How to Check for Internal Parasites in Pet Snakes

Pet snakes purchased in pet stores often have internal parasites. It is important that if your snake has internal parasites, you get it treated by a veterinarian. The veterinarian will most likely give you antibiotics to give to your pet snake. Follow these steps to look for signs that your snake has internal parasites.

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

Instructions

1. Know that internal parasites in snakes will often cause stomach upsets. Therefore, pay close attention to your snake, and check for regurgitation of food and bloody stools. These are signs of a possible internal parasites infection.

2. Realize that internal parasites can also cause neurological problems in snakes. A sign that this has occurred is your snake looking upward toward the ceiling for no apparent reason.

3. Find a veterinarian that has background and experience with reptiles and amphibians, or herpetology. If you aren't aware of any veterinarians in your area with this expertise, ask the veterinarians nearby if they know of any in neighboring cities.

4. Remember there are many different parasites that could be in your snake. Therefore, the herpetological veterinarian will probably perform a fecal test to confirm the presence of internal parasites and prescribe the proper medication. Administer this medicine to your snake exactly as instructed, as internal parasites are a very serious problem that you must take care of immediately.

Tips & Warnings

• Have newly acquired pet snakes checked for both external and internal parasites as soon as possible.
• If you have more than one snack in a habitat, get them all checked by the veterinarian. Quarantine snakes that you are treating for internal parasites for eight weeks before reintroducing them back into a habitat containing other snakes.