Hexamitiasis of the turtles

The Hexamitiasis of turtles is by the flagellate hexamita parva infection caused. The disease occurs in tortoises and pond turtles .

Hexamita parva is a flagellate with eight flagella and occurs in small numbers in the normal intestinal flora of healthy turtles. Illness only occurs when additional factors such as poor housing conditions, feeding errors, stress or other infections lead to a weakening of the animals and damage to the intestinal flora ( factor disease ). The disease is slowly progressive and can drag on for several years.

Hexamitiasis is characterized by diarrhea, emaciation and increasing weakness. The urine is viscous and slimy, sometimes also thin and gelatinous. The hexamites can migrate into other organs through ducts opening into the intestine or cloaca , especially the kidneys , the urinary bag and the liver . In the chronic stage, nephritis usually occurs with disorders of the calcium balance and progressive calcifications in the skin and in the skeletal muscles , which can also be detected radiologically .

The diagnosis can be made on the basis of cloacal swabs using microscopic detection of the pathogen. Since Hexamita parva also occurs in healthy animals, the pathogen detection must always be assessed in connection with the clinical symptoms. If the urine contains numerous hexamites, this is almost conclusive.

Therapies for Dimetridazol or metronidazole used.

literature

• Lutz Sassenburg, Peernel Zwart: Tortoises. In: Karl Gabrisch, Peernel Zwart: Diseases of pets. 6th, completely revised edition. Schlütersche Verlagsgesellschaft, Hanover 2005, ISBN 3-89993-010-X , pp. 653-737.