Hi,
We have a Bluey who has a mite infestation and a pretty bad one too. I have been doing some research and came across this info on your forums from 2010.
Our Bluey is housed on the patio, so we will bomb the actual cage. We have taken Jengo (the bluey) out and he is living in a plastic tub for a while. I can't find Orange Medic, so is there any other ways to treat him? We also have cats and dogs and other furry animals so we have to find a product that is not harmful to them all...
any info on how to care for Jengo and make in more comfortable in the mean time is appreciated. I am a first time reptile owner so this is all new to me.
Cheers Donna
We have a Bluey who has a mite infestation and a pretty bad one too. I have been doing some research and came across this info on your forums from 2010.
Definitely looks like a very big mite infestation, and the animal is probably dehydrated because of the drain they place on the animal's blood supply. There are lots of articles on mite management on this site, but one thing you must do is kill all the mites which will have moved out of the enclosure and into the surrounding area. Remove the animal into a clean plastic tub, and leaving ALL enclosure materials in place in the OPEN enclosure, use a flea/cockroach bomb from the supermarket to fumigate the room and the enclosure, this will kill all mites in the substrate and cage decorations as well. If you remove and discard the substrate without first killing the mites, all you will do is spread them over a wider area as you trash the substrate - kill them in place before removing it. Treat the animal separately with an insecticide such as Orange Medic and place in a white or pale pillowcase so you can see if the mites are still alive a day or two later - you can see them moving on the pale fabric. Discard all substrate (must) and cage decorations (or clean in hot water).
The flea bomb won't leave a toxic residue once it has done its job, but it leaves a hormone residue which stops mites (& fleas, cockroaches...) from developing into breeding adults, so as long as you've treated the animal thoroughly and effectively, you should have no more problems. Make sure you follow the instructions on the flea bomb can - remove fishtanks etc.
Jamie
Our Bluey is housed on the patio, so we will bomb the actual cage. We have taken Jengo (the bluey) out and he is living in a plastic tub for a while. I can't find Orange Medic, so is there any other ways to treat him? We also have cats and dogs and other furry animals so we have to find a product that is not harmful to them all...
any info on how to care for Jengo and make in more comfortable in the mean time is appreciated. I am a first time reptile owner so this is all new to me.
Cheers Donna