COMMON REPTILE & AMPHIBIAN AILMENTS AND THEIR TREATMENT
Amphibian Redleg Disease
| Reptile Mites | Scale Rot
| URT Infection | Aquatic Turtle
Fungal Infection |
Pet Shop Treatments | Other
Rcommended Treatments
Ron Dencio
Animal Technologist
Monaro Amphibian & Reptile Keepers
Canberra ACT
9Aug 2000
AMPHIBIAN REDLEG DISEASE:
- Caused by a bacterial infection often associated with Aeromonas
hydrophila but can be caused by a number of other bacteria species.
Usually as a result of bad husbandry practices e.g., inadequate ventilation,
spoiled food, droppings contaminating enclosure, toxic chemical exposure,
bad water quality, overcrowding, etc.
- Signs of infection are reddening of underparts of body and/or
legs, appetite loss, lethargy/stiffness, bloating, sticky mucus secretion,
thickened leathery skin texture.
- Treatment consists of removal and treatment of frog in an
antibiotic solution of 1mg Baytril/1000mls of water in a clean plastic
container for 15 minutes 3 times a week. Move dose up to 2mg/1000mls,
4mg/1000mls (last treatment) in second week at which point antibiotic
treatment should cease. Subcutaneous injections of Baytril can be
applied every 3 days. If sores are present they may be treated with
an antibiotic ointment such as Neosporin. Frog water salt (iodized
table or aquarium salt mix) should be supplied at rate of 1 heaped
teaspoon/10 litres during treatment and for 2 weeks after. Salt concentration
can then be supplied at normal rate of 1 level teaspoon/10 litres.
Terramycin may be added to frog water during treatment at recommended
rate (consult Vet). Alternatively FURAN-2 (one capsule/40 litres of
H2O) or BIO-TET Tetracycline 750mg tablets available from aquarium
shops can be used as water treatment (instructions on pack).
- Environmental factors in the animal's enclosure, will need
attention and correction immediately or further infection will result
bringing about the death of the frog.
REPTILE MITES:
- Cause: Usually introduced to a collection by a new addition
that has not been properly quarantined and treated. Handling infected
then non-infected reptiles.
- Will stress animals severely and cause death if not treated effectively.
- May transmit blood born diseases.
- Signs of infestation are animals constantly soaking in water,
irritability, appetite loss, pin head size black mites on animal or
in water dish, small white specks (mite droppings) visible on darker
scales.
- Treatment: The enclosure must be stripped, vacuumed (dispose
of substrate) and the furnishings and enclosure swabbed with bleach
solution (1:30) and left for 20 minutes then thoroughly rinsed and
dried (don't wet electrical wiring).
- A Mini Pest Strip (Dichlorvos) can be placed in sealed enclosure
(animal removed) for 24 hours then removed and enclosure aired for
24 hours. Branches, rocks, etc may be treated in oven @ 120c for 2
hours.
- Reptiles may be sprayed, soaked or swabbed with a weak "Betadine"
water solution (medium tea strength).
- Australian pythons can be lightly swabbed with vegetable oil (paying
attention to jaw pits, eye rims and vent scales) wipe dry with absorbent
cloth or paper towel after 5 minutes.
- "Ivermectin" injectable @ 5mls/litre of H2O & mixed well can be
used to swab the reptile and the enclosure.
- "Orange Medic" Permethrin 25/75 head-lice treatment diluted 1 part
in 2 parts water may be sprayed throughout cleaned enclosures and
on reptile and allow to dry (treat head area with soaked cotton bud).
Keep reptile in clean container during procedure. Repeat procedure
twice at two day intervals.
SCALE ROT:
- Bacterial infection under scales of reptile.
- Caused by high humidity and/or wet substrate in the enclosure
(inadequate ventilation at bottom of enclosure).
- Will penetrate body cavity and kill animal if left untreated for
any length of time.
- Signs of infection are redness (inflammation) around and
under scales and/or blistering under scales (usually ventral scales).
- Treatment: Change enclosure parameters i.e. adequate ventilation,
reduced area water receptacle, clean dry substrate, adequate day &
night heating.
- Depending on severity of infection the animal may need antibiotic
treatment, vitamin B complex, vitamin C and fluid therapy.
- Seek help immediately.
UPPER RESPIRATORY TRACT (URT) INFECTION:
- Caused by inadequate temperature regimes usually low night
temperatures that chill and weaken the animal.
- Signs of infection are wetness around and/or bubbles at nostrils,
mucus around edge of mouth, mouth gaping to breathe, chest heaving
to draw breath, absence of tongue flicking, lethargy/stiffness, appetite
loss. Turtles lose buoyancy control and list or can't dive effectively.
- Treatment: Adequate ventilation, reduced area water receptacle,
clean dry substrate, adequate day & night heating.
- The animal will need antibiotic treatment, vitamin B complex, vitamin
C and fluid therapy.
- Seek help immediately.
AQUATIC
TURTLE FUNGAL INFECTION
- Cause by a fungal organism. Usually as a result of bad water
conditions (hardness, fouling etc.), inappropriate temperatures and
lighting or inadequate drying/basking areas.
- Signs of infection is a whitening of the skin evident at
the extremities (toes) and progressing to the feet, head, tail and
other skin areas.
- Treatment requires the removal of the reptile from the water
to a dry, clean and warm (25C) environment. Return animal to clean
salt (as for frog treatment) water to soak for an hour each day and
feed in water as required. The infected areas of skin can then be
painted with Betadine on a daily basis after the turtle has been soaked
in a bath of diluted (tea strength) Betadine and water solution for
15 minutes each day for one week. As a precaution FURAN-2 (one capsule/40
litres) may be added to clean tank water for 2 to 3 weeks after initial
treatment.
- Environmental factors in the animals enclosure will need
attention and correction before it is returned or further infection
will result and possibly bring about the death of the turtle.
References:
Amphibian Medicine, Wright K. 1996
"Amphibian Husbandry in Reptile Medicine & Surgery",
edited by D. Mader, W.B. Saunders Company.
www.reptilian.org/h02.html
www.repx.com./pub/mites.html
http://fovea.retina.net/herps/misc/mite-spray.html
http://allaboutfrogs.org/info/doctor/redleg.html
http://xenopus.com/redleg.html
www.frogs.org.au/features/fungus.html
www.xlaevis.com/other.html
www.agri-aqua.ait.ac.th/aahri/seaadcp/AAHRI/Newsletter/art17.htm
www.tortoise.org/general/watcare.html
SOME PET SHOP TREATMENTS AVAILABLE
FOR COMMON REPTILE & AMPHIBIAN AILMENTS
FURAN-2 Capsules (one capsule/ 40 litres of water) each capsule
contains:
Nitrofurazone 0.06g
Furazolidone 0.025g
Meth. Blue 0.02g
Total = 0.087g
- Indicated for fish mouth fungus Flexibter columnaris Gill
fungus Saprolegnia and Aeromonas punctata.
MYXAZIN, antibacterial & antiprotozoan water treatment.
BIO-TET Tetracycline Tablets, 750mg tablets in pack of 10 (antibiotic)
MELAFIX Melaleuca oil, antibacterial water treatment www.aquariumpharm.com
OTHER
RECOMMENDED TREATMENTS
TETRACYCLINE (antibiotic) administered orally @ 50mg/kg of
body weight for Amphibian Redleg treatment.
REDLEG SALT TREATMENT: Bath animal in NaCl @ 3.8g/litre for
30 minutes/day.
FROG FUNGAL TREATMENT: Benzalconium chloride (Sigma Aldrich
chemical company) @ 2.5mg/litre H2O for 7x days with 3x water changes/day.
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