Mites?

Davii · Posted: Sat Jul 12, 2008 2:05 pm Post subject: Mites?

Okay, so my friend bought a baby bearded dragon, and he's told me he can see little browny/orange spots moving on its skin. He believes its mites. Now, the bearded dragon will not open its eyes, when he opens its eyelids, he says its eyes are milky. He has to hand feed it worms as it can't go looking.
Its on a diet of just mealworms, with calcium powder.

I reckon that the mites have possibly got behind the beardies eyes or something, causing some sort of blindness, any ideas?

And, He can't afford to take it to a reptile vet.

Any help would be appreciated, but, please, be nice, Remember that this isn't my pet, If it was mine, I would care for it differently.

Thanks alot,
Dave.
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Davii
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angelrose · Moderator Joined: Jan 05, 2008 Posts: 1455

Hi Davii, I am very sorry to hear about your friends baby. Unfortunately, I don't know much about Bearded Dragons. however, I do know with mites you should act quickly. they suck the blood and weaken the immune system. here are a couple links I could find on external parasites and Beardies. basicly the same but a little different treatments.

http://www.petuniversity.com/reptiles/lizards/species/bearded-dragon/health-care.htm

http://drexotic.com/care_dragons.htm

http://ezinearticles.com/?A-Guide-to-Bearded-Dragon-Disease&id=505496

I wish your friend luck and the Beardie well

laurarfl · Posted: Sun Jul 13, 2008 8:05 am Post subject:

Hmmm, I wonder if the milky eye he's seeing is the third eyelid.

OK, mite treatment:

First of all, soak the beardie in warm water with just a drop of dishwashing detergent. Keep him in there for 30 min. The bath is to drown some of the mites, but the soap is needed to cut the surface tension of the water, breaking the air bubble around the mites so they will drown. Not too much water, or the little guy will drown, too! Just up to the armpits is good.

The cage needs to be completely emptied of any sand or whatever he's using. Go to Wal-Mart and buy Equate Lice Bedding Spray. Ideally, Provent-a-Mite is safer, but it's also $20 a can vs. $5 for Equate. Wash the cage, and then spray it with Equate Bedding Spray. It is Sooooo important to follow the directions. You don't want to soak the cage, just a mist. Hold the can the appropriate distance and make sure to spray the crevices well. Also, spray some on a paper towel and coat a strip around the outside top of the cage. He should spray the stand and the carpet around the cage as well. Use newspaper as bedding and spray the paper, too. Everytime the paper is changed, spray the new paper. Mites should be gone in about 7-21 days. He may want to re-treat in 30 days when new ones hatch out. Spray the cage furnishings, too, branches, hidey logs, etc. Don't spray the food bowls, but wash them in soapy water.

It is very important to realize that this spray is harmful to reptiles and other animals when wet. All spraying should be done outside. The dragon should not be put back in until the cage has had a few hours to dry and air out. A water dish would be fine, but no misting. I would consider feeding and watering outside of the cage for a time.

Mites are like mosquitoes. They feed on a blood meal, then go lay eggs somewhere in the enclosure. They walk in straight line until they run into something or find a good spot. Spraying the paper helps when they walk off the host dragon. Spraying the cage all over helps when they start traveling up the walls.

Also, switch from mealworms to small crickets. The hard exoskeleton is working the lizard too hard right now. Just nice, soft crickets and only dust twice weekly, a little bit at a time. I don't feed mealworms to beardies until they are about 6 months old.
_________________
Laura R (FL)
0.1.0 Colombian Tegu
0.2.0 Argentine B&W Tegu
1.0.0 Red Tegu
1.0.0 Green Amevia (yet another teiid)
8 other lizards
1 little gator
13 snakes
4 frogs
some bugs
and a partridge in a pear tree