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help prevent reptile illnesses

Rhetoric

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I was looking at a local BP breeders website and apparently there's been a virus going around in my area that effects reptiles. There don't seem to be a lot of people in the portland area but I thought the article I stumbled upon had a lot of good information. I know a lot of forum members have multiple reptiles and hopefully this article will help lengthen the amount of time you get to spend with your "friends"
I copied/pasted some basics that every reptile keeper should know/follow. The link below all of that is the link to the article.

Do not buy an animal who is obviously emaciated or covered in mites. While many people are willing to purchase them and nurse them back to health, now is not the time with an active, deadly illness being passed amongst Craigslist buyers and sellers. You are likely to endanger any other animals you own.

If you buy an animal from an unfamiliar source (say, from a stranger online) try to avoid people who have no records on an animal, or who have had them for only a short period of time. Flipping a reptile can infect several collections before the animal finally shows symptoms or is sold to their permanent home. If you can, try to see where the animal was kept and observe the rest of the collection. Do the animals look well-fed and healthy? Are the cages clean or are there feces everywhere? Are the water bowls clean or slimy? Are the animals packed together in a room so that there is no way to follow hygiene practices and avoid cross-infection? Even if you aren’t allowed into their collection, ask for photos of the cage and of the room. Ultimately, you are the one who is making the choice to purchase or adopt, but if you notice that one or more of the above things are true, please give it a second thought.

When you bring an animal home, you MUST quarantine it. Three months is good, with more if you can and less if you absolutely have to. Quarantining means that the animal gets a separate cage, as far away from your other animals as is humanly possible. Large breeders use a separate building. You may need to use a different room, or a different floor of your house. Even if you have to keep them all in one room, keep them on opposite ends. Remember that Paramyxovirus has a symptom-free incubation period of at least 6-10 weeks.

Care for/clean/hold new animals LAST, after your established animals. That lessens the chance of an infection getting to them. Wash/sanitize your hands and change your clothes before you touch your other animals again.

Do not share supplies between animals. That means water bowls, hides, feeding tongs, and un-eaten food. All of these things can carry traces of fluids (or mites) and infect a collection swiftly. If you must share supplies, look below for our info on sterilizing with bleach.

Treat all cases of mites IMMEDIATELY. Look up the Nix method for snake mites, or consider using Provent-a-Mite. Follow instructions for all remedies exactly, mite remedies can all be dangerous to your animal if not used correctly. We don’t recommend ‘Mite-Off’, as it is ineffective, nor do we recommend using olive or other oils on your reptiles.

Sanitize cages and cage furniture. A 10-20% bleach solution can kill the Paramyxovirus. Soak cage furnishings and wipe down cages with a bleach solution, let sit for half an hour or more, and rinse and dry very thoroughly before returning your pet. Bleach fumes can be harmful to your animal if not cleared well. Do the same thing with cages you have recently bought, both new and used. Even if it comes from a pet store, you can’t be sure that any animals they have there are healthy.

If you are visiting someone else who has reptiles, or ESPECIALLY if you are going to a reptile show (like this weekend) bring hand sanitizer. If you handle animals, use it between each animal, for their safety as well as that of your animals. Change your clothes and throw them in the washer when you get home. All it takes is one infected mite or forgetting to wash up before you get in your reptile room, and your collection could be decimated.

http://nwreptiles.com/reptile-virus-epedemic/
 

agv0008

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My rescue red tail had mites when I got her almost a year ago. I sprayed a bin with that provent-a-mite stuff and let it dry. I put her in there and did the same to her enclosure. One treatment and they were gone. That stuff works wonders. I considered the all natural stuff, but when one of your herps gets mites, it is imperative that they go away FAST! They have never returned.
 

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