfilarials too quickly, and causes them to clog the bloodstream, etc. Would the best strategy be to perform blood tests and cull any animals that have been infected? Will panacur kill the microfilarials? Finally, what is the best strategy for collecting blood from a chameleon for blood smears?
I do realize that admitting to a dangerous, contagious and deadly infestation in some of my chameleons could be considered economic suicide if I ever plan to sell any of my chameleon's offspring. I am asking for assistance on a public forum because the wellbeing of my animals is my primary concern and I know that the knowledge I seek is here amongst our members, whether they will publicly admit to it or not. If someone does not feel comfortable posting a reply on the forum and has information that can assist my vet (who primarily treats mammals) and I in treating this, please feel free to email me privately at [email protected].
Thanks for any help!
Heika