Questions on worming

[mayaclark638]

What causes it? How can I prevent it? Is it curable? It is common in hermann tortoises?

Thank you

 

[christinaland128]

I thought this was interesting.... http://www.tortoiseforum.org/threads/pumpkin-as-a-dewormer.10992/

I'm not sure if tortoises get worms as often as their aquatic cousins. When I had aquatic turtles, I took them to the vet to get dewormed as a precautionary measure.

 

[ascott]

When a tort consumes plants there are parasites/also good bugs, when a tort is walking about on/in the dirt there are parasites/also good bugs, when a tort is healthy, they have a certain balanced amount of parasites/also good bugs within their system....just as any other living creature, including humans....the problem arises when the gut load goes out of balance and the bad stuff increases....this has a tendency to happen when a tort is captive (smaller space, constant exposure to same space and that mixed with waste the tort generates naturally and then if there is poor care taken in keeping water clean and changed out daily (or a couple times a day if indoors) if the waste is not removed daily then these things add to the issue....also, stress, will create a weak immune system in a tort --that can cause the system to go out of whack as well.

So, is there a reason you ask these questions? I mean, I am not an advocate of de worming "just because"....and some folks do...

 

[mayaclark638]

Well I am planning to get my first hermann's tortoise soon and I was researching and saw worming. So I had a couple of questions just to make sure that when I do get my tortoise he will be and stay healthy