My water dragon keeps scratching. Is it mites or a skin problem?

Clean and sanitize the enclosure, bowls and any tank furniture. Discard anything that cannot be sanitized. Replace the substrate temporarily with paper towels and change them daily. You can purchase a commercial mite treatment to use. Confirm it is safe to use in reptiles before use. Follow label directions carefully. You can also soak him in a warm bath of diluted Betadine. Wipe him gently during the bath. The diluted Betadine will kill the mites and clean any wounds or irritation caused by mite infection.

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

MBD can be treated, but Dobbie may never be "normal". Ideally, he should be physically examined by your veterinarian or a vet experienced in treating reptiles. If he has MBD, he likely has other issues related to poor husbandry and nutrition. Submit a stool sample to diagnose intestinal parasites. He may need antibiotics to help with the wound on his face. There maybe nothing to be done with the tail other than partial amputation if it is causing discomfort. Your vet can determine this after an exam. With the proper care and support, he can lead a close to normal life. You can review water dragon care at the link below. Kudos to you for rescuing the little guy! http://www.triciaswaterdragon.com/dragoncr.htm

Submit a stool sample to your veterinarian or an experienced herp vet to diagnose intestinal parasites or bacterial overgrowth. Confirm proper environmental parameters. Low temperatures can affect activity, appetite and digestion in reptiles. Soak him in a warm 50 /50 solution of water and unflavored PediaLyte for 20 minutes. This can warm him up and may treat or prevent minor dehydration. Offer appropriately sized crickets and mealworms as well as fresh, chopped greens and fruits. Follow the link below for more information regarding care. http://www.anapsid.org/waterdragons.html

I don't know if you tried posting a photo with your question but it did not come through. I apologize but we are having a glitch in the system. I will do my best to help you despite not having a photo. What you are describing sounds like red mites. My best recommendation is to get him to a reptile vet for treatment. You will also need to thoroughly clean the enclosure. You can certainly try home treatment first and if it doesn't work you will need to take him to the vet. Please refer to this link on how to go about treating Zeke and the enclosure. http://www.anapsid.org/mites.html Hope this helps. Best wishes.

This looks like a rub wound like he is rubbing his face on the cage screen. From what I can tell from the photos it does not look like mouth rot. You can make a solution of dilute betadine and water (1:10 dilution - like weak iced tea color), dip a Q-tip into the solution and dab it on the wound. Do this twice daily until healed. Be sure you have all his husbandry 100% correct so that he likes his environment and he will stop doing this. Something must be off - temperature, humidity, etc. ( https://www.walmart.com/ip/Equate-First-Aid-Antiseptic-Topical-Solution-8-Fl-Oz/10324543 ) ( https://www.petco.com/content/petco/PetcoStore/en_US/pet-services/resource-center/caresheets/water-dragon.html ) ( http://www.triciaswaterdragon.com/snout.htm ) Hope this helps. Best wishes.

You must treat both the environment and the pet. You can try some over the counter products but many can be ineffective if the environment is not treated concurrently. Ivermectin can be dispensed by your veterinarian to use systemically or topically. Do not treat with ivermectin without the advice of your veterinarian as it is quite easy to overdose. A 30 minute soak in a diluted Betadine bath can remove most mites and may soothe irritated skin. Remove the substrate, bag it and take it outdoors. Clean and sanitize the cage, bowls and tank furniture. You can use hot, soapy water followed by a 1:30 dilution of bleach and water followed by a thorough rinsing on the tank, bowls and non porous surfaces. Discard anything that cannot be sanitized. You may need to clean and sanitize the enclosure weekly for several weeks. The pet may need multiple treatments as well.