infections with star tortoise

Question
since last day i observed some white tiny worms about 2mm in my star tortoise feces. i think its some parasitic infection? kindly suggest me what to do? can i give it abti parasitic medications like albendazole that we use for human parasitic infections? or pleas suggest what to do to make it allright?

Answer
Hi Dr. Anamika,

If you can actually see worms in the feces, there is most likely a very heavy parasite load.  You really can't treat it without knowing specifically what kind of parasites they are (and there may be more than one kind).  You'll need to have a fecal float or smear done by someone who can identify what they see.  You should be very careful in treatment, because tortoises can be sensitive to some medications that are commonly used, even on other reptile species--ivermectin, for example, is often used for snakes and lizards, but is FATAL to turtles and tortoises.  Panacur (fenbendazole) is safe and is used to treat some types of parasites, Droncit is used for flukes, etc., but I can't tell you anything specific because I don't know what parasites your tortoise has and I'm not a vet.  See if you can locate a vet who can run a fecal sample for you and give you an identification of the parasite(s).  Good luck!