We recently received a new animal from a reputable breeder. Last week I ran a routine fecal float on him and found some things that concerned me. I took the sample to the vet and had him send it up to a lab (IDEXX) so that we could get a specific diagnosis. The results came in today and it turns out that what we saw on our microscope was lungworm larva, and the lab found some eggs as well.

Again, the snake came from a reputable breeder who doesn't trust vets or bother running fecals because: " I never test a snakes stool if it's not sick. There is no telling what may typically be found in a snakes stool and as long as the snake eats, grows and breeds I leave well enough alone." In the last week I've heard variations of the same statement a lot.

Some people think I'm being overly paranoid by running routine fecals on new snakes. For those of you that share this opinion, does the above test result concern you at all? The dude has never left quarantine and we should be able to clear this up since he has no symptoms, but still... lungworms, and many other parasites, can be some scary little bugs if left untreated. I don't understand how many people seem to have such a cavalier attitude about this stuff.

There is quite a bit of time/energy/expense associated with running routine fecals and/or deworming a collection if necessary, but... is it okay to send animals across the country that carry the potential to not only develop an infection, but also have the potential to contaminate the rest of the buyer's collection? Or maybe it is an acceptable risk to your reputation as a breeder as long as the snakes are currently outwardly healthy. Ignorance is bliss?