Recent Posts

Parasites in Reptiles: The Silent Threat Every Keeper Should Screen For

TL;DR

  • Parasites are extremely common in captive reptiles. Studies have found parasites in over 90% of sampled reptile feces. Because reptiles are hardwired to hide illness, parasitic infections often go undetected until they become severe. Routine fecal testing is the only reliable way to catch problems early.
  • Internal parasites range from relatively harmless (low-level pinworms in herbivorous lizards) to devastating (Cryptosporidium, which has no reliable cure and can be fatal). Each type of parasite requires a different treatment, which is why proper veterinary diagnosis matters before medicating.
  • External parasites like snake mites and ticks are visible to the naked eye if you know what to look for. Beyond direct blood loss, mites can transmit deadly secondary infections including Inclusion Body Disease (IBD) in boas and pythons.
  • Every new reptile should go through a strict quarantine period of 30 to 90 days with at least one fecal test before joining your collection. This single practice prevents more disease outbreaks than any other.
  • Treatment should always go through an experienced reptile veterinarian. Common medications include fenbendazole (Panacur) for worms, metronidazole for flagellates, and toltrazuril or sulfa drugs for coccidia. "Blind" deworming without a diagnosis risks drug-resistant parasites and unnecessary side effects.

Introduction: The Invisible Threat in Your Reptile's Enclosure

Here is a statistic that catches most keepers off guard: a coprological study of captive reptiles found parasites in over 93% of fecal samples tested. That number includes nematodes, trematodes, pentastomids, and protozoans. The takeaway is not that your reptile is definitely infected, but that the odds of encountering parasites at some point in your keeping journey are extremely high.

What makes parasites so dangerous to captive reptiles is the silence. Reptiles evolved as both predators and prey, and they are biologically programmed to mask weakness. A ball python carrying a heavy roundworm load will look and act completely normal until the infection reaches a tipping point. A bearded dragon with a raging coccidia infection may eat enthusiastically right up until the damage to its intestinal lining becomes catastrophic. By the time most keepers notice symptoms, the parasitic burden has already done significant damage.

This reptile parasites guide covers everything you need to know: every major internal and external parasite you are likely to encounter, the diagnostic tools your vet uses to find them, the medications used to treat them, and a practical prevention framework that starts with quarantine and ends with routine screening.

For species-specific husbandry parameters that form the foundation of parasite prevention, The Tye-Dyed Iguana's care sheets are an excellent starting point.

Why Reptiles Are So Vulnerable to Parasites

Reptiles are particularly susceptible to parasitic infections for several interconnected reasons. First, they are ectothermic. Their immune function is directly tied to environmental temperature. When a reptile cannot thermoregulate properly because enclosure temperatures are too low, its immune defenses weaken significantly. White blood cell activity slows, the body's inflammatory response becomes sluggish, and parasites that were being held in check by a healthy immune system suddenly have room to multiply unchecked. This is why proper temperature gradients are not just about comfort. They are the foundation of your reptile's ability to resist disease.

Second, many parasite lifecycles involve the fecal-oral route. The reptile passes eggs or cysts in its feces, and if the enclosure is not cleaned promptly, the animal ingests them again, reinfecting itself in a cycle that amplifies the parasite load with every pass. In species that spend a lot of time on the ground, like tortoises and bearded dragons, this reinfection cycle can escalate quickly in enclosures with poor spot-cleaning habits.

Third, many reptile parasites spread between animals through shared equipment, contaminated substrate, feeder insects, and even on the keeper's hands and clothing. A single infected animal introduced to a collection without quarantine can seed parasites through every enclosure if biosecurity practices are not in place.

Internal Parasites: The Major Players

Internal parasites range from relatively benign passengers to life-threatening pathogens. Understanding which parasites you are dealing with matters enormously because each type requires a different treatment approach.

Pinworms (Oxyurids)

Pinworms are the most common intestinal parasite in insectivorous and herbivorous reptiles, particularly bearded dragons, leopard geckos, and tortoises. They are visible to the naked eye as small, white, thread-like worms roughly half an inch long near the cloaca or in fresh feces.

Interestingly, pinworms are not always a problem. In herbivorous reptiles like tortoises and iguanas, low-level pinworm populations may actually help break down complex plant fibers in the hindgut. Many reptile vets now consider small pinworm loads in these species to be normal flora rather than a disease.

However, when loads become excessive due to poor hygiene or immunosuppression, pinworms cause weight loss, lethargy, decreased appetite, and potentially intestinal impaction. Crickets are a primary vector for pinworm transmission, which is one reason experienced keepers prefer Dubia roaches and other alternative feeders.

Roundworms (Ascarids)

Roundworms are a more serious threat. These large worms attach to the intestinal wall and absorb nutrients directly from the host, causing malnutrition, muscle wasting, diarrhea, and significant weight loss even in animals that continue eating. When passed in feces, they have a distinctive spaghetti-like appearance.

The lifecycle involves shedding eggs in feces. If the enclosure is not cleaned promptly, the reptile ingests the eggs and the cycle restarts. In some species, larvae can even penetrate through the skin. Roundworms are commonly picked up from wild-caught feeder insects, contaminated substrates, and unquarantined new animals.

Hookworms

Hookworms attach firmly to the intestinal mucosa and feed on blood, leading to severe anemia, bloody stool, and gastrointestinal distress. Their eggs are microscopic and require fecal flotation testing to detect. Hookworms are less common in captive-bred reptiles but are a concern with wild-caught animals.

Coccidia

Coccidia are single-celled protozoal parasites (including genera like Eimeria, Isospora, and Choleoeimeria) that infect the intestinal tract and cause significant damage to the intestinal lining. Symptoms are often dramatic: highly foul-smelling, runny stool, rapid dehydration, regurgitation, and profound lethargy.

The good news is that coccidiosis is very treatable. Sulfa drugs (such as Albon) and toltrazuril are standard treatments. However, sulfa drugs require strict hydration to prevent kidney damage, and dosing must be accurate. Always work through your vet.

Cryptosporidium: The One Every Keeper Fears

If there is one parasite that sends a chill through the reptile community, it is Cryptosporidium. In snakes, Cryptosporidium serpentis causes gastric hypertrophy and the hallmark symptom of postprandial regurgitation. In lizards, Cryptosporidium saurophilum causes severe diarrhea and dramatic weight loss, sometimes called "stick tail disease."

What makes Cryptosporidium terrifying is threefold. First, it auto-infects its host, creating an escalating internal infection the animal cannot escape. Second, there is currently no universally effective cure, and mortality can exceed 50%. Third, the oocysts are incredibly environmentally resistant and can survive standard disinfection, meaning contaminated enclosures remain infectious even after thorough cleaning.

This is why quarantine and fecal testing of new animals is absolutely critical. One Crypto-positive animal introduced without screening can devastate an entire collection.

Flagellates: Giardia, Trichomonas, and Hexamita

Flagellated protozoans use whip-like appendages for movement and commonly inhabit the reptile gut. Many reptiles carry low-level flagellate populations without symptoms. Problems start when immunosuppression from poor husbandry or stress allows populations to explode, causing watery diarrhea, mucus in the stool, weight loss, and dehydration.

Metronidazole (Flagyl) is the standard treatment, but it must be dosed carefully. High doses cross the blood-brain barrier and cause severe neurological toxicity, particularly in colubrids like indigo snakes and kingsnakes. This is another reason veterinary oversight is non-negotiable.

External Parasites: Mites and Ticks

External parasites live on the reptile's body surface and feed on blood. While internal parasites require a microscope to detect, ectoparasites are visible to the naked eye if you know where to look.

Snake Mites (Ophionyssus natricis)

The common snake mite is the most prevalent ectoparasite in captive collections. Despite the name, they infest lizards too. These tiny arthropods are about the size of a poppy seed and appear as small black or reddish-brown dots.

How to Identify Snake Mites

Mites congregate where blood vessels are close to the surface: around the eyes (especially under the spectacle in snakes), in gular folds, armpits, around the vent, and between scales. Run your hands gently along the body and feel for tiny bumps. Check the water dish for floating black specks, as mite-infested reptiles soak excessively trying to drown the parasites.

Why Mites Are More Dangerous Than They Look

Mites are mechanical vectors for serious diseases including Aeromonas hydrophila (infectious stomatitis and septicemia), paramyxovirus, and Inclusion Body Disease (IBD) in boas and pythons. Heavy infestations also cause dysecdysis (retained shed), anemia, stress, and immune suppression that makes the reptile vulnerable to secondary infections.

Reptile Mite Treatment

Treating mites requires attacking both the animal and the environment simultaneously. Mites lay eggs in enclosure crevices, not on the reptile, so treating only the animal guarantees reinfestation.

For the animal: Soak in lukewarm water (a drop of Dawn dish soap breaks surface tension to drown mites). A light coating of coconut oil can smother survivors. For persistent infestations, veterinary-approved fipronil (Frontline) applied via cloth can be effective under vet guidance.

For the environment: Strip the enclosure completely. Discard substrate and sanitize or replace all decor. Provent-a-Mite (permethrin-based spray) is the gold standard for environmental mite control. During treatment, house the reptile on paper towels in a simplified setup. Monitor for at least two to three weeks after the last mite sighting, as eggs take time to hatch.

Ticks

Ticks are most commonly found on wild-caught or imported reptiles and those housed outdoors. They attach under scales, around nostrils, and around the eyes. Remove ticks with fine-tipped tweezers, grasping as close to the skin as possible and pulling straight out with steady pressure. Do not twist or crush. Clean the bite site with dilute chlorhexidine or betadine. If multiple ticks are present, visit your vet for secondary infection screening.

Why Fecal Testing Matters

If there is one takeaway from this entire reptile parasites guide, it is this: get regular fecal tests done. A reptile fecal test is the single most important diagnostic tool in parasite management and the only way to know what is happening inside your animal before symptoms appear.

Why You Cannot Skip the Fecal Test

Most internal parasites are completely invisible without microscopic examination. You will not see coccidia oocysts, flagellate trophozoites, or hookworm eggs with your naked eye. A reptile can carry a significant parasite load for months without passing visible worms. Because reptiles hide illness so effectively, waiting for symptoms before testing puts your animal at unnecessary risk.

How Often Should Reptiles Get Fecal Tests?

Veterinary consensus recommends fecal screening at minimum once a year for established, healthy reptiles. Twice a year is better for collections. Beyond routine screening, test whenever you acquire a new reptile (during quarantine), when your reptile shows illness signs, after completing anti-parasitic medication, and before placing animals into bioactive enclosures.

How the Fecal Test Works

Collect a fresh sample (less than 24 hours old), keep it moist and refrigerated, and bring it to your exotic vet. The lab uses one or more methods:

Direct smear: Feces mixed with saline and examined under a microscope. Good for detecting motile protozoans but can miss low-level infections.

Fecal flotation: A solution causes parasite eggs and oocysts to float to the surface for collection and examination. The most commonly used method, effective for nematode eggs and coccidia oocysts.

Stoll's method: A quantitative technique that estimates egg counts per gram of feces, helping determine whether the load is clinically significant. Used more frequently in zoological settings and by reptile medicine specialists.

No single test is 100% sensitive. False negatives occur, which is why some vets recommend both a direct smear and flotation on the same sample, and why repeated testing over time is more reliable than a single snapshot.

Recognizing Symptoms of Parasitic Infection

While fecal testing is the only definitive diagnostic method, knowing the clinical signs helps you catch problems earlier.

Signs of Internal Parasites

  • Weight loss despite normal eating: The classic sign. Parasites siphon nutrients before the animal can absorb them. Look for gradual thinning along the spine and tail base.
  • Abnormal feces: Runny, watery, or unusually foul-smelling stool. Diarrhea, mucus, color changes, and bloody stool (indicating hookworms or severe intestinal damage).
  • Visible worms: White thread-like worms (pinworms) or larger spaghetti-like worms (roundworms) in feces. Their absence does not mean the animal is parasite-free.
  • Regurgitation: Consistent regurgitation in snakes is a hallmark of Cryptosporidium. Seek veterinary care immediately.
  • Lethargy: Unusual tiredness, excessive hiding, dull sunken eyes, and decreased responsiveness.
  • Dehydration: Wrinkled skin, sunken eyes, dry mucous membranes, and loss of skin elasticity.

Signs of External Parasites

  • Excessive soaking: Sudden, abnormal time spent in the water dish. Check water for tiny floating specks.
  • Rubbing and agitation: Rubbing against enclosure furniture to dislodge parasites.
  • Dysecdysis: Stuck or patchy sheds caused by mite interference.
  • Visible specks: Tiny black, brown, or red moving dots concentrated around eyes and in skin folds.

Treatment: What Your Vet Will Prescribe

Once infection is confirmed, treatment must target the specific parasite. Different parasites require different medications, and using the wrong drug or dose can be ineffective at best and harmful at worst.

Fenbendazole (Panacur) for Worms

Fenbendazole is the most widely used dewormer in reptile medicine, effective against pinworms, roundworms, and hookworms. It disrupts parasite energy metabolism, effectively starving the worms. It is generally well-tolerated, but dosing is weight-based and overdosing can be lethal. Treatment often involves multiple doses at intervals to catch parasites at different lifecycle stages.

Metronidazole (Flagyl) for Flagellates

Metronidazole targets flagellated protozoans like Giardia, Hexamita, and Trichomonas. Typical dosing ranges from 20 mg/kg to 50 mg/kg orally every 48 hours. The critical concern is neurotoxicity at high doses, causing head tilt, circling, and seizure-like episodes, particularly in colubrids. Veterinary dosing supervision is essential.

Toltrazuril and Sulfa Drugs for Coccidia

Toltrazuril targets multiple coccidial lifecycle stages and often requires fewer doses than traditional sulfa drug protocols. Sulfa drugs (like sulfadimethoxine/Albon) remain effective but require careful hydration management to prevent kidney damage.

Praziquantel for Tapeworms and Flukes

Praziquantel (Droncit) treats cestode and trematode infections, less common in pet reptiles but a concern with wild-caught animals. It can be administered orally or by injection.

Why "Blind" Deworming Is a Bad Idea

Prophylactic deworming without fecal testing is falling out of favor for good reasons. Without knowing which parasite is present, you might use the wrong medication entirely. Routine indiscriminate deworming contributes to drug-resistant strains. And anti-parasitic medications disrupt the gut microbiome and carry toxicity risks. The right approach is always: test first, identify the parasite, then treat specifically.

Post-Treatment Care

Restore the Gut Microbiome

Anti-parasitic drugs disrupt beneficial gut bacteria along with the parasites. After treatment, reptile-specific probiotics like NutriBAC help replenish intestinal microflora and support appetite recovery.

Address Dehydration

Parasitic infections frequently cause dehydration. Reptile electrolyte soaks encourage drinking and fluid absorption through the cloaca. Your vet may recommend subcutaneous fluids for severely dehydrated animals.

Optimize Husbandry and Follow Up

Ensure temperature gradients, humidity, and cleanliness are dialed in during recovery. A reptile with proper immune support recovers faster. Always schedule a follow-up fecal test two to four weeks after the last dose to confirm treatment success. Do not assume parasites are gone just because the animal looks better.

Quarantine Protocols: Your First Line of Defense

Quarantine every new reptile. Every single one. No exceptions. It does not matter if the animal came from a reputable breeder, a pet store, a rescue, or an expo. Quarantine is how you prevent one infected animal from seeding parasites through your entire collection.

Duration and Setup

A minimum of 30 days is the absolute floor, but 60 to 90 days is strongly recommended. The quarantine animal should ideally be in a completely separate room. The setup should be simple: paper towel substrate, plastic hides that can be sanitized or discarded, a simple water dish cleaned daily, and proper temperatures and humidity for the species.

Quarantine Hygiene

  • Handle the quarantined animal last in your daily routine
  • Use dedicated tools for the quarantine enclosure
  • Wash hands thoroughly after any contact
  • Change your shirt before handling established animals if you suspect health concerns
  • Submit at least one fecal sample during quarantine, ideally two spaced a few weeks apart

The Bioactive Enclosure Challenge

Bioactive terrariums are beautiful and enriching, but they create a unique parasite management problem. The isopods and springtails that process waste can become paratenic (transport) hosts for parasites. If your reptile passes eggs in its feces and isopods consume that feces, the parasites survive inside the isopods. If the reptile then eats those isopods, it reinfects itself in an unbreakable loop.

You cannot effectively sanitize a bioactive enclosure without destroying it. If a significant outbreak occurs, the keeper must often tear the entire setup down: discard substrate, clean-up crew, and potentially live plants, then sanitize and rebuild from scratch.

The lesson is not to avoid bioactive setups. The lesson is to make absolutely sure any reptile going into one has been thoroughly screened with clean fecal tests first. Prevention is infinitely easier than demolition.

Zoonotic Risk: Can Reptile Parasites Spread to Humans?

The answer is more reassuring than most people expect. The vast majority of internal parasites that infect reptiles are strictly host-specific and cannot survive in the human body. Common reptile parasites like coccidia, pinworms, and reptile-specific Cryptosporidium strains pose no direct threat to humans.

The Real Zoonotic Concerns

Salmonella is the primary risk. Salmonella bacteria reside naturally in the reptile gut and are shed in feces. Nearly all reptiles should be assumed to carry it. Transmission occurs through the fecal-oral route, making handwashing after handling absolutely essential. Salmonellosis is particularly dangerous for young children, the elderly, pregnant women, and immunocompromised individuals.

Other rare concerns include mycobacteriosis from aquatic reptiles (skin infections through open wounds) and pentastomiasis (extremely rare, typically associated with consuming undercooked reptile meat rather than normal pet keeping).

Keeping Your Family Safe

Basic hygiene virtually eliminates all zoonotic risk: wash hands with soap after handling any reptile, do not kiss your reptiles, clean reptile equipment away from food preparation areas, and supervise children during reptile interactions.

Prevention: Building a Parasite-Resistant Keeping Practice

The best management strategy prevents significant infections from developing in the first place.

Quarantine Everything New

Every new animal gets quarantined and fecal-tested before joining your collection. The cost of a quarantine setup and fecal test is trivial compared to treating an entire collection for a parasite one unscreened animal brought in.

Maintain Impeccable Hygiene

Because so many parasite lifecycles depend on the fecal-oral route, prompt removal of feces is one of the most effective prevention measures. Spot-clean daily. Perform regular deep cleans with reptile-safe disinfectant. For animals with managed low-level loads, even more vigilant cleaning prevents numbers from climbing.

Use Quality Captive-Bred Feeders

Wild-caught insects carry parasites, pesticide residues, and other pathogens. Always use captive-bred feeders from reputable suppliers. Dubia roaches carry a lower parasite risk than crickets. Visit The Tye-Dyed Iguana for quality feeder insects and guidance on selecting the right feeders for your species.

Optimize Husbandry for Immune Support

A reptile with a properly functioning immune system can manage low-level parasite populations without intervention. This requires correct temperature gradients, species-appropriate nutrition with proper supplementation, adequate UVB lighting for diurnal species, and minimized stress through proper hides, appropriate enclosure sizing, and limited unnecessary handling.

For detailed species-specific parameters, The Tye-Dyed Iguana's care sheets provide the guidance you need.

Schedule Routine Fecal Screens

Make fecal testing part of your annual reptile healthcare routine. At minimum once a year, twice for collections. It is inexpensive, non-invasive, and catches problems while they are still easy to address.

The Normal Parasite Load Debate

Not every positive fecal test requires treatment, and this is an important nuance that often gets lost in discussions about reptile parasites. Contemporary reptile medicine increasingly recognizes that some low-level parasite loads, particularly pinworms in herbivorous species, may be normal and even beneficial. The host-parasite relationship is the product of millions of years of co-evolution, and in many cases the host and parasite have reached a biological equilibrium where the parasite exists at low levels without causing clinical disease.

Aggressively treating every trace of every parasite can actually do more harm than good. It disrupts the gut microbiome, exposes the animal to unnecessary medication side effects, and contributes to the development of drug-resistant parasite strains. This is the same concern that has plagued the livestock deworming industry, and it is increasingly relevant in herpetoculture.

Quantitative testing methods like the Stoll's technique help resolve this dilemma by estimating egg counts per gram of feces, allowing the vet to judge whether the load warrants treatment or simply monitoring. The decision to treat should be based on the parasite type, the quantity present, whether the animal is showing clinical symptoms, the species involved, and the animal's overall health status. This is always a conversation to have with your reptile veterinarian, who can weigh all of these factors together.

Conclusion: Proactive Screening Is the Best Medicine

Parasites are a reality of reptile keeping. They are common, they are diverse, and because reptiles are masters at hiding illness, they can cause significant damage long before you notice anything is wrong. But the good news is that with the right knowledge and consistent practices, parasites are also highly manageable.

The framework is straightforward: quarantine every new animal for 30 to 90 days with fecal testing before introduction, maintain clean enclosures with prompt waste removal, feed quality captive-bred prey items, keep husbandry parameters dialed in to support strong immune function, and get regular fecal tests done at least once a year. When parasites are found, work with an experienced reptile veterinarian to identify the specific organism and treat with the appropriate targeted medication. Always follow up with retesting to confirm the treatment was successful.

Do not panic over a positive fecal test. That is exactly what the test is for. Finding parasites through routine screening while the animal is still healthy and asymptomatic is infinitely better than discovering them when the animal is already in crisis. Early detection through regular testing is the cornerstone of effective parasite management, and it is one of the simplest things you can do to protect your animals.

Your reptile is depending on you to be proactive about its health. Parasites may be silent, but your response does not have to be. Schedule that fecal test, set up that quarantine enclosure, and stay ahead of the invisible threats. Your animals will be healthier for it.

For everything you need to keep your reptiles healthy, visit The Tye-Dyed Iguana. And for detailed husbandry parameters tailored to your species, explore our care sheet library.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do I know if my reptile has parasites?

Often you cannot tell by looking. Most internal parasites are microscopic and produce nonspecific symptoms. Warning signs include weight loss despite eating, foul or runny stool, visible worms in feces, lethargy, regurgitation (especially in snakes), and dehydration. For external parasites, look for tiny black or red dots on the body, excessive soaking, and incomplete shedding. However, the only reliable detection method is a veterinary fecal test. Many reptiles carry significant parasite loads while appearing completely healthy, which is why routine screening matters even when your animal seems fine.

Can reptile parasites spread to humans?

The vast majority of reptile-specific internal parasites are host-specific and cannot survive in the human body. Coccidia, pinworms, and reptile-specific Cryptosporidium strains pose no threat to humans. However, nearly all reptiles carry Salmonella bacteria, which can cause serious illness in people. The solution is simple: wash your hands with soap every time you handle a reptile or clean an enclosure, keep reptiles away from food preparation areas, and supervise children during interactions. With basic hygiene, zoonotic risk from reptile keeping is very low.

How often should I get a fecal test done on my reptile?

At minimum once a year for healthy, established reptiles. Every six months for collections. Always test during quarantine of new animals, when illness signs appear, after completing anti-parasitic medication, and before placing animals into bioactive enclosures. Fecal testing is inexpensive, non-invasive, and catches infections before they become serious.

My reptile tested positive for pinworms. Does it need treatment?

Not necessarily. In herbivorous reptiles like tortoises and iguanas, low-level pinworm populations are increasingly recognized as normal gut flora that may help with plant fiber digestion. Aggressive treatment can disrupt the microbiome and cause unnecessary side effects. However, in insectivorous species, in any animal showing symptoms, or when quantitative testing reveals abnormally high counts, treatment is warranted. Discuss the results with your reptile vet, who can evaluate the load in context of your animal's species and health.

Can I use over-the-counter dewormers to treat my reptile at home?

This is strongly discouraged. While some livestock dewormers contain the same active ingredients used in reptile medicine, the concentrations and formulations are designed for different animals. Reptile dosing requires precise body weight calculations, and different parasites need different drugs. Using the wrong medication wastes time while the infection progresses, and overdosing can be directly toxic. Metronidazole causes fatal neurological damage if overdosed. Ivermectin is lethal to all turtles and tortoises at any dose. Always work through a qualified reptile veterinarian who can diagnose the specific parasite and prescribe correctly.

Bibliography

Frequently Asked Questions

How common are parasites in pet reptiles?

Extremely common. Studies have found parasites in over 90% of sampled reptile feces. Because reptiles are hardwired to hide illness, infections often go undetected until they become severe. Routine fecal testing is the only reliable way to catch problems early.

How often should I get a fecal test for my reptile?

Every new reptile should have at least one fecal test during the 30 to 90 day quarantine period before joining your collection. After that, annual fecal checks during routine vet visits help catch infections before symptoms appear.

What are the symptoms of parasites in reptiles?

Common signs include weight loss despite normal feeding, loose or foul-smelling stools, visible worms in feces, regurgitation, lethargy, and poor shedding. External parasites like mites appear as tiny moving dots around the eyes, under scales, and in the water bowl.

Can I deworm my reptile at home without a vet?

No. Each type of parasite requires a different medication, and blind deworming without a proper diagnosis risks creating drug-resistant parasites and causing unnecessary side effects. Always get a fecal exam from an experienced reptile veterinarian first.