Possible insects in water after soaking

[kimncline15]

Hi everyone,

Hoping for some advice here. Just took my tortoise out of his soak and I see a bunch of things clinging to the wall...they appear to be some sort of bug? Has anyone seen anything like this? Thought I'd ask here before scheduling a vet visit. I'm very concerned if those came from inside his poop.

Thanks!

 

[Maro2Bear]

Greetings. You did a pretty good job taking that pix. Those little blobs do look like some type of worm/parasite. The question is how many does your tort have. Id save that sample off in a container. Then soak your tort every day looking for more of the same. @zovick might have some ideas too.

 

[kimncline15]

Greetings. You did a pretty good job taking that pix. Those little blobs do look like some type of worm/parasite. The question is how many does your tort have. Id save that sample off in a container. Then soak your tort every day looking for more of the same. @zovick might have some ideas too.

Thanks so much for the response. Do you think it requires an immediate vet visit? If not, I'll soak him for the next several days and see if the amount increases/decreases/stays the same. They look menacing to me. I couldn't beleive I got a good picture either! I was really hoping to show because not sure how else to describe that. 😕

 

[zovick]

Thanks so much for the response. Do you think it requires an immediate vet visit? If not, I'll soak him for the next several days and see if the amount increases/decreases/stays the same. They look menacing to me. I couldn't beleive I got a good picture either! I was really hoping to show because not sure how else to describe that. 😕

Not like anything I have seen in my 60 years of tortoise keeping, so am not sure what those might be. Did you see them moving? Is there any other place they may have originated other than inside the tortoise?

I would get a few of them into a small container or a plastic bag and take them to your vet to see what he says they are and whether or not the tortoise needs to be treated to get rid of them. Just take in the stool sample for now.

You shouldn't need to take the tortoise until it's determined whether they originated inside of the animal or not. If they did, it will probably need a vet visit in order to get the meds for its treatment.

 

[kimncline15]

Not like anything I have seen in my 60 years of tortoise keeping, so am not sure what those might be. Did you see them moving? Is there any other place they may have originated other than inside the tortoise?

I would get a few of them into a small container or a plastic bag and take them to your vet to see what he says they are and whether or not the tortoise needs to be treated to get rid of them. Just take in the stool sample for now.

You shouldn't need to take the tortoise until it's determined whether they originated inside of the animal or not. If they did, it will probably need a vet visit in order to get the meds for its treatment.

Thanks so much for commenting.

i soaked him inside my kitchen in his little container tub. It wasn't outside so couldn't have been from the environment because I cannot imagine they came from inside my kitchen somewhere. When I soak him tomorrow do it in a different location just in case.

I didn't gather a stool sample. Only wiped up the "bugs" after I drained the tub and saved on a tissue in a zip lock bag. Tomorrow I will also collect a stool sample and schedule an appointment. I guess they could have come from outside his body rather than from inside? Perhaps they are on his legs etc and are instead something that is living in the substrate? To test tomorrow, I will soak him for a few minutes to get off any dirt and debris. Then drain and soak again and wait for him to poop. I'd taken him out while before I drained it so the poop feel apart into pieces in the tub. I should try to gather a dry stool sample I assume? Or can it be wet if I put it into a bag immediately from the water?

Yes I am completely baffled. Can't find anything online... usually "worms" can't be seen, right?

I will update tomorrow once I soak again!

 

[kimncline15]

Also, did not see them moving but they all appear to have eyes and some form of antennae. Will watch him and the water closely tomorrow tosee what transpires....

Stay tuned!

 

[Tom]

They almost look like snails. I bet he ate something outside.

 

[zovick]

Thanks so much for commenting.

i soaked him inside my kitchen in his little container tub. It wasn't outside so couldn't have been from the environment because I cannot imagine they came from inside my kitchen somewhere. When I soak him tomorrow do it in a different location just in case.

I didn't gather a stool sample. Only wiped up the "bugs" after I drained the tub and saved on a tissue in a zip lock bag. Tomorrow I will also collect a stool sample and schedule an appointment. I guess they could have come from outside his body rather than from inside? Perhaps they are on his legs etc and are instead something that is living in the substrate? To test tomorrow, I will soak him for a few minutes to get off any dirt and debris. Then drain and soak again and wait for him to poop. I'd taken him out while before I drained it so the poop feel apart into pieces in the tub. I should try to gather a dry stool sample I assume? Or can it be wet if I put it into a bag immediately from the water?

Yes I am completely baffled. Can't find anything online... usually "worms" can't be seen, right?

I will update tomorrow once I soak again!

Briefly:
A stool sample can be dry or wet. Just get it into a plastic bag and seal it up ASAP.
Worms CAN be seen both in the stools or in the water. Usually this means the tortoise has a LOT of them in its system. Vets look for worm eggs (with a microscope) in stool samples. Depending upon what they see, they prescribe the appropriate worming medications.