Coccidiosis can be fatal to bearded dragons if not diagnosed early enough and left untreated. The infection can be asymptomatic for a long time, which makes it difficult to diagnose but when it becomes a disease, it can progress quickly and cause severe symptoms and death.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\nJuvenile bearded dragons are at a higher risk of dying from coccidia compared to adult lizards. The problem is, that most lizards carry the infection without showing any signs, especially if they are well-fed, stress-free, and healthy in many other aspects.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Symptoms can also go unnoticed for a long period, which means most bearded dragons are always at a higher risk of death from coccidiosis than the owners realize.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Treatment options<\/h2>\n\n\n\n Treatment for coccidia can be as varied, but all treatments typically involve antibiotics or anti-parasitic drugs. In cases where the coccidiosis infection is severe and has progressed to active disease, coccidiostatic medications may also need to be given with a longer time frame of treatment.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Do not attempt to treat your bearded dragon yourself. You first need a diagnosis done by a professional reptile vet.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Get a prescription for your reptile to prevent any risk of worsening the reptile’s condition. Most drugs for coccidia are prescribed according to the lizard’s age and weight.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Follow through the treatment course to ensure the parasite is completely eliminated.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
I highly recommend that you have your pet diagnosed by a reptile vet, even if there are some symptoms of infection. They will help rule out any other infections or diseases before administering medication.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Prevalence<\/h2>\n\n\n\n Coccidia prevalence in bearded dragons is estimated to be between 20 and 50% of the pet population. The prevalence rate increases dramatically when considering captive bearded dragons housed with other lizards, as it can spread from one lizard to another through contact or shared food bowls.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
This prevalence figure also goes up when enclosures such as a cageless setup for growing beardies are used. These microscopic parasites are spread through contact with infected faeces, which is why the infection rates are extremely high in pet bearded dragons. Other reptiles or even humans may also transmit them.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Prevention<\/h2>\n\n\n\n It is possible to prevent coccidia. It can be done by taking a few precautions, such as not letting any new bearded dragons in the enclosure and always washing hands before handling other animals or food items. In addition, wash all bowls with hot water and soap after every feeding session. Make sure you are using fresh clean water for each use, including both baby beardies’ dishes and your beardie’s drinking bowl. Wash their vegetables thoroughly too, because they may carry some of these parasites on them without showing signs of infection yet.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Here are tips on how to prevent coccidia in bearded dragons:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Quarantine new pets<\/h3>\n\n\n\n Quarantine new reptile pets for at least two weeks before introducing them to the old pets. During this period, observe the lizards closely to make sure they do not have coccidia symptoms.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Once the quarantine is over, it’s important to wash your hands before handling any reptiles. If the new pet has come in contact with other animals or food items outside of the quarantine enclosure, he may be carrying a parasite that could spread to others if you don’t take precautions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Don’t bring water bowls from the new bearded dragons’ cage into another because this can also cause contamination and illness. Instead, wash all bowls thoroughly with hot water and soap after every feeding session for each lizard – including baby bearded dragon dishes and their drinking bowl.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Improve hygiene<\/h3>\n\n\n\n The cleanliness of the enclosure can also affect the spread and containment of coccidia. Keep things clean and as dry as possible, with no standing water. No wet or damp substrate is better for bearded dragons because it might not only be hard to clean but may lead to fungal infections and the spread of coccidia.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Don’t leave droppings laying around either – clean them out of sight. If there are any areas where your beardie has urinated on logs or rocks, scrub these down with a disinfectant so they don’t spread coccidia parasites all over the enclosure.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Dishes should always be washed between uses, even when using fresh clean water during each dishwashing cycle.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Isolate infected bearded dragons<\/h3>\n\n\n\n If one of your pets shows symptoms, isolation will help prevent the spread to others. The isolation can be done by creating a separate enclosure where only this lizard can enter and exit.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Provide the isolated pet with clean water dishes, food bowls, towels for climbing on top of or under to lay down in if desired, and other items important for its well-being while sick.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Reduce stressors<\/h3>\n\n\n\n Reducing stressors is also important in the prevention of coccidia. The stress factors will vary depending on the enclosure setup, but there are a few general stress reducers that might help:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Keep feeding times short to avoid overcrowding and contamination if you have tankmates<\/li> Remove any items from their enclosure they don’t need (this includes anything laying around). This can reduce the stress for your lizard as well as make it easier to keep things clean<\/li> Limit handling – less contact means fewer opportunities for spreading illness. If necessary, use gloves when you do handle your bearded dragons.<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\nAs a general rule of thumb, you want to ensure that your reptile pet has adequate food, heating, a UVB source, and proper humidity to keep them happy and healthy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Do not overcrowd enclosures.<\/h3>\n\n\n\n Overcrowding is a major cause of coccidia. In overcrowded areas, the faeces can get soiled or wet and transmit this parasite to other lizards without them being infected themselves – which spreads it even more efficiently.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
If you have multiple pets in one enclosure, give them space by either building additional enclosures (or modifying existing ones) for each lizard as needed. Likewise, if your bearded dragon is sharing an enclosure with others that are not its tankmates, be sure to provide plenty of perches for every single one too.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The overcrowding will happen if only one extra branch is available on a tree climbing post but three different dragons want to climb up at once. Keeping things neat will also cut down on stress. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
\n\n\n\nREAD NEXT: Sunken Eyes in Bearded Dragons – Causes and Fixes<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n \n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Coccidia is the most life-threatening health concern in captive bearded dragons. Being a parasitic infection, it can progress from being asymptomatic to a full-blown disease that can kill the lizard within a short time. As … Read more<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":588,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[3],"tags":[],"yoast_head":"\nCoccidia in Bearded Dragons - Signs, Causes, Treatment | Being Reptiles<\/title>\n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n\t \n\t \n\t \n \n \n \n\t \n\t \n\t \n