---

Balantidium spp

---

Balantidium spp Direct smear on slide glass Dried by cool air Methyl alcohol fixation Dehydrated by ethyl alcohol, xylol Objective lens:OLYMPUS DPLAN 10x Photographic lens:OLYMPUS LD 5x Camera:PENTAX 645 body, self-made adaptor Film:FUJI VELVIA 120 Koehler illumination

Some of iguanas carry Balantidium and many samples are seen in tortoises. Some of the books says that Balantidium spp will cause colitis to their host animal and must be treated but my opinion is rather questionable. Some of our iguanas and tortoises carry balantidium and some don't. And after 5 years of experiment with a group of treated iguana and un-treated iguana, there seems no difference in their health condition. Therefore, we nolonger treat balantidiums by medication. Note this is not a general opinion but they may be in a symbiotic relationship.

---

Trichomonas spp

---

Tri-trichomonas spp Direct smear on slide glass Dried by cool air Methyl alcohol fixation Dehydrated by ethyl alcohol, xylol Gimsa stain Objective lens:OLYMPUS Ach 40x Photographic lens:OLYMPUS LD 5x Camera:PENTAX 645 body, self-made adaptor Film:FUJI VELVIA 120 Koehler illumination

Trichomonas is commonly seen in many herbivorous animals including Iguanas, Tortoises etc. Likewise with Balantidiums, some sources say it is pathogenic and must be treated immediately. I personaly think this is also questionable. I have seen hundreds of iguana feces and almost 100% carry trichomonas in their intestine. Also, it is difficult to treat trichomonas completely. Metronidazole(Fragyl) may have good effect to trichomonas but if you try to kill all trichomonas in their body, other necessary bacterias helping digestion will also be killed. Treatment of trichomonas must be done only when the host animal has some kind of symptom such as diarrhea or the host is suffering from multifunction parasite symptom.
Taking special care treating trichomonas and eventhough the number had decreased, they will be in their position again.
As a result, we quit treating for trichomonas anymore. We are keeping 14 iguanas now and the eldest is 9 years old. They all carry bunch of trichomonas but they are all healthy and reproducing. I think trichomonas are not a parasite. They seem to have a symbiotic relation or a non-pathogenic parasite.

Tri-trichomonas spp Direct smear on slide glass Dried by cool air Methyl alcohol fixation Dehydrated by ethyl alcohol, xylol Gimsa stain Objective lens:OLYMPUS Ach 40x Photographic lens:OLYMPUS LD 5x Camera:PENTAX 645 body, self-made adaptor Film:FUJI VELVIA 120 Koehler illumination

Some people thinks that trichomonas will transfer to human since they are famouse by female disorders. But from our experience, they seem to be very host specific and will not transfer to human. We live with iguanas in same space but trichomonas inspection is always negative in human.