What's on my Beardie?

[ZackF]

Any idea what this could be?
And also after she got this, she's been pretty scared of me and has been refusing to eat.

 

[gulfbrzdawn]

Oh dear! It looks like your beardie has a horrible infestation of mites. You will need to act quickly and I mean ASAP. I don't want to scare you, but this could potentially kill your little beardie. Mites are blood suckers and in large numbers can leave your beardie severly anemic.
There are mite treatments on the market that you can buy(ex: mite-off). For right now though... soak your beardie in warm water. If you have any Betadine, add this to the water until it resembles that of weak tea(light brown). This is an antiseptic and will help with the bites, so that they don't get infected. While soaking your beardie use a very soft-bristled toothbrush to help remove the mites. Mites do not like water and may start moving towards your beardies head. Try to get them off as best as you can.
You may need to take your beardie to a vet ASAP... they have special sprays for mites that may act quicker than a bath would.
If you have any loose particle substrates(sand, walnut shells, pellets, etc...) remove them and put down papertoweling in the viv. Remove all objects from your beardie's viv and disinfect with a mild bleach/hot water solution. Rinsing well afterwards with fresh water. Any logs/branches in the viv will need to be soaked in hot water and baked in the oven for 30-40 minutes at around 250-300 degrees. Use the bleach/water solution to clean the viv as well.
Mites lay eggs, so it is crucial that you disinfect everything in your beardie's viv.
Please try and treat these mites as I suggested. I would hate to see your beardie get sick from this.
Let us know how she is doing.

 

[TheWolfmanTom]

My 1st reaction was WOW look at that mite infestation.

What Dawn said x 2

 

[ZackF]

Thanks for the reply dawn, very thankful for it.
I'm heating up the water now and i'm gonna mix some betadine in it. I live in Malaysia, so i doubt many vets would know how to treat mites.
Yeah she's on sand now, i'll move her to a completely new tank. I'll let her stay in that for a bit. Hopefully she gets better. Is there any other way than those special sprays for mites?
Thanks

 

[OgleRpets]

Mites!

What Dawn said x3.

It will also take more than one betadine bath to get rid of them. The vet is needed. You can also get a spray can of prevent-a-mite, which you would spray in a 6 foot radius around the viv. It can take a couple+ weeks to get completely rid of mites.

 

[gulfbrzdawn]

If you cannot get any of the mite products, then the only thing there is will be to bathe frequently with the Betadine/water solution. When I say frequently, I mean multiple times a day. Your beardie has a really bad case of mites at the moment and they need to be removed quickly. This is why she has no appetite and is acting differently... poor girl.
Keep up with the bathing and use a soft toothbrush as I mentioned to help you remove the mites. You may need to change the water frequently while giving her the soaks, as the mites come off. I am glad you had the Betadine on hand... this will help alot with cleaning the bite wounds and hopefully keeping them from getting infected.
It's also great that you have any extra enclosure to put her in while cleaning the other one. DO dispose of that sand and keep her off it in the future.
If you have any other beardies/reptiles... keep them away from the affected beardie until she is free of the mites. If you do have others... check them as well for mites.
I hope I did not scare you too much with the first post, but this really is a life threatening matter for your beardie, if left untreated.
Please keep us updated on how the treatment is going and how your little girl is doing.
If the baths are not workng to rid her of the mites, you will need to get some kind of mite product to help with this.
Good Luck!

 

[ZackF]

Once again thanks dawn. I cleared up alot of the mites on the belly after 30 minutes of cleaning.
I'll try to consult my vet and see what she has for mites on smaller animals. Hopefully there'll be something that can work for her.
I've checked my other dragons and out of all of them only one only has them, and in very very much reduced quantities.
And Dawn, the mite off you were talking about, it's the one from Zoo Med right? I'll see if i can get it shipped over here.
And no worries Dawn, you didn't. I believe she'll be ok.

Thanks

 

[Gail]

Another thing you can do to help remove the mites is to rub the dragon down with olive oil, it will smother some of the mites. After 5 minutes or so you wipe the excess oil off.

 

[Slave2Scarlett]

Oh wow this made me itch! Are the red dots the mites themselves or bites? What causes mites? So sorry and hope u can get this cleared up soon!

 

[gulfbrzdawn]

That is great that you were abe to get some of the mites off. Yes, the Mite-Off is by Zoo Med. You may be able to find something at a local pet store instead of having it shipped to you. Do try and see though if your vet has anything.
I am sorry to hear one of your other beardies has the mites as well. Of course, go through the same motions with that one too. Make sure to keep them both quarantined until you get rid of all the mites. It can take weeks to a month to get the problem completely resolved. Unfortunately, mites lay eggs and new ones may be hatching soon.
I also meant to mention, when soaking with the Betadine solution, do not allow your beardies to drink it. If you notice any mites in hard to reach areas or around eyes, nose, mouth... you can use a cotton swab dipped in the bath water to get to those areas. I'm sure you know NOT to get the betadine solution in the eyes, nose or mouth.
Gail had a good solution as well. I have heard some use the olive oil treatment to get rid of mites, but I also heard it is a very messy way to do it too. You could always try it though.

Are the red dots the mites themselves or bites? What causes mites?

On my laptop I only see black dots, but there could be red too. Mites are red and/or black.
Mites can be brought in with branches, wood, etc... They can also be transferred from another reptile that is infected with them, by the reptile or person handling them. I've heard of people going to reptile shows, handling a beardie/reptile with mites and then bringing them home to only infect their own pet.

ZackF... please keep us informed on how your beardie(s) are doing. It sounds like you are on the ball and hopefully you will get this clearded up soon.

 

[ZackF]

I'll probably do so, she's in quarantine now and so is my other one.
I'll continue with the betadine solution cleaning, and also the cage cleaning. Hopefully i'll be clear of this problem soon.

 

[gulfbrzdawn]

Hello! How are your beardies doing today? Were you able to get rid of any more mites?

 

[ZackF]

Hey Dawn, yeah i did, but less today, yesterday i got most of the mites on her belly off.
The hardest ones are the ones surround her head and her arms. Couldn't contact the vet today, will probably try tomorrow.
Thanks

 

[LasagnaTheDragon]

the best way to remove mites is to actually dip your beardie in veggie oil. small dish, maybe up to her/his shoulders, yes this sounds odd but it will kill them. expect your breadie to be stressed (i know it sucks) but if you cant get a vet do this. also expect your beardie to shed. do this twice if any are left. and keep soaking in water and the beta. best if you just throw out all your breadies things in the tank. and soak the tank with a 1/3 bleach water mixture. for awhile, 24-48 hours. hope this helps.

 

[greathouseFarm]

Go to your local pharmacy and look for "Hibiclens" http://www.hibiclens.com/ They have it in every Rite Aid, CVs etc here in the states so you might have luck with it there. Also a diluted vinegar solution should kick those buggers - I'd say about 5% use a soft toothbrush to brush them off until they are all gone.