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HELP... I have a Mite problem

T

Tonia

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Hello all, I am new here and I need some advice and quick.....Here is my story......

I have had in the last few weeks a hamster and a gerbil pass away because of mites that we contracted from a friends house where we were staying for awhile. I have a blue tongued skink as well and though she looks healthy how do I make sure that she doesn't have or doesn't get mites. She is my baby and her name is Sweetie. I am really scared now for her..
Can anyone help me on this?

I got an article that told me to use betadine on her but that is not readily accessible, is there anything else I can use that won't hurt her?

Thank you to anyone that can help...

Please feel free to email me at [email protected]
 
Does she actually have mites? There are many different species of mites. I'm not aware of any that attack both mammals and reptiles. If she doesn't actually have mites, I wouldn't try any treatments. Do you know what kind of mite killed your gerbil and hamster? The only mite that I'm aware of that commonly attacks mammals are mange mites. If that's what they were, I'd be more worried about them infecting me than my lizards. They go after mammals, so you'd be at risk not your skink.

Good luck!
-Alice
 
Reply....

As a matter of fact my husband and I only know that they are red little dot looking things and the ones on the gerbil were just as small but they were black... My husband said that he thinks he has been getting bitten by them, but I am not sure if that is what they are or not because we have mosquitos really bad here in the summer time, so I am not sure...

but I do know they killed both the gerbil and the hamster (Raggie and Munchkin) I just am so afraid that Sweetie is next...

Hope this helps..
 
could the black ones be fleas? They can and will kill mammals.... I think mites tend to crawl where fleas, when looking at them, will hop. Also, fleas will leave what's called flea dirt(poop) in the hair, usually on the belly of the cat, dog, etc...
 
Common reptile mites are big and black, larger then what you saw on your rodents. The red ones are not a problem for your skink, but they can be a problem for you.

Take a close look at your skink, under the scales around the neck, eyes(they will crawl under the eyelids), armpits, ear holes, and any crevices on her. The mites, if any are on her, will be under the scales and will raise the scales up a bit from the body and the mites will be easily noticeable.
 
Thank you very much for all of your help guys.... I was really worried. She doesn't have anything that we can see but she is getting swollen in her neck area, is this concerning? We feed her various foods and fruits and such ( I have a listing of all they can eat and cannot eat that I follow by) she is in a HUGE cage for now until I can get her room ready and I handle her all of the time, I also give her vitamins with her veggies. I have called around down here in Warren Ohio and they dont seem to know a whole lot about skinks, which was a surprise to me. The vet said that I should talk to a "trained" person in raising and breeding them. I got her from a guy that was going to throw her away , literally, because he thought they were poisonous. She is amazing and I want to help all I can. I love her so much.
 
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