Could decor contain parasites/ be infected?

[discoverlight]

I had a few log hides, that I cleaned, that I use for 2 geckos. One was recently dewormed, and the other parts of the hides went into the cage of another female I got recently. The new female stopped eating for some reason (was a GREAT eater until yesterday), and the female I dewormed and recently started eating, stopped eating AGAIN.

So I have 2 females that won't eat, that aren't ovulating, and are both sharing a hide that was cleaned but housed 2 sick geckos at some point in time. (not my geckos, rescues)

Is it possible that these logs are infected?? It's large piece of cork cut into halves for hides.
I didn't think it was possible, but I took out the hide and switched it with a box, and also switched the moss with paper towel just in case moss was trapping some sort of infectious thing.

Should I remove the hides or am I just overthinking?

 

[discoverlight]

I'm using part of the log for one of my males and he's doing fine...

 

[indyana]

Yep, decor can certainly transfer parasites if not sanitized between enclosures. Things like wood are especially difficult to disinfect and probably shouldn't be used until you know your geckos are parasite free.

 

[discoverlight]

Alright! I'll start deworm treatment on the female that stopped eating, and I'll replace her hides with boxes.

I put her in a completely different tank, started fresh and started her treatment, I have 3 second doses to do next week on 3 other geckos. Hopefully they start eating

Should I give the enclosure a thorough scrub too?

 

[Neon Aurora]

If it were me, I would sanitize everything VERY well. All of your equipment. Ir's important to scrub everything off before sanitizing or it will not work as well. Sanitizing usually entails a preferred sanitizing agent (Alcohol, novasan, vinegar, best of all high temperatures) and allowing the agent to stay on the equipment for a good ten minutes and then be rinsed off.

If you use equipment for a sick gecko, make sure you only use that equipment for that gecko. If you sanitize very well, you can probably use it for other geckos. However, only do this if the sick gecko recovers. If it dies, there could be every chance the gecko had a protozoan like cryptosporidium. Protozoans are very good at making nearly indestructible cysts and staying dormant in them for a very long time. In this case, you would more then likely have to get rid of the equipment.

My advice:
Keep sick geckos away from healthy ones. This includes their equipment.
Keep equipment in sick gecko enclosures very simple (like Tupperware hides) and sanitize these enclosures weekly, if not more. Do it very thoroughly
Tend to your healthy geckos before your sick geckos. This will prevent you spreading disease by touching affected items and then spreading it to your healthy geckos' enclosures
Keep a good routine for sanitizing everything, not just the sick geckos things
Throw away equipment if you suspect a gecko had crypto (this is one reason to use things like Tupperware. Cheap to make, so no big deal if you have to throw it out)

There is always a risk when you are housing sick animals. You have to be very careful not to spread sickness to healthy geckos, or spread more sickness to already sick geckos.

So remember, if a sick gecko touched it or you touched it after touching a sick gecko, sanitize it.

 

[discoverlight]

I've been sanitizing my hands constantly!, and every gecko is quarantined. I have 3 that are being treated for worms and i threw out all of the logs that may be infecting them

I'm starting fresh with all of them, and even scrubbing down one of my geckos tanks soon, but she didnt eat for 3 1/2 months, started eating again, and then stopped. I dont want to put more stress on her by cleaning out her scent, but if it'll help I guess i'll have to. And I moved one sick female to a completely new cage, with new hides (one old one but was disinfected with alcohol, plastic) and a new water wish and everything. Hopefully they all start eating again because I'm on constant stress alert that one isn't going to eat for another 1/4th of the year :main_thumbsdown:

 

[indyana]

The thing to remember about treating for parasites is that they can reinfect themselves if you don't clean the tank. My vet has always recommended that I clean after every dose of wormer, then a week or two after the last dose.