Infection care

CtryLuv's Crabbie Cove Infection Care

******DISCLAIMER******

I know of 6 or 7 different people who have used this with success but this is still in a trial phase. Please use caution when using this treatment. There is also a weaker version of Melafix called Bettafix which is the same thing, only a weaker strength that could be used so that its not as strong as the Melafix. If you have any questions, please feel free to email me!

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This page is for a crabbie that has an obvious infection that you can see. It can be very hard to tell when a crabbie has an infection unless its to the outer part of the body where you can see redness and imflammation. There is some heavy debate and research in the area of using a product called Melafix, but I am going to give a WARNING first. If you are uncomfortable at all in any type of treatments, DO NOT do them. As far as the treatment I am about to go into, I am quoting different people and associations with their permission that have used this product and/or have done heavy research on it. Please note the first one. It is from Sue, her website, http://www.coenobita.org/index.php and the CSJ, and they need everyones help to bring this research to a better understanding of how it works, if it works, and the dangers involved. Also please note that it is a treatment that will only heal infections to the outside of the crabbie. It will not treat inner infections. It should also not be used with open wounds. I will be posting a page shortly that will cover care for open wounds.

Treating with Melafix

From Sue, http://www.coenobita.org/index.php, and the CSJ

Since the new year (January), there has been a significant increase in the number of crabs that emerge from molt with an infected patch of exo or they are rough and colorless, with cankerous scabbing appearing later, or a blackening of leg tips etc. I have been trying to source out why there would be such a significant increase of this typically rare occurance in captive populations.

There have been 17 cases brought directly to my attention, and in reading several site forums, I have noted at least 9 more likely similar occurences. All crabs seem to have been bought roughly between Mid November 2005 through to March 2006. With some of the information I got from individual owners, I have been following up with pet stores to see if they "treat" crabs with a tetracyclene bath or if they have such a procedure. There are 8 States involved. 2 on the east coast (NY and PA) and most in the midwest. It appears that the supplier originates in TEXAS, but this has not been fully confirmed yet. Due to the laws about livestock importation, it is likely that the exposure to the bacteria is occurring from the distribution centre in the US. This could be because they do not adhere to proper care and handling procedures.

This is not the only potential issue. It has also been confirmed that ECO Earth has begun to mix their bedding product with loam and peatmoss. These do not work well in a hot/humid environment! They break down quite quickly and create a bacteria which in all likelyhood contributes to weaken a crabs exo.

Now there has been some discussion about MELAFIX. Several members at various sites have touted it as a curative for bacterial infection. For hermit crabs, this product has been tried at various times with mixed reviews. I have talked to a marine biologist and a vet about use of this product. I am willing to trial use of it but it must be a controlled study! I am going to share the criteria about MELAFIX's use, because I am concerned over the fact that some people have been telling other people to use it, without the benefit of understanding exactly what the procedure should be and WHY!

First off, Melafix by itself WILL NOT cure an infection. Melafix's main function is to increase permeability of cells so that an antibiotic agent can get to the the infection and kill it. There is a natural anti-fungal agent in tea tree oil, but it is not really strong enough to kill all types of bacteria. For this reason, it was suggested by the biologist (and vet), that pictures of the aflicted areas on the crab be taken, so that they have an opportunity to identify the type of bacteria. NOTE: that Melafix is NOT recommended for injuries where crabs are bleeding.

Once the crab has been looked at, these professionals (who have volunteered to assist us) can recommend one of 2 different types of antibiotic ointment to employ in conjunction with the MELAFIX! One is a specifically targeting one, the other for general Staphococcol infections. It must be administered for a specified time frame, and there are isolation considerations to be made as well. If you all go off doing this without knowing the information specific to your crab, even if it WORKS there is no way to record and track what was done. This does not help build data for us to utilize in the future! These professionals do not want to outline a procedure for this treatment yet, as it is a trial, and to be set up as a CASE-BY-CASE scenario for the first few trials. Then they review what was actually done and progress from there. We are sabotaging this effort with our unlearned enthusiasm to cure our crabs! Please consider this!

So, if you suspect that your crab has a bacterial infection, or if you hear from someone else who may not be a member of a forum, direct them to me! This is what I need:
1. A photo of the crab in question
2. History of where the crab was purchased and when
3. Stats on tank conditions: temp, humidity, substrate, food, water, light, tank size, crab population

E-mail them to me at sue[at]coenobita[dot]org. I will forward them to my vet, and then we can move from there. I will set up a forum (once I have approval from my consultants) to publish the results of the trials. This information can at that time be shared at other sites as well.

Thank you all, I am grateful for all the caring people we have in our community!!!

From Abby McCoy, Marine Biology Major, USA

the only active ingredient in Melafix is Melaleuca, which is an extract from the Tea Tree plant (Melaleuca alternifolia). Melaleuca will kill many bacteria present in a number of common infections. It will even kill staph or strep. Humans have used it since the 16th century.

As far as hermies go; It is very useful as an antiseptic and disinfectant for sores or abraisions, and as a preventative measure for internal infections. HOWEVER, it only fixes the outside, if a hermie is to the point of death due to an infection that spread to its organs it will NOT cure this and I do not know of any way to fix such a problem. It is not a general cure, it is a safe antiseptic for hermies, and helps heal up sores or cuts. It will NOT cure disease, it DOES stress out the hermies & if used too often will break down their exoskeletons & the vapours could quite possibly suffocate them, so it is very important to rinse your hermies well after treating them with Melafix.

NEVER feed your hermies melafix to try and cure infections on the inside, as ingestion of the melaleuca will give them one raging tummy ache and will probably lead to death. If humans ingest it orally it causes pain and vomiting, imagine if a hermie drank some!

For a general antiseptic bath I would use 1 drop of Melafix per gal of dechlor water. To treat a hermie w/a sore or a visible infection 2 drops per gal. Wait at least 48hrs before treating the ill hermie again, as this treatment IS STRESSFUL. Always make sure these baths are quick and you get the antiseptic inside the shell and rinsed out thoroughly.

Thanks to everyone above for all their hard work and research!!!

It is also known that the Tea Tree Plant grows in the same regions as the hermies do so it is possible that they could search this out themselves by instinct. Of course this is just theory. I am researching as much as possible on this and will keep this page updated with my findings.

Right now I feel totally comfortable using this treatment WHEN it is obvious that you have a wound or an infection that is getting worse or not getting better by other means. I feel that the possible benefits outweight the risks. However, please go with your gut feeling and if you do decide to try it, please report your finding to Sue above. Thank you very much!!

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