Giving Acidophilis

Hi there

So my Zilla just got diag'ed with Coccidia. I've been doing my research and have come to find a jumble of opinions... so i have a few questions...

Bleach does not kill coccidia, right?
A 25% ammonia solution or steam will kill coccidia right?
Do i have to throw out the branches she has? or can i treat them with ammonia?
I cant find acidophiliz+ anywhere, so i will need to order it. however in the mean times how can i give regular acidophilis from the health food store. can i mix a capful of powder with pedialyte or baby food? also is there any prefered ratios? also how much of the acidophilis can i give?

i am so confused and overwhelmed. some people are telling me that this is the worst possible situation for her, other people say its no big deal, i've heard sometimes you give meds for a week and sometimes its a month. any clarification on the issue would be helpful. im kinda freaking out.

Zilla has never had coccidia before.
She is 6-7months old, eats well, gets calcium with d3 and no phosphorus. her daytime temps are around 100 degrees, night time around 8o(which i know is a little high i will readjust them when shes healthy). She lives in a 20g with carpet substrate. she has uvb and heat lights.. let me know if you need more history

thanks!!!

Bleach does not kill coccidia, right?
A 25% ammonia solution or steam will kill coccidia right?
Do i have to throw out the branches she has? or can i treat them with ammonia?
I cant find acidophiliz+ anywhere, so i will need to order it. however in the mean times how can i give regular acidophilis from the health food store. can i mix a capful of powder with pedialyte or baby food? also is there any prefered ratios? also how much of the acidophilis can i give

No bleach does not kill coccidia.
Steam or even boiling or very hot water will.

Yes, throw out the branches. Coccidia is extremely infectious and it's not worth taking the chance of your dragon getting reinfected because i spore was still in it. Also, with your new branches, make sure you sterilize and bake them as well, but don't put them in until AFTER your dragon coccidia count come down within normal ranges.

Here is a couple of really good sites for info on how to clear it:
http://redtailboa.net/forums/features-stories/14175-coccidia-bearded-dragons.html

http://www.reptilerooms.com/index.php?categoryid=23&p142_id=149&p142_dis=3&p142_template=Simple

As far as the probiotics, it's probably only going to be a couple of days before you get it so in the meantime i would just get some soy yogort and put some on her food. Try rasberry, mine love it.

thank you very much i will check those out for sure

how do i sterilize trhe wood with out setting it on fire?

Is it small enough to fit in the oven?

yeah it can fit how long would i bake it for? and at what temp?

I've heard numerous temps and times but for all of my porous items:
Soak in 10% bleach solution for 4 hours
Bake at 275 for 1 hour.

Actually i think it is 45 min, but i always do an hour. You have to remember, you have NO idea what might be in there so you need to act as if everything is in there. And following this method is one way to make sure NOTHING will survive.

FlamingChicklet":a3014 said:

I cant find acidophiliz+ anywhere, so i will need to order it. however in the mean times how can i give regular acidophilis from the health food store. can i mix a capful of powder with pedialyte or baby food? also is there any prefered ratios? also how much of the acidophilis can i give?

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You should be fine using the regular acidophilus for human consumption. I consulted with two veterinarians before administering it to my dragons. They get it every few days and show great improvement. The acidophilus has helped me nurse more than a few rescued beardies back to good health.

I have been routinely administering the human grade acidophilus from GNC for quite a while with no ill effects or problems. Though, I use the liquid form and mix it with organic baby food. The powder should be fine, just don't over apply.