# Medical Leeches-Hirudo Medicinals



## whitewolf (Sep 10, 2009)

I've been thinking about it for a long time. I finally found a place to buy leaches that is clean. Would anyone else want some if I order them? They are $8 each + shipping and I would ask that you be 18 or over. I don't recommend you feed them but if you do use caution and become informed first. I plan to order only based on the few three or four I want plus however many anyone else wants.

This is some info I have gathered on them for those interested. Leeches can range in size from from a half of inch to ten inches long and can live up to 10 years. You can keep to 50 leeches per gallon. You need to be prepared to clean them every 3-6 days with non chlorinated water. You need to put fine material over the top and a tight band so they do not escape. They need to be kept at temperature in range 40-80 F or 5-27 C. Keeping them cooler means feeding them less and they can live up to a year without eating. They will want to eat every 50-70 days. Hospitals and clinics use the leeches only once and then must dispose them. 

Any further input or correction of information from those who have had them, sold them, or want them? Lets make it a poll too. I can only order up to 100 of them. Maybe one day I'll buy in bulk but for now you'd be paying the same as me.


----------



## Kirk (Sep 10, 2009)

I order seven or eight every year from Leeches, Inc., for an event where I work, and I give feeding demonstrations on my arm. They can last about six months on a single feeding, I best I remember.

If you decide not to use yourself or a family member as the blood source, I've heard that dialysis membranes filled with blood that you could obtain from a slaughter house will work, but I've never tried that.

If you need any info on what to expect regarding hemmoraging of the incision after feeding (takes about 45 min. for a large individual), I can let you know.


----------



## whitewolf (Sep 10, 2009)

Kirk said:


> If you need any info on what to expect regarding hemmoraging of the incision after feeding (takes about 45 min. for a large individual), I can let you know.


I think I'm up for it. Dad said as he remembered, coming out of swamps and jungle terrain back in his Army days, sometimes you fill a tiny pinch but most the time you don't feel anything look down and go hey you now off. LOL. I've heard it can last up to two days but not often and usually a result of picking at it and not leaving it alone. I have heard they can be difficult to keep alive and do the best in a refrigerator with monitored temperature. That's kinda where I planed to keep them to keep them on a cooler side.


----------



## zonbonzovi (Sep 10, 2009)

I think I know the site, whitewolf.  I was considering this too.  If I didn't have more than enough to do, I'd want a few.  Kept some locals caught in the nearby marshland for awhile.  They are pretty interesting and of course great for a conversation starter.  Pix are in order   The patterns are actually rather pretty...


----------



## whitewolf (Sep 11, 2009)

I don't want to really blow the source.  I don't mind giving it to responsible people. My concern is someone getting them and not keeping them clean then selling them to other people. I don't know that this would have any ill effects but I would rather not see anyone get sick and blame everyone else. Or how about feeding them then selling to someone else and possibly passing something.

I've seen cheese cloth used on something over a bucket of cows blood too. I wouldn't mind feeding mine but a thought for someone who was scared to try it.

They want $25 on priority for any amount and I have heard a few people say they wouldn't mind having 1-2 or 3. Thought came to me why get everyone together and make one big order. Then for what is it $10 priority and $25 express we can all get the amount we want. These would be cool as Halloweens coming up and I am known for me and my kids costumes being just sick. I make em look so nasty with fake blood. One year we were dead rednecks, another year zombies with blood dripping, and last year accident victims (the face paint wore off so we made edited it with aid of a semi tire).


----------



## zonbonzovi (Sep 11, 2009)

No worries, I won't blow your cover.  I fed the standard issue marsh leeches(don't know the latin) w/ bad frog eggs from the same habitat- they loved 'em.


----------



## KyuZo (Sep 11, 2009)

you know what i was thinking? won't you just breed them and use the babies, because you'll know for sure that the babies will be clean, right?

I also been wanting to get a few for a while now, so hit me up when you got some.


----------



## Kirk (Sep 11, 2009)

KyuZo said:


> you know what i was thinking? won't you just breed them and use the babies, because you'll know for sure that the babies will be clean, right?
> 
> I also been wanting to get a few for a while now, so hit me up when you got some.


Cleanliness isn't the issue. Medicinal leeches require a mammalian host or some 'surrogate' object from which to obtain a blood meal. There are two principle concerns if one decides to use a human host.

The first is to reduce the risk of spreading blood-borne diseases, such as HIV, by allowing the same leech to feed on two different people. The second is the fact that subsequent to feeding, the incision made by the leech will hemorrhage for up to 12 hours, again making the issue of blood-borne disease something to consider.

On the topic of infection beyond that described above, leeches themselves present a low risk of infection due to the incision itself. There is a species of bacteria in leech saliva that has been known to cause infection, but basic care of the incision will greatly minimize that.


----------



## KyuZo (Sep 11, 2009)

sorry i wasn't been clear, when i said clean, what i really meant to say was disease free.


----------



## Kirk (Sep 11, 2009)

KyuZo said:


> sorry i wasn't been clear, when i said clean, what i really meant to say was disease free.


Ok. But, no amount of breeding will prevent disease spread, especially when considering a parasitic species that feeds on blood.


----------



## whitewolf (Sep 11, 2009)

I talked to the company and they said they have to have special things to breed. I have no idea what that is.


----------



## xhexdx (Sep 11, 2009)

Forgive my ignorance, but what exactly is the benefit of leeches?

I think it's quite interesting and I'd love to have a few just to observe, but there's no way I'm going to let them suck on my arm.  That's one thing I can't really get on board with...something sucking my blood.

Women do that enough already. :}


----------



## whitewolf (Sep 11, 2009)

xhexdx said:


> Forgive my ignorance, but what exactly is the benefit of leeches?
> Women do that enough already. :}


Cause we have something in common. We try to suck the life out of men. LOL. Seriously though I just wanted to observe it and they look nice (ok their color does). I don't mind feeding it to keep it alive. If I chicken out I might go to the butcher shop and get some blood for them.


----------



## Kirk (Sep 11, 2009)

xhexdx said:


> Forgive my ignorance, but what exactly is the benefit of leeches?
> 
> I think it's quite interesting and I'd love to have a few just to observe, but there's no way I'm going to let them suck on my arm.  That's one thing I can't really get on board with...something sucking my blood.
> 
> Women do that enough already. :}


LOL. I figured you don't any more leeches in your life, Joe.  

Medicinal leeches are still used in hospitals, in association with the reattachment of certain body parts, e.g. a finger or ear. For instance, while a surgeon can suture a finger back onto a patient, including reconnecting the artery feeding blood to the finger, they can't reattach the veins to effectively accomplish full blood flow. Since it can take a while for veins to regrow and reestablish full circulation, there's the risk of losing the finger.

In the case of a detached ear the situation is even worse because there is no artery, so blood flow through the ear isn't very good anyway.

In both cases, leeches are applied to the reattached part and allowed to feed. It's not the removal of blood by the leech that's significant, but the fact that the little incision made by the leech will hemorrhage for hours since parasitic leeches have an anticoagulant in their saliva. This allows for blood that's pooled in the reattached part to drain off, better ensuring complete blood flow until the veins have sufficiently grown back together.


----------



## xhexdx (Sep 11, 2009)

Kirk,

What do you do with the 7-8 you get every year once you're done with the demonstrations?  Man, I want to ask a ton of questions now, but I should probably just research them instead.

One other question though. :}

What is a sufficient alternate method to feed them?  Does it have to be pure blood or could you buy a steak and let them suck on that?

Yeah, stupid questions, I know...


----------



## Kirk (Sep 11, 2009)

xhexdx said:


> Kirk,
> 
> What do you do with the 7-8 you get every year once you're done with the demonstrations?  Man, I want to ask a ton of questions now, but I should probably just research them instead.


I give them to our insectarium, and they assign one person per leech as the 'host' for as long as they can keep them living. I think they've had pretty good success keeping some of them alive.



xhexdx said:


> One other question though. :}
> 
> What is a sufficient alternate method to feed them?  Does it have to be pure blood or could you buy a steak and let them suck on that?
> 
> Yeah, stupid questions, I know...


Not stupid at all. I tried to find info on the web a couple of years ago on alternative, artificial feeding methods. The only recommendation I found was to use the membranes used in dialysis machines, which I guess is very thin, and get fresh cow or pig blood.

I don't think a piece of meat will work, since there won't be a sufficient supply of blood available (blood is drained from a slaughtered animal).

When I place my next order, which will probably be next month, I'll try to remember to ask the guy at the company how they feed theirs, since they raise them for hospital use.


----------



## xhexdx (Sep 11, 2009)

Awesome, thanks. 

If I get some of these, I'm going to have to find a friend or two to volunteer to be hosts. :}

Yes, I will keep them separate from each other.


----------



## whitewolf (Sep 11, 2009)

Kirk said:


> The only recommendation I found was to use the membranes used in dialysis machines, which I guess is very thin, and get fresh cow or pig blood.


Yes what I saw on the medical/discovery channel about them was thing strap  very tight over a container filled with blood and actually set more into it as I recall. This way the blood was on them but they could bite the material and eat.


----------



## Tleilaxu (Sep 12, 2009)

If I recall I think I read somewhere they medical leeches also like to eat frogs, so one could try putting in a native water frog and see what the leeches do.

I also doubt you can spread HIV via leeches, the virus would be destroyed in the leeches digestive system, and aids can only live in mammals.


----------



## whitewolf (Sep 12, 2009)

Tleilaxu said:


> If I recall I think I read somewhere they medical leeches also like to eat frogs, so one could try putting in a native water frog and see what the leeches do.
> 
> I also doubt you can spread HIV via leeches, the virus would be destroyed in the leeches digestive system, and aids can only live in mammals.


I've seen that too.

HIV dies easy doesn't take much to kill it. :? We were mostly referring to things such as Hep, Staph, and other blood born pathogens. There is far other nasty yucky things out there I would worry about.


----------



## Kirk (Sep 12, 2009)

Tleilaxu said:


> If I recall I think I read somewhere they medical leeches also like to eat frogs, so one could try putting in a native water frog and see what the leeches do.
> 
> I also doubt you can spread HIV via leeches, the virus would be destroyed in the leeches digestive system, and aids can only live in mammals.


Young specimens start out feeding on insects, then move up to using frogs as a host, and when larger, mammals.

There have been research studies showing that pathogens, including HIV can survive in ingested blood for months, with the length of time dependent on the temperature at which the leech is kept.


----------



## Snipes (Oct 16, 2009)

I found the site too. I don't like the idea of changing the water a lot. Has anyone had success keeping them in a small aquarium and using a filter?


----------



## Finntroll86 (Oct 16, 2009)

Acquiring leeches would be fascinating, I have always admired parasites, but cringe at the thought of being a host to them. My thoughts make me wonder, are leeches prone to carry malicious(possibly fatal) protozoans? That would be my biggest fear about these guys. Do leeches release an anticoagulant? if so does it affect the entirety of the circulatory system or just the area of the wound?


----------



## Kirk (Oct 16, 2009)

Finntroll86 said:


> Acquiring leeches would be fascinating, I have always admired parasites, but cringe at the thought of being a host to them. My thoughts make me wonder, are leeches prone to carry malicious(possibly fatal) protozoans? That would be my biggest fear about these guys. Do leeches release an anticoagulant? if so does it affect the entirety of the circulatory system or just the area of the wound?


I ordered seven medicinal leeches this week for our annual Halloween event next weekend. My arm will be the host for a couple of them for the evening.

Medicinal leeches can harbor one species of bacterium that might lead to infection in those with compromised immune systems, but I believe this is rare. Otherwise, I've never heard of any problems. Their saliva contains an anticoagulant, which enables them to store their blood meal for months. They have three tiny razor-sharp jaws that make a shallow incision, in the shape of a Mercedes-Benz emblem (see photo here). The incision will hemorrhage for about 12 hours.


----------



## Snipes (Oct 16, 2009)

Kirk said:


> I ordered seven medicinal leeches this week for our annual Halloween event next weekend. My arm will be the host for a couple of them for the evening.
> 
> Medicinal leeches can harbor one species of bacterium that might lead to infection in those with compromised immune systems, but I believe this is rare. Otherwise, I've never heard of any problems. Their saliva contains an anticoagulant, which enables them to store their blood meal for months. They have three tiny razor-sharp jaws that make a shallow incision, in the shape of a Mercedes-Benz emblem (see photo here). The incision will hemorrhage for about 12 hours.
> View attachment 81082


Is it feasible to keep these as pets? Do you risk anything by using them multiple times on yourself? I have only read to change the water every few days, is there a way to install a filter and have it done automatically? If being kept as pets, can you do a terrarium/aquarium aspect and still have the leeches be sterile to feed on you if you have soil? As far as the 12 hr hemorrhaging, can you just put a large gauze over it with tape and that will take care of the blood or does it really really flow a lot? Sorry for all the questions, I just want to get as much info as possible if I'm to get these guys


----------



## Kirk (Oct 16, 2009)

Snipes said:


> Is it feasible to keep these as pets? Do you risk anything by using them multiple times on yourself? I have only read to change the water every few days, is there a way to install a filter and have it done automatically? If being kept as pets, can you do a terrarium/aquarium aspect and still have the leeches be sterile to feed on you if you have soil? As far as the 12 hr hemorrhaging, can you just put a large gauze over it with tape and that will take care of the blood or does it really really flow a lot? Sorry for all the questions, I just want to get as much info as possible if I'm to get these guys


My guess is that if you can keep the water filtered, and somewhat cool, they'd thrive. These are a semi-terrestrial species, so a terrarium/aquarium combo would probably work. But, be sure there are no openings from which they can escape! I've been fed upon by leeches while doing field work in Vietnam. No problem at all. Like I said earlier, there's only one bacterial species known to cause infection. I'd be more cautious about ensuring that you use the same person as host, rather than multiple, just to minimize the spread of blood-borne pathogens.

The best item to block hemorrhaging are panty liners. Tape it across the incision area.


----------



## BrianWI (Oct 16, 2009)

try feeding raw beef liver


----------



## Scythemantis (Oct 18, 2009)

I would love to own a leech...I've seriously never even seen one in person, and I've hunted inverts in freshwater environments between five states up the East Coast, ever since childhood. I don't know why I've never seen a leech...I've seen everything else, but no leech of ANY size.

Carnivorous leeches would be easier to feed, I think, but at least the bloodsuckers are long-lived between feedings.


----------

