Disinfecting the Beardie

[wes]

I know many people are really good about disinfecting the viv and their hands, but what about the bearded dragon itself? I saw an advertisement where a breeder said they use Chlorhexidine gluconate, and it is safe to use on all their animals (dragons and snakes). Here's the page for reference:
http://www.exclusivedragons.com/Store/ChlorhexidineGluconate.html

Does anyone else use this on their beardie, and if so, how do you apply it? I can't imagine spraying it on because of the eyes, ears, nose and mouth.

I'm not a germaphobe, but now that our beardie seems to be getting feces on himself more often, I'm wondering about the safety of handling him and letting him crawl on us, the furniture, the floor, etc. Since it appears safe to use, it seems like it might be a good idea.

 

[EAGLES]

Bump to this question of how to disinfect a dragon.
I imagine a regular water only bath is not sufficient on its own if the dragon has waste on him/her.

 

[AndyT]

Giving him a bath in warn water should rinse off any feces. I'm not sure, but it doesn't seem necessary to disinfect a beardie. I don't know if that would be healthy.

Andy

 

[wes]

My thought is if it is good to disinfect the viv, why not the beardie? It's supposed to be safe for animals, even frogs, so I don't think if properly applied it would be unhealthy.

 

[ziggy23]

I really don't think it would be a good idea. Rubbing alcohol is good for disinfecting, but you don't take a bath in it. They can absorb liquids through their vents, and tend to lick things off their nose.

Googling it, I found this. http://www.drugs.com/pro/chlorhexidine.html Scroll down to the warnings, which does includes overdose information.

The world is a dirty place, a few germs are good for us, it builds up our immune system. I don't mean to sound rude, but if your lizard is that dirty, then many you should re-examine your husbandry. Your average dog is probably more dirty than a cared for reptile.

 

[EAGLES]

I am no germaphobe by any means, maybe the opposite if anything.
But....I was questioning if water was sufficient for fesces. My dragon has plenty of room in his vivarium but i'm sure at some point he will walk across or lay on some of his own waste while i'm at work for the day.

 

[AndyT]

Warm water should be enough. You don't need to disinfect a dragon's butt. It will get dirty again, plus it can be absorbed through the vent, or licked, as mentioned above.

 

[wes]

I really don't think it would be a good idea. Rubbing alcohol is good for disinfecting, but you don't take a bath in it. They can absorb liquids through their vents, and tend to lick things off their nose.

Googling it, I found this. http://www.drugs.com/pro/chlorhexidine.html Scroll down to the warnings, which does includes overdose information.

The world is a dirty place, a few germs are good for us, it builds up our immune system. I don't mean to sound rude, but if your lizard is that dirty, then many you should re-examine your husbandry. Your average dog is probably more dirty than a cared for reptile.

Ziggy, I am aware that there are overdose warnings, hence the reason for asking the proper way to apply it. I wasn't planning on bathing him in it. I was thinking more along the lines of apply for a couple minutes (possibly in a soaked towel) and rinse off (probably in a tub of water).

And it's not a question of dirt, but pathogens such as salmonella, to which, correct me if I'm wrong, you do not build up a tolerance. Besides, proper sanitization requires that the dirt be cleaned off before sanitizing. You can't possibly be serious about comparing a dog to a reptile. I have a three year old daughter and I'm not worried if she pets the dog or even gets licked in the face. But care sheet after care sheet warns about washing hands after touching any reptile because of the risk of contracting salmonella, which can be fatal to small children.

Since you seem to think this is an issue of husbandry, how do you keep the beardie from walking through his own feces if you are gone for the day?

Every care sheet that covers bathing recommends disinfecting the tub afterward. He sits in the same bath water, so why not disinfect the beardie as well? Why not reduce the risk of a potentially fatal pathogen getting to a small child?

 

[ziggy23]

yeah I was serious about comparing dogs to reptiles. Dogs are know to eat and sometimes roll in feces too, and the lick each others butts.

The only known way to kill salmonella is through heat. the risk of catching it from a dragon is minimal. You have a greater chance of getting it from food. If there was a known way to kill known pathogens off reptiles without hurting them, it would be on every care sheet. If your that concerned, then don't let your child touch the reptile, and make sure everyone washes up afterwards.

I've never had a problem with my reptiles running through their feces. I clean it up promptly. They use the same spot that's out of the way for them so they don't have to run through it if I'm not there to clean it up. this has been the case for all 5 of my dragons.

 

[EAGLES]

My guy poops all over his basking spot....and leaves the other 1,000 sq. in. untouched. When I get home there is always a new one or two or three pieces, right next to where he is laying.

 

[AndyT]

You are overestimating the dangers of salmonella in bearded dragons. You cannot just get rid of it by disinfecting your dragon. As ziggy said, don't allow your child to touch the dragon if you're that concerned. Disinfecting your dragon will increase the risk of a fatal overdose killing your dragon. You shouldn't worry about disinfecting the dragon. Just have a bottle of hand sanitizer next to the enclosure, and make sure that people use it before and after they touch it.

Andy

 

[BaskingBaby]

We use chlorhexidine at the animal hospital (I'm a vet tech) and routinely use it to clean surfaces AND wounds on animals. To be honest I would see no point in disinfecting the entire dragon, but I guess you could do it. You could put them in an empty sink and squirt the solution on them, then rinse. I don't see any harm in that. Of course I would be careful to not allow them to ingest any of it, but a small amount shouldn't kill them. We've sent people home with chlorhexidine (we call it Nolvasan because its the brand we normally use) for mouth rot in reptiles, and they are told to apply it (with a soft towel or cotton swab/ball) to the mouth area to disinfect it. This product is also used in dogs and cats and can be squirted into their mouth to clean their teeth...some people do this on a regular basis. Also, some chew treats we sell have this as a coating for disinfecting the teeth -- > http://www.petrx.com/cethextra-premiumchewswithchlorhexidinefordogslargefordogs26-50lbs30chewtreats.aspx

So I don't see any harm in using it, it is a pretty safe product.

This is what we sell: http://www.1800petmeds.com/Nolvasan+Skin+++Wound+Cleanser-prod2140.html
The price is outrageous (I think we sell a bottle for $14) but I didn't shop around so maybe some places have it cheaper.