Re: Tiny red mites!!

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Posted by Mr. D on July 03, 2001 at 13:06:40:

In Reply to: Tiny red mites!! posted by Zilla on July 02, 2001 at 14:08:04:

The Repti Bark should IMMEDIATELY be thrown out for two reasons. If the mites have laid eggs in it they will be impossible to erradicate. Secondly, Repti Bark in general, is an extremely poor substrate due to the ingestability of it. Repti Bark as well as other similiar particle substrates have been the cause of many bowel impactions due to the fact that iguanas cannot pass it through their bowel easily if at all.
Newspaper, indoor/outdoor carpet, or paper towel would generally be the best choices. In this case, since mites are present, I would line the cage with clean, white paper - copier paper is fine. This way, any mites that may be left over will be easier to spot.
As far as the mites themselves, please bear in mind that I am not a veterinarian and that even a licensed vet would not be allowed to give you a diagnosis/treatment plan via the internet. Having said that, I can only tell you what has worked for us in regards to mites.
Betadine is a povidone/iodine disinfectant solution. It can be purchased (for a rather hefty sum) at just about any pharmacy department. A dilute Betadine bath would assist in cleansing any mite bites and helping with any possible infection but it will not kill mite eggs.
Similiarly, we use a simple "oil wash" of vegetable oil all over the ig. Theory behind this is that the oil will suffocate any mites left after the Betadine bath. HOWEVER, it also will NOT kill any eggs that have been laid on the iguana. Rub the ig down with veggie oil, let it sit for 5-10 minutes (add cilantro, mozzerella cheese, toss and serve...) and then wash the ig completely with clean water making sure to remove as much oil as possible. Keep an eye on the ig for approximately two weeks to spot any further mite problems.
Others have advocated using human lice removal products in dilute solutions. Personally, we simply do not know what effect these have on an iguana and, therefor, choose not to use them. Fortunately, we have caught any mite infestations early enough that, once treated, no recurrances have occured.
The enclosure, on the other hand, and EVERYTHING IN IT that will be staying needs to be washed in a bleach solution (1/2 cup bleach to 1 gallon water) and allowed to air out for several hours once rinsed thoroughly with clean water. Make absolutely sure that the enclosure is thoroughly rinsed and aired as iguanas can and do lick absolutely everything.
That's just our experience. Others will have their own methods. You may want to at least put a call in to your vet for his/her advice just to be safe.
Good Luck !!

The Iguana Spot

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: The Repti Bark should IMMEDIATELY be thrown out for two reasons. If the mites have laid eggs in it they will be impossible to erradicate. Secondly, Repti Bark in general, is an extremely poor substrate due to the ingestability of it. Repti Bark as well as other similiar particle substrates have been the cause of many bowel impactions due to the fact that iguanas cannot pass it through their bowel easily if at all. : Newspaper, indoor/outdoor carpet, or paper towel would generally be the best choices. In this case, since mites are present, I would line the cage with clean, white paper - copier paper is fine. This way, any mites that may be left over will be easier to spot. : As far as the mites themselves, please bear in mind that I am not a veterinarian and that even a licensed vet would not be allowed to give you a diagnosis/treatment plan via the internet. Having said that, I can only tell you what has worked for us in regards to mites. : Betadine is a povidone/iodine disinfectant solution. It can be purchased (for a rather hefty sum) at just about any pharmacy department. A dilute Betadine bath would assist in cleansing any mite bites and helping with any possible infection but it will not kill mite eggs. : Similiarly, we use a simple "oil wash" of vegetable oil all over the ig. Theory behind this is that the oil will suffocate any mites left after the Betadine bath. HOWEVER, it also will NOT kill any eggs that have been laid on the iguana. Rub the ig down with veggie oil, let it sit for 5-10 minutes (add cilantro, mozzerella cheese, toss and serve...) and then wash the ig completely with clean water making sure to remove as much oil as possible. Keep an eye on the ig for approximately two weeks to spot any further mite problems. : Others have advocated using human lice removal products in dilute solutions. Personally, we simply do not know what effect these have on an iguana and, therefor, choose not to use them. Fortunately, we have caught any mite infestations early enough that, once treated, no recurrances have occured. : The enclosure, on the other hand, and EVERYTHING IN IT that will be staying needs to be washed in a bleach solution (1/2 cup bleach to 1 gallon water) and allowed to air out for several hours once rinsed thoroughly with clean water. Make absolutely sure that the enclosure is thoroughly rinsed and aired as iguanas can and do lick absolutely everything. : That's just our experience. Others will have their own methods. You may want to at least put a call in to your vet for his/her advice just to be safe. : Good Luck !!

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