coccidiosis

[kazz]

I didn't find vet thread (and it's very odd really). So I am writing here.

After necropsy of 1811 pet snakes 60% had parasites, 39.5% had helmints and 14.5% had amebas.
Из 1811 вскрытых змей у 60% были обнаружены паразиты. Из общего числа 716 змей (39,5 %) были поражены гельминтами и 263 (14,5%) - амебами.
Coccidiosis is a dangerous illness . Among snakes lethal end as a result.
10% deaths of snakes are caused with Coccidiosis and have no symptoms.
Coccidiosis it's attack of monocelled parasites.

In the internet I found a treatment but it's in Russian sorry.

Терапия. В качестве начальной дозы все змеи получают сульфадиметоксин (Trafigal), 90 мг/кг, перорально, в течение 5 последующих дней — половину дозы. Также рекомендуется сульфаметацин в начальной дозе 75 мг/кг, в последующие 5 дней по 40 мг/кг, а также формо-сульфатиазол (Socatyl) по 50 — 60 мг/кг ежедневно в течение 5 дней.

So does freezing birds and rodents kill this monocelled parasites ? How long it needed to be freezed ?

By the way at farms chickens and rabbits receive drugs to their food to prevent Coccidiosis. It's interesting can we add it to snakes food too ?

[ClockwerkBonnet]

Rodents kept on drugs can affect the snake eating them, and I doubt it does so in a good way.

[kazz]

I mean adding anti Coccidiosis drugs to snake inserting them into snake's food to prevent Coccidiosis.
Anyway the main point of a topic it's how freezing affect on monocelled parasites.

[Andy_G]

Originally Posted by kazz

So does freezing birds and rodents kill this monocelled parasites ? How long it needed to be freezed ?

It will kill or reduce the number of protozoa, but oocysts (eggs) can withstand freezing temperatures. Freezing reduces the number of protozoa in a prey animal, but it doesn't kill everything. I believe I recall reading that they can survive up to as cold as -14C, but it's been a while since I looked.

[pet_snake_78]

There are drugs to treat it in snakes but those drugs aren't something you want to willy nilly give to reptiles. When you have a fecal done the eggs are detected if they are shedding. Based on the number of eggs, your vet will determine if the infection needs to be treated. Very low numbers generally aren't a concern, but if your animals immune system becomes weak or if you don't clean feces out immediately and thoroughly the numbers can easily skyrocket to dangerous numbers. Obviously a naturalistic enclosure is not good if you have parasite positive animals and I would treat in a simple setup before adding such an animal to one. Also these coccidia are not the easiest thing to get rid of and you need to do about 3 followup fecals over several weeks to make sure it is really gone. I have had animals test negative then positive even after treatment and watching for feces like a hawk. Based on my experience, I dont think captive animals are getting it from their food but they are simply either coming into the country with it or getting it from other captive animals or cross contamination by keepers. Positive animals should be services last, wear gloves, and wash hands between enclosures. In my case all animals that had were low numbers that were not considered a danger to their health but I treated to prevent cross contamination risks. However, I have found other parasites to be more common such as hookworms and fortunately are a little easier to get rid of.

[kazz]

Originally Posted by Andy_G

I believe I recall reading that they can survive up to as cold as -14C, but it's been a while since I looked.

Don't usual refrigerator has a freezer -18C ? And how long can coccidia survive under -18C ?

[kazz]

pet_snake_78, we don't have snake vets at all.
In my case I am pretty sure my snake has coccidia via eating chicken.
The matter I took couple recently died chicken at a local market. And one was eaten by my snake. Next day I took 2 more at the same place and one of them was alive. I bring them at home one placed in a freezer and gave antibiotic to alive chicken, but it died ( After that I goggled symptoms and one woman ask aboy the same symptoms on vet forum and after she said she tested her chicken and it was positive about coccidia.

So I am going to start a treatment by myself.

Also these coccidia are not the easiest thing to get rid of and you need to do about 3 followup fecals over several weeks to make sure it is really gone.

1. What should I use to wash with ? We don't have reptile shops.I need something regular thing.
2. How should I wash branches and snake ?
Thanx for your help.

[Jim Smith]

Coccidiosis is EXTREMELY contagious and deadly in chickens. When I was a teenager, I worked at a farm that had several chicken houses, each with about 12-1500 birds in them. At 9am one of the farmhands walked into one of the barns that had chickens infected with coccidiosis. Then, without thinking he walked across the field to the next chicken house with 1200 'free ranging birds in it to check it out. Everything was fine. By 3pm that afternoon, the birds in the second barn were all dead or dying. He had tracked it in on the soles of his boots and the free ranging chickens had picked up and it spread through the remainder of the flock like wildfire. If coccidiosis is a problem where you live, I would find another food source (i.e. not chicken) for your reptiles. It's just not worth the risk. Coccidiosis is very difficult to disinfect from. Here's a link to an article addressing the issues with some recommendations. Best of luck and please keep us posted on your progress/success Coccidiosis

[kazz]

Jim Smith, from your link

Most disinfectants do not work well against coccidia; incineration of the feces, and steam cleaning, immersion in boiling water or a 10% ammonia solution are the best methods to kill coccidia. Coccidia can withstand freezing.

So coccidia can survive with -18C ?
Can I wash a viv and the snake with 10% ammonia solution ? It seems to me it's very smelly

[Jim Smith]

It sounds like the 10% ammonia solution is probably your best bet. If I did this, I'd move all of my reptiles to another room, wash out all of the cages the best I could. Let them sit for 24 hours then go in an wash them all again with clean water at least twice. Let them dry out and see if the odor has dissipated. If it has, I'd still air it out for 24 hours before reintroducing my animals to the room. Also wash all of your utensils, water bowls, hides, hemostats, snake hooks etc in the ammonia solution and rinse them well in clean water, especially the water bowls and hides. Good luck and please keep us posted.

[kazz]

Jim Smith, what about 90% C2H5OH ?

[kazz]

There is chance my snake didn't catch coccidia but I have to treat her just in case.
Actually she took her food 3 days ago and she didn't piss or defecate yet. And today I gave her first drug. There is 5 drugs more.
I can't get how to wash the snake.

[Jim Smith]

I'm not sure if Ethanol will disinfect as well as the 10% Ammonia, but it may work okay.

[kazz]

Take a look. Looks like a week of freezing kills occidia. Am I right ?

[kazz]

I gave to my snake a drug with 5ml of water using syringe with 5 cm pipe. Is it okay ?