Worms and restless box turtle?

[smileyranger]

For the past couple of days, my box turtle, who I've had for 8+ years, has been incredibly active, scratching at the wood side of the cage. Never has there been this much scratching or restless activity, as far as I know.

And this morning, as I was checking the water dish, I saw what looks to be a long, skinny white-ish worm looking thing, which, if I were to straighten it out, would be a couple of inches long.

I've never seen anything like this before, and I was hoping someone here would have an idea of what's going on, and what can be done, if this is a worm, and if whatever it is is related to the crazy scratching and restlessness.

(Also, it's pretty cold here, and in the winters he/she [the vet couldn't determine the gender] is usually a bit less active, and the past couple of days here have been the coldest in a really long time...which makes it stranger.)

Thanks!

-Ranger

 

[wellington]

I don't know if torts can get tape worms but that's almost what it sounds like, yet I doubt it. Most likely some kind of worm. A stool check for worms might be needed.

 

[smileyranger]

Do worms usually cause the restless activity?

Also, do you have any dewormer recommendations, should this be a worm?

Thanks!

 

[Cowboy_Ken]

What's the weather like where you're at?

 

[smileyranger]

What's the weather like where you're at?

It's been below freezing for about a week until today, but it's now back at freezing temp.
However, it is usually about 68 degrees fahrenheit inside. Although, the cage is by a window, so it could be a tad cooler than that.

 

[smileyranger]

He/she ate a little bit of banana, and I put the worm-like thing in a ziploc, in case a vet trip is needed in the next day or so.

 

[Yvonne G]

Hi Ranger, and welcome to the Forum!!

No, tape worms usually shed in segments and look like a flattened grain of rice. That was probably a roundworm. Panacur is the de-wormer of choice for turtles and tortoises and for that type of parasite. But it's always a good idea to get your first dose from a vet so you can be sure you're administering the correct amount.

I don't know if a parasite bloom causes a turtle to be nervous and active, so I can't help you with that part of your question, but if you'll post a picture of the little guy we can tell you what species and if it's male or female. We'll need to see the bottom shell and the tail. Females tend to get more active when they're looking for a spot to lay eggs. ???

 

[smileyranger]

Hi Ranger, and welcome to the Forum!!

No, tape worms usually shed in segments and look like a flattened grain of rice. That was probably a roundworm. Panacur is the de-wormer of choice for turtles and tortoises and for that type of parasite. But it's always a good idea to get your first dose from a vet so you can be sure you're administering the correct amount.

I don't know if a parasite bloom causes a turtle to be nervous and active, so I can't help you with that part of your question, but if you'll post a picture of the little guy we can tell you what species and if it's male or female. We'll need to see the bottom shell and the tail. Females tend to get more active when they're looking for a spot to lay eggs. ???

Thank you so much! I took some photos, including one of the worm. If they're not sufficient, let me know, and I can take some better ones.

 

[Yvonne G]

That's a young female eastern box turtle (Terrapene carolina carolina), and her beak is way overgrown. As long as you're going to the vet about the worms, get her beak trimmed too. Very nice turtle.

 

[smileyranger]

I definitely plan on getting her beak trimmed. At the last visit, the vet was nervous to do it, as it wasn't overgrown all that much, and wanted to wait. (And thank you!)

I also somehow forgot to mention something that was noticed this morning, which is this sort of soft squeaking sound that occasionally happens when she breathes. (I've read a bit that it could be a respiratory problem.) Do you have any ideas as to what could be done about this, or at least what it is, so that there is a bit of an idea as to what's going on when I take her to the vet, which will probably be in the next day or so, unless the problem is serious.

Thanks!

 

[Yvonne G]

it might be nothing more than something stuck in the nares.

 

[TortsNTurtles]

She is adorable

 

[HLogic]

Do you have long strand sphagnum moss in the enclosure? If I'm not mistaken, that is what it is not worms.

 

[Yvonne G]

Yeah, it doesn't really look like a worm to me either. The worms are white, not stained, and are firm and round.

 

[smileyranger]

Yeah, it doesn't really look like a worm to me either. The worms are white, not stained, and are firm and round.

It was whiter when I first saw it, and had gotten stained by the bedding, and from the water, I assume. (Plus it dried out as well.)

 

[smileyranger]

She's calmed down a lot, and is acting normal, however, given the situation, that kind of concerns me. Should I be concerned?

 

[smileyranger]

For the past week or so, my eastern box turtle that I've had for over 8 years, has been acting crazy. Rarely sleeping, if at all, and has been clawing at his/her cage pretty much non-stop until last night, which concerns me. (We set up a smaller, controlled 10 gallon tank with better lights and such.)

A few days ago. (4 or 5) I noticed a long, (2 inches-ish) worm-like thing in the water dish. Sadly, vets in Tennessee won't see turtles any more, and the last visit was 4 years ago, before that was put into place. So getting information has been extremely difficult. (The local vets refuse to even give out any information over the phone... And the same goes for those out of state, since they're not licensed in TN.)

I had heard that Panacur is the way to go, so I got some today at Tractor Supply in the horse section. (The paste kind.) However, when it comes to dosages, I'm clueless.

He/she also hasn't had a bowel movement in a few days, despite a warm water soak, and close monitoring in the controlled environment.

As far as I know, he/she is about 11oz or 300-ish grams, weight wise.

I'll also include pictures of the worm, with him/her next to a ruler for measurement.

Another thing is that I think there might be a bit of a respiratory issue, since the normal cage is close to a window for the first time, and it's been cold this winter, and rather dry. Plus, that window is quite old, and I would think it could get chilly there. (He/she has been making some soft noises when breathing occasionally, but not often.)

If there is any more information I need to provide when it comes to figuring out what's going on, just ask, and I'll post as quick as possible.

Thanks!

 

[Cowboy_Ken]

She's calmed down a lot, and is acting normal, however, given the situation, that kind of concerns me. Should I be concerned?

Update?

 

[smileyranger]

Update?

I posted here http://www.tortoiseforum.org/threads/panacur-for-box-turtle-dosage-help.113327/ and there's info about the current setup in it. I've also got proper lights. Or at least, better ones that I previously had. Currently I've got a tube of panacur, but no clue as to how much should be given.

 

[Yvonne G]

It's never a good idea to get a dosage of poison, yes, de-wormer is poison, from the 'net. You should always get your first dosage from a qualified vet. After that, you can administer yourself, but first get the correct dose from the vet.

Panacur comes in different strengths. The correct dose is figured using the weight of the animal and the % strength of the de-wormer.

I must admit, the picture doesn't look like worms to me. More like sphagnum moss. Worms usually are more like noodles. The tape worm segments are like flattened grains of rice, but the long worms like what you think you see in the picture would be full bodied like a noodle.