Worms and bloating??

[laney]

Can worms cause a tort to gain weight or be bloated?
This girl came to me with a ton of worms, she is being treated so not to worry but I'm confused.
When I originally took her to vet (not exotic, none here ) he called her fat, but it wasn't till I took some pics tonight of her plastron and she was struggling that I could see rings of fat.
This girl has been off her food for a month now since on panacur and ALL she will eat is a Brussell sprout now and again maybe every couple of days and I've offered everything imaginable but the Brussels are all she will even sniff.
Anyhoo she has not lost any weight, she had actually gained a few grams when I last weighed her!?
So is she just overweight? I'm glad if she is as I don't think a light skinny tort would be coping so well with such a high load. Or is it possible this could be worm related?

 

[Tom]

That sort of edema can be caused by many things. There are several Protozoa that are common to Russians that can cause that. There is no cure if that is your deal. It is highly contagious, so exercise extreme caution in regards to cross contamination with any other tortoises or their enclosures.

About the diet. You've gotta change it. Brussels sprouts alone is not healthy. You can finely chop the brussels sprouts and something else that is healthy and mix it all together. Gradually decrease the ratio of Brussels sprouts. Do not be afraid to let her get hungry. They can go months with NO food at all, so don't let her guilt you into giving in.

 

[laney]

That sort of edema can be caused by many things. There are several Protozoa that are common to Russians that can cause that. There is no cure if that is your deal. It is highly contagious, so exercise extreme caution in regards to cross contamination with any other tortoises or their enclosures.

About the diet. You've gotta change it. Brussels sprouts alone is not healthy. You can finely chop the brussels sprouts and something else that is healthy and mix it all together. Gradually decrease the ratio of Brussels sprouts. Do not be afraid to let her get hungry. They can go months with NO food at all, so don't let her guilt you into giving in.

Oh that doesn't sound good :s I'm gona be honest I don't have a clue what that is...but my friend google will help.
I know Brussels are baaaad but she has honestly eaten nothing since getting meds, I've tried chopping to blend the Brussels in and have bought a s**t load of things to try and all is completely refused healthy and naughty foods she has had a few Brussels as I have felt bad and that is all she will try, she won't eat off saucer either just from my hand (probably as its getting stuck in her face!).
So you think I should just be stuborn and not worry about time?
Thanks

---

Just reading up on Protozoa now and I found this on the tortoise trust website... Could be a cause??

'Excessive parasitic loads can lead to obstructions in the intestine, bile ducts and blood vessels. Some parasites can produce toxic substances and cause allergic reactions. Heavy parasitic loads can cause stress and suppress the immune system - opening the door to a wide variety of infectious bacteria.'