The home of Bearded Dragons - Pogona Vitticeps
Care sheets | Dragon Health | Parasites, Viruses & Diseases
Coccidia - Coccidiosis
“What is Coccidia?”
Coccidiosis in bearded dragons is a condition caused by protozoan's called Coccidia. These parasites are quite common and can be found in plenty of dragons in small numbers. A healthy dragon can keep small levels under control with it's own immune system. This small amount of Coccidia causes no problems, but a severe infestation certainly will. So, how exactly can your dragon get it?
Coccidia is a direct life cycle parasite. What does that mean? It means that your dragon will repeatedly re-infect him/herself with Coccidia. The life cycle of the Coccidian parasite works as follows:
- The dragon ingests the oocysts (Coccidia eggs).
- The oocysts infect the cells lining the intestinal wall.
- The oocysts become the Coccidia parasite that then begin to reproduce asexually (remember from biology class, that means that each individual parasite can reproduce all by itself).
- More oocysts are produced
- The new oocyst are expelled in the faeces
- Back to step 1
This entire cycle is a process which takes place in a matter of 7-10 days. You can also see how this whole situation can go from bad to worse rather quickly, if not treated properly.
So now that you know what Coccidia is, how do you know if your dragon has it? The only way to tell if your dragon has Coccidia is by having a faecal check done. This is highly recommended anyway if you have a new dragon, doing a faecal scan just to find out the overall health of your lizard is a good protocol.
However, there are some warning signs that you should look for. These include the following:
- Consistent loose, runny, very foul smelling faeces
- Loss of appetite
- Loss of weight or stunted weight gain
- Lethargy
- Blood in faeces or urates
Keep in mind that these are just symptoms and not to be used alone to “diagnose” whether or not your dragon has Coccidia. If your dragon has these symptoms it means that you need to get a faecal check done or see a vet.
Cause
We don't know exactly how these protozoan's are transmitted to bearded dragons. Some speculate that it can be passed from the mother during egg development. This would mean that even hatchlings would a minimal amount of these protozoan's. Oocysts, the immature form of Coccidia, can also be ingested by crickets and other insects and be passed to your dragon upon consumption.
Signs
Your dragon's immune system normally keeps Coccidia under control. However, if it's compromised by stress, parasites, or disease, the infestation may become severe and cause problems.
Two of the main symptoms of coccidiosis in bearded dragons are stomach pain and diarrhoea. Also, the faeces of a heavily infected dragon can smell far worst than a normal one.
The walls of the digestive system may also start to bleed. Food displacement can also lead to general malnutrition. It's also common for dragons with this condition to experience weakness and lethargy.
Diagnosis
Fortunately, bearded dragon coccidiosis is very easy to diagnose once suspected. The only method of diagnosis is a faecal exam. If the symptoms were indeed caused by Coccidia, then treatment will need to begin immediately because Coccidia are very contagious.
Treatment
If your vet diagnoses this condition, then he/she will prescribe your beardie some sulfa based drugs. In the UK it's likely to be Baycox or Septrin. Drugs used to treat dragons will take a heavy toll on the reptiles internal systems because by killing the coccidia it will also kill the useful bacteria. To limit the effects of this some useful tips from experience is listed below:
- Keep your dragon well hydrated as treatment can cause quick dehydration - Dabs of water on the snout or the odd bath.
- Use Pro biotics to keep levels of useful short term bacteria in the system - Avipro
- Try to limit contact with your dragon, the aim is to keep them stress free
- Leave plenty of food for them and would use livefood with high water content - Crickets, silkworms or butterworms
While taking this medication, you will need to isolate the dragon in a separate tank. The tank needs to be kept extremely clean and sterile until the condition has been treated. I would also continue to clean for 10 days (coccidia lifecycle) after treatment to avoid reinfection.
A useful article regarding cleaning can be found by clicking here.
Other information you may find useful:
Adenovirus - Adeno Virus
Coccidia - Coccidiosis
Mites
Pinworms
Stomatitis - Mouth Rot
