Urgent Care :: tapeworm

[candyandlint]

im pretty sure my turtle has tapeworm (theres a big white string hanging from his butt) and my mom refuses to take him to the vet.
and my other turtle is trying to eat the tapeworm!
what should i do?

[xsavingsaturdayx]

im pretty sure my turtle has tapeworm (theres a big white string hanging from his butt) and my mom refuses to take him to the vet.
and my other turtle is trying to eat the tapeworm!
what should i do?

Take the tapeworm out of the tank, place it in a plastic bag and freeze it until you can take it to a vet (your vet will need to examine it to see what antibiotics he/she will give your turtles). Only a vet is going to able to get rid of the tapeworm or whatever it is, otherwise your turtle will just die eventually

Try and get them both (theres a possibility both are infected) seen by a vet ASAP

If you have fish in your turtle tank then get rid of them, they probably got it from the fish if you have any.

[Safdar]

Take it out immediately it can pass or has most likely passes to your other turles

A vet has to determen what type of treatment is nessacry for the tapeworm

Get rid of he fish or any other live animals in tank.

[marisa]

Some over the counter meds will treat certain parasites, but the one effective against tapeworm needs to be obtained from a herp vet.

[DavidY]

I've used this stuff called ParaZap before for my Bearded Dragons and it was originally recommended to me by other herpers. It came in a powder form that you mix with water then squirt it into the lizards mouth a few times a day for several days (don't remember exact directions but it's on the label). You may have to repeat it again after a week or two, but it worked for me and other dragon keepers have had success with it, but not always. It may be worth a shot. Here's a link to their website...http://www.parazap.com/. They've been around for several years.

[candyandlint]

Also my turtle's look like thier shedding.
not thier shells but like on thier head and neck theres like dead skin thats coming off.
is this normal?

[industrial_girl_2000]

Dead skin coming off is totally normal. They shed skin just like any person/animal would! If the shedding is excessive, just turn down the water heater by one degree. Baby turtles are supposed to be kept around 78-80 degrees F, adult turtles like the water temp to be a bit cooler, more like 75-77 degrees.

[DavidY]

Skin shedding is normal and looks like whispy white skin floating off of them. Sometimes it lasts for a couple of weeks or more.

[Safdar]

Make sure the temps are 75-77 for adults and hatchlings 78-80 F