My iguana might touch cleaned surfaces. Is Clorox bleach safe?

For a new tank, hot, soapy water followed by a thorough rinsing is sufficient. Steam cleaning and a dilute bleach solution (1/2 cup bleach:1 gallon water) can be used for disinfection. There are also commercial cleaners, such as Zoo Med Wipe Out, that can be purchased online or in most pet stores.

The problem with using clorox wipes is that you still will have to rinse the area as clorox residue can hurt your animal. You can put tape along the cracks for the time being and wipe the area with a wet cloth. I suppose you will have to save up for a new cage bottom or find a plastic bottom that will fit into the tray.

Hi there and thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! Reptiles carry Salmonella so I would make sure that you thoroughly clean the area on a regular basis to prevent Precious from getting Salmonella. Salmonella is in the GI tract of reptiles so it is passed along in their feces. If possible, I would develop a separate play zone for your iguana to play on from where Precious plays and spends time. I hope this helps! Please let me know if you have any other questions or concerns and I would be more than happy to help you further.

Hello. Good question. Mites unfortunately, are not easy to get rid of. You have to treat both the iguana and her environment. It is not recommended that you use any medications on your iguana without speaking to your vet first. Over the counter treatments do not usually work well and can often times be toxic if not used correctly. No matter what treatment you use it will likely take multiple treatments. It is best to obtain treatments directly from your veterinarian. If you do not already have a vet that you work with, this is a veterinary hospital near you where the vets are well versed in treating reptiles: http://chadwellanimalhospital.com/about-us/the-hospital/ You must also treat Li Mai's environment. Remove her from the cage. Throw away and branches or other organic material including the substrate. Soak the bowls and the enclosure itself in a 10:1 dilution of water to bleach. Let is soak for at least an hour but as long as you can. Be sure to get the bleach water in all the crevices. You will probably have to do this twice weekly over the next few months. Please consult with a veterinarian as these mites can be VERY difficult to get rid of. They can cause a myriad of other health problems including issues with shedding, damaged scales, stress, scratching, and more so you need to work together with a vet you trust to make sure all of her husbandry is correct. This includes her diet, the lighting, the temperatures and humidity in the cage. I hope this helps. Best of luck to you and Li Mai! Dr. Amber

Hello, thank you for using Pet Coach. Great question! You would mix 1 ounce of 2% Chlorhexidine solution with 1 gallon of water. Cut that in 1/2 if you only want to make a half gallon, etc. Hope this answers your question. Best wishes!

If your hands were dry, the residue was likely minimal. It may have been further diluted by the water in the tank. There isn't much to be done except to monitor tank inhabitants for any symptoms of exposure such as lethargy, decreased appetite or swimming oddly. A partial water change can be done to further dilute any residue in the tank.

A baking soda bath is only recommended for severe cases of dysecdysis (abnormal shedding) and only under the direction of an experienced herp veterinarian. A warm bath, 85 F to 90 F, daily should be enough to provide adequate moisture/humidity to ease shedding as long as the environmental parameters are correct. Personally, I'm not a fan of free roaming. The risk of injury, escape, toxicity and getting chilled is too high.