It's possible frogs could get nematodes from crickets, I've read. Is there any way to prevent this? Would changing from a permanent setup to regularly changed substrate help?
It's possible frogs could get nematodes from crickets, I've read. Is there any way to prevent this? Would changing from a permanent setup to regularly changed substrate help?
Potentially frogs could get parasites with any insect that they consume, any material that the insect touches before they eat it, and anything that they contact while trying to eat it. Some parasites like hookworms can also penetrate the skin. Having said that, most parasites that become problems in captivity have a direct lifecycle, so its not so much that an insect passes something to your frog but that your frog already has something and wastes buildup in the enclosure creating the proper conditions for continuous reinfection. The best thing you can do if you are concerned is have a fecal sample examined by a vet. If it comes back positive for one or more known amphibian parasites, you either must treat the parasites or make sure that the parasite cannot reach dangerous numbers (your vet can have some idea by the egg counts in the feces). Many times people are looking for some magic bullet though besides keeping the environment clean but even if they obtain medicines they would have no idea what they are treating for, if there is any need to treat, and without keeping the environment very clean, reinfection would just occur anyway.
I've been sterilizing the hospital tanks and treating with meds but apparently at least one of the frogs still has parasites. Starting to seriously consider that the crickets may be the culprit. I've been reading around online and apparently crickets could pick up parasites if they've been taken out of an animal's cage and put back in the bin at a pet store.
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