The home of Bearded Dragons - Pogona Vitticeps
Care sheets | Dragon Health | Parasites, Viruses & Diseases
Pinworms
Oxyurids, or pinworms, are common parasites found on fecal examinations in bearded dragons. As with coccidia they may not be a concern in wild populations, but in captivity they may reach large numbers and cause problems. Pinworms have a direct lifecycle, and bearded dragons tend to defecate frequently and are often in contact with their stool. This may result clinically in poor growth. As with coccidia, keeping the environment simple and clean during treatment is important for success. Fecal examinations are recommended 3-4 weeks post-treatment to ensure elimination of the organism.
Bearded Dragons main protein source is crickets and dragons *can get pinworms from crickets, so this is not an uncommon thing for you to find during a fecal exam. De-wormer from your vet is relatively cheap. If you avoid this issue... Something as simple as pinworms I promise you that you will regret it.
As pinworms thrive they can cause serious havoc on your dragon - because his immune system is weakened it will allow other things like coccidia (and other things) to thrive rapidly. - Resulting in several different medications and months of treatment and many fecal exams.
** If your dragon has been diagnosed with pinworms AND coccidia - complete treatment for the PINWORMS must be done first then the treatment for coccidia. Infact, often when the treatment for pinworms is complete there *may* not be necessity to treat for coccidia as the coccidia numbers *may* return to normal on its own - but only a vet can tell you if this is a possibility for your situation.
Other information you may find useful:
Adenovirus - Adeno Virus
Coccidia - Coccidiosis
Mites
Pinworms
Stomatitis - Mouth Rot
