What Disinfectant Kills Coccidia for Bearded Dragons?

This post is all about what disinfectant kills coccidia for bearded dragons and it’s super dooper long. So, to make it easier on you because you are clearly busy trying to manage coccidia (big hugs for you), the most effective disinfectants are at the begging and then working through to the least.

I know you love natural solutions to disinfect for coccidia and I won’t let you down on that score!

So, grab your cuppa, sit back and relax for a bit so we can go through the nuts and bolts as we discuss what disinfectant kills coccidia and step by step how to do it. Heck, I even have the exact dilutions for you!

What Disinfectant Kills Coccidia?

The best disinfectants for coccidia in a nutshell are F10 SC, heat (including steam) and sunlight. There you have it, the entire post in one sentence. Actually not really, there is so much more to know about what disinfectant kills coccidia for bearded dragons.

Oocysts are difficult to kill and resist disinfectants so the treatments we use need to be spot on. It’s not only about the disinfectant but also about how to disinfect for coccidia which is a far bigger conversation. Here we go.

Infective oocysts can survive for many months in the environment and are resistant to most commonly used disinfectants.

Andrews, 2022

Does Heat Kill Coccidia for Bearded Dragons?

Nevermind what cleaner kills coccidia, check out what heat does to the oocysts. Boiling water 100°C (212°F) boiling water spells instant death for coccidia.

What the Research Says on How Effective Heat at Killing Coccidia

The table below shows just how lethal boiling water is on coccidia.

Temperature	Exposure Time	Effectiveness	Source
100°C (212°F) Boiling Water	Less than 5 seconds	Instantaneous lethality to all oocysts, 100% of oocysts were killed	Chang, 1937
55°C (131°F)	15 minutes	Killed all oocysts, 100% of oocysts were killed	Chang, 1937
55°C (131°F)	5 minutes	Complete inhibition; 100% of oocysts were killed	Matsui et al., 1989
55°C (131°F)	3 minutes	Near-complete inhibition; around 90% of oocysts were killed	Matsui et al., 1989
55°C (131°F)	30 seconds	Significant reduction; approximately 50% of oocysts were killed, with 50% sporulating	Matsui et al., 1989
45°C (113°F)	1 hour	Killed all oocysts	Chang, 1937
50°C (122°F)	5 minutes	Further reduction; about 80% of oocysts were killed, with 20% sporulating	Matsui et al., 1989
50°C (122°F)	3 minutes	Significant reduction; approximately 60% of oocysts were killed, but 40% sporulated	Matsui et al., 1989
50°C (122°F)	30 seconds	Minimal effect; 25% of oocysts were killed, while 75% continued to sporulate	Matsui et al., 1989
40°C (104°F)	7 days	Killed all oocysts	Chang, 1937
38°C (100°F)	24 hours	Partial inhibition, slowed sporulation	Chang, 1937
18°C (64°F)	72 hours	Slow sporulation	Chang, 1937
5°C (41°F)	21 days	Complete sporulation, no kill	Chang, 1937
0–2°C (32°F)	Indefinite	No sporulation, no oocysts killed	Chang, 1937

As we see in the table above, the hotter the water, the more lethal it is to coccidia and the quicker they die. Steam, hot water and dry heat (like an oven) are deadly to coccidia.

1. Home steam cleaners make killing coccidia oocyts easy:
   • Steam cleaners typically reach temperatures above 100°C (212°F), making them highly effective for killing coccidia oocysts on hard surfaces like enclosure walls, floors and rocks.
   • To get the most out of the high temperatures with steam cleaners, the wand will need to be almost in direct contact with the wall. You can test the temperature of the steam by waving the wand over a cooking thermometer.
   • Move the steam wand slowly and methodically across the enclosure walls, working from top to bottom. Ensure the wand is close to the walls to achieve the maximum temperature needed for cleaning for coccidia.
2. Boiling water is deadly to coccidia oocysts:
   • Pouring boiling water (100°C or 212°F) directly onto affected surfaces can also be effective.
   • Clearly splashing boiling water over enclosure walls and floor could be a little dangerous but boiling water is well suited for small items like feeding dishes or tools in a container.
3. The dry heat of ovens is also deadly and may be useful for heat-tolerant accessories. See the post on sanitizing wood and rocks for more information.

Heat is the most effective and eco-friendly method for cleaning for coccidia. The higher the temperature, the less contact time and higher kill rate is achieved.

Steam cleaning is effective in killing sporulated and unsporulated oocysts and is an effective means of decreasing piglet exposure to infective I. suis oocysts.

Lindsay, 1997

Does Sunlight Kill Coccidia?

Yes, yes, yes direct sunlight can kill coccidia.

UVB is more effective than UVA, and higher temperatures, such as 37°C, enhance the killing effect.

Sunlight Exposure Duration	Effectiveness at Reducing Oocyst Viability	Notes	Reference
1 hour	50% reduction	Partial effectiveness observed	Martinaud et al., 2009
2 hours	Approx 65% reduction	Some improvement, but not significant	Baird et al., 2021
4 hours	Nearly 100% reduction	Significant reduction achieved	Martinaud et al., 2009
8 hours (with UVB)	Complete elimination	Enhanced effect with heat 37°C	Martinaud et al., 2009
Shade (8 hours)	Minimal reduction	Effectiveness greatly reduced compared to sunlight	Baird et al., 2021
High humidity + sunlight	Viability prolonged	High humidity mitigated desiccation effects	Baird et al., 2021

A single hour of exposure reduced the viability of oocysts by approximately 50%, and this further decreased with continued exposure.

Martinaud et al., 2009

What the Says on How Effective Sunlight is at Killing Coccidia

Research on sunlight’s impact on coccidia has focused on both natural and artificial UV exposure. Martinaud et al. (2009) found that natural sunlight, especially UVB radiation, was effective in reducing the viability of Isospora turdi oocysts in blackbirds.

The study noted that the time of exposure and the intensity made a big difference.

One hour of sunlight caused a 50% reduction in oocyst viability, while four hours nearly eliminated them.

Martinaud et al. (2009) emphasized that the combined effects of UV radiation and high temperature were the primary factors in reducing oocyst viability. Temperatures around 37°C, when combined with UVB exposure, led to complete elimination of oocysts within 8 hours. This highlights the synergistic impact of sunlight and heat in creating a hostile environment for oocysts.

Artificial UVB showed significant potential to reduce oocyst viability over prolonged exposure. Lucky, because we have that for our reptiles already. However, artificial UVA was far less effective, even with extended durations. Temperatures around 37°C also accelerated the killing effect.

Importantly, direct sunlight is far more effective than shade. You may get some drying out effect on a hot day but direct exposure to sunlight, particularly UVB is what makes the difference.

Does F10 Kill Coccidia for Bearded Dragons?

Yes, F10 can kill protozoal oocysts (coccidia is one of those), but there is no specific test on Isospora sp itself (personal correspondence with Chemical Essentials Pty Ltd, 2024). This is hands down one of the safest options and a great product all-round.

How to use F10 SC to Kill Coccidia

Chemical Essentials Pty Ltd recommend using F10 SC to kill protozoal oocysts daily for at least 2 weeks (you may need longer) at the ratio of 1:100. F10 SC can be used in the same manner in your usual cleaning practices as a preventative measure.

F10 SC is a great product for daily cleaning. See the post on cleaning enclosures for more details. See the Step-by-Step Guide to Clean for Coccidia below for more information.

Now, lets just address the elephant in the room. You might have look at the price of F10 products and done a little hot coal dance. But, here is the thing. At the ratios required to clean for coccidia F10 SC it comes out as follows (for my country and yours will be relatable to this):

• Cost of 1 litre of F10 veterinary grade disinfenctant is around $110.
• At a ratio of 1:100 that makes 100 litres of solution and litre of made up solution costs $1.10. That’s way less than that well deserved cup of coffee you might be thinking of buying yourself later.

Does Ammonia Kill Coccidia?

Ammonia does kill coccidia, it is an effective solution, but gosh it is a horrible disinfectant to use.

How to Use Ammonia to Kill Coccidia: Dilution & Contact Time

Rossi (2006, in Maders) recommends a 5% ammonia solution to tackle coccidia. On the other hand, Horton-Smith et al., 1940 and Haggag et al., (2013) found a 10% solution of ammonia applied at 40°C for 45 to 60 minutes is effective on coccidia oocysts.

To be fair, Haggag et al., (2013) found that when they heated up the 10% ammonia solution to 40°C (104°F) it shortened the contact time to 15 minutes. The issues for us trying to replicate Haggag et al., (2013) is that:

1. We don’t have the means to keep the solution at a consistent temperature of 40°C when applying it to our enclosures.
2. The gas that ammonia releases increases significantly at higher temperatures, creating toxic fumes and at the wrong temperature it can even be explosive. Well I guess that would kill the coccidia…along with us. Hmmm, far too big a risk for our purposes.

So you see, the heat and F10 solutions we spoke of earlier are starting to sound pretty good if they weren’t already, aren’t they?

Oocysts are resistant to most disinfectants. Some ammonia-based disinfectants kill oocysts but can only be used in areas vacated by animals.

Andrews, 2022

What the Research Says on How Effective Ammonia is at Killing Coccidia

Back in 1940, Horton-Smith et al., studied ammonia concentrations for poultry farming and discovered that varying ammonia strengths killed coccidia oocysts at different rates. For example, a 1% ammonia solution could kill 100% of oocysts, but it took a full 24 hours to achieve this. Whereas when they used a 10% solution they were able to kill the coccidia oocysts in just 45 minutes.

Fast forward to 2013, and Haggag et al. took these insights further by looking at ammonia’s performance in poultry settings. They found that using a 10% solution at 40°C (104°F) dramatically reduced the contact time to just 15 minutes for 100% effectiveness. Even a 5% solution showed promising results, though it required more time. However, as we said, for our purposes warming any ammonia solution is too dangerous.

Unlike many other disinfectants, ammonia remains effective even in the presence of dirt or organic matter, such as dust, debris, or animal waste. This can be handy in outdoor settings but of course where possible, everything should have been cleaned with detergent and made sparkly clean before applying ammonia.

Together, these studies show us a clear picture of how ammonia solutions can be optimized to fight coccidia. Below is a combined summary of their findings:

Ammonia Concentration	Contact Time	Effectiveness	Extra Notes	Source
10% at 40°C	15 minutes	100% effective	Higher temperature significantly reduced time.	Haggag et al., 2013
10%	45 minutes	100% of oocysts killed	Quick and effective.	Horton-Smith et al., 1940
10%	60 minutes	96% effective	Reached 100% after 24 hours.	Haggag et al., 2013
5%	2 hours	100% of oocysts killed	Effective but slower than 10%.	Horton-Smith et al., 1940
5%	60 minutes	96% effective	Best results seen after 24 hours.	Haggag et al., 2013
1%	24 hours	100% of oocysts killed	Low concentration requires longer time.	Horton-Smith et al., 1940

A Cautionary Tale on Using Ammonia to Kill Coccidia for Bearded Dragon Enclosures

Ammonia fumes can be irritating or dangerous if inhaled. This is true for both us bearded dragon and our reptiles.

Once you use ammonia, your bearded dragon cannot go back into its enclosure until its thoroughly washed off, dried and any residual odor has gone. This may not even be on the same day, it could take a day or more for the fumes to go.

Ammonia is quite aggressive with some metals, can change the color and chemical structure of wood, some plastics are ok and some will become brittle or crack, and it can’t be used on melamine as it can cause damage to the surface.

For you, use all the usual precautions. Gloves, mask, eye protection and whatever other PPE you need to protect yourself. Make sure you are working in a well-ventilated area.

Keep ammonia away from other cleaning agents, especially bleach, to prevent harmful reactions.

Does Bleach Kill Coccidia?

Bleach does not kill coccidia. Bleach, or sodium hypochlorite, cannot reliably kill coccidia oocysts (Rossi, 2006).

What the Research Says on How Effective Bleach is at Killing Coccidia

Stuart et al. (1981) found that bleach can damage the walls of Isospora suis oocysts at high concentrations. In their study, full-strength bleach (5.25% sodium hypochlorite) was required, and even then, it needed a contact time of 60 to 120 hours to cause significant damage. This was specific to pig farms, which is more difficult to deal with than a single enclosure. However, it highlights that even if bleach works, it requires impractical conditions to be even minimally effective for our situation.

So, does bleach kill coccidia? Bleach is not effective at killing coccidia, don’t waste your time on it.

…if one placed a water bowl contaminated with coccidia in a sink filled with bleach water, all other dishes in that sink may be contaminated with coccidia because sodium hypochlorite is an ineffective disinfectant against coccidia.

Rossi (2006 in Maders)

Does Lysol Kill Coccidia?

Does Lysol kill coccidia? Nope, sorry, Lysol isn’t going to kill coccidia either.

Research by Stuart et al. (1981) and supported by findings in the Haggag et al. (2013) study indicates that Lysol, even when used at high concentrations, is not effective at stopping coccidia oocysts from developing into their infectious stage.

The Haggag study tested similar phenol-based disinfectants, and while phenol at a 10% concentration achieved full effectiveness after 24 hours, modern Lysol products typically do not contain sufficient concentrations of phenol to target coccidia.

While Lysol might help clean surfaces and reduce general germs, it’s not specifically designed or strong enough to combat coccidia oocysts. Plus, Lysol disinfectant is not recommended for cleaning anything with bearded dragons.

What Cleaner Kills Coccidia? (Detergents)

Cleaners aren’t disinfectants, they are detergents. No, detergents can’t kill coccidia alone but don’t discount them, they are super important to use before disinfecting and here is why.

In a study done by Aliaga-Leyton et al., (2011) on pig farms, they were able to show how important it is to use detergents before disinfecting when trying to eradicate coccidia. They found that farms that used detergents during cleaning were 10 times less likely to have Isospora suis oocysts compared to farms that didn’t use them.

The same was found in another study on farms dealing with Cryptosporidium in dairy calves (Trotz-Williams as cited in Aliaga-Leyton et al., 2011).

Detergents don’t kill coccidia directly. So, what do detergents actually do? Detergents help break down things like fat and sticky biofilms that build up on surfaces. These biofilms can hide and protect the oocysts, making it harder to get rid of them. By breaking down this layer, detergents expose the oocysts so they can be physically removed during cleaning​.

If cleaners don’t kill coccidia then why not just use disinfectants? Using disinfectants alone isn’t enough. As we looked at previously, sporulated oocysts are resistant to most disinfectants, so just spraying or wiping with a disinfectant doesn’t do much if the oocysts are still stuck under layers of dirt and biofilm​.

In short, detergents are a key part of cleaning for coccidia because they help remove the oocysts by breaking down the stuff that protects them.

Does Vinegar Kill Coccidia?

Sorry to tell you but vinegar is not ineffective as a disinfectant for coccidia. At least the vinegar we typically buy, will not kill coccidia.

What the Research Says on How Effective Vinegar is at Killing Coccidia

Ok, well vinegar might kill coccidia at really high concentration of acetic acid (that is the compound vinegar is made of). But, not our home vinegar and here are some more buts…

1. No research has been done on the Isospora amphiboluri strain that commonly infects bearded dragons but we assume that compounds that kill one strain should be effective on another albeit slightly different contact times or concentrations.
2. High-strength acetic acid, 99.9%, was used in the study we look at here, not our 5% in our home cupboard job.
3. Even with the strain of coccidia it was tested on, it wasn’t quite a complete kill rate. It killed 91.7% of coccidia after 30 minutes.

Let me tell you the story in a little more detail.

In our homes, we typically buy vinegar that contains 5% acetic acid and the rest is water. Our home vinegar is safe for daily use in cooking and maybe some cleaning. Great in glass though. Youcan see more of that in the post on cleaning bearded dragons enclosures which covers tank glass.

The research by You et al. (2014) tested 99.9% acetic acid, which is essentially super-concentrated vinegar, diluted at a 1:2 ratio.

You et al., (2014) found that this high-strength solution suppressed the sporulation of Eimeria tenella, a strain of coccidia affecting poultry, with 91.7% effectiveness after 30 minutes. Prior to that Abbas et al., (2012) looked into the potential of using acetic acid to modify the gut environment in poultry (they had to drink a diluted solution), but there is no equivalent evidence for reptiles.

Now we all know the reason that we want to use vinegar is because we see it as a natural, less harmful element than chemicals. But I know you are pretty savvy, so you can see where this is leaving the safe natural boundary to something  much more serious. To be fair, arsenic is also a natural element but we wouldn’t go touching it.

Acetic acid, at high concentrations, is classed as a hazardous substance. Acetic acid is corrosive, flammable, can cause severe skin burns, serious eye damage, and respiratory irritation if inhaled (ChemSupply Australia).

Needless to say, mixing household vinegar or stronger acetic acid with bleach produces toxic chlorine gas, which can cause coughing, breathing difficulties, and even death in high concentrations (Science Notes). Let’s not do that.

While vinegar may feel like a safer alternative to harsh chemicals, using high concentrations of acetic acid requires serious caution.

How to Clean Coccidia on Carpet

Unfortunately when it comes to cleaning coccidia from carpet I don’t have a research based response.

However, here are two ways that might help you clean coccidia from carpet.

Steam Carpet Cleaners to Clean for Coccidia

Carpet cleaners that use steam will operate somewhere around 49°C to 82°C (120°F to 180°F).

At a temperature of 55°C (131°F) the carpet cleaner would have to go over the area contaminated with coccidia for 3 to 15 minutes without letting it cool down in that time. That sounds a little impracticle so really you want the steam cleaning temperature to be as high as possible. The higher it is, the less contact time required.

Go back to the table on heat treatments to identify what temperature is more suitable for your purpose to clean your carpets and then call the company you want to use to check what temperature their carpet cleaners use.

Using F10 SC to Clean the Carpet for Coccidia

There is potential that F10 SC, if you kept the area soaked for the recommended time, could kill coccidia in the carpet. At least I can’t fathom any reason F10 would work any different to any other surface. However, test it on a bit of carpet that you don’t mind being damaged too much before using it on a patch in the middle of your lovely room.

Making Your Life Easier in these Hard Times

It is clear to say that if you are dealing with coccidia, then you have your hands full so lets see if we can make this a little easier on you.

1. For best results and make your life easier set up a secondary enclosure to allow proper cleaning and drying of your main habitat.
   Once you have completed the cleaning for coccidia process, leave the enclosure and its accessories for a time, preferably in the sun at least for the day, and use the 2^nd enclosure. Once the 2^nd enclosure needs cleaning, return to the main enclosure and repeat the process of cleaning the 2^nd enclosure ready for when you need it again.
2. Use disposable enclosure accessories where possible such as cardboard boxes for hides and paper towels on the floor. Or, hopefully, you have a solid surface like tiles which is far easier to clean. Remove any hammock, reptile carpet or other accessories that are difficult to clean. Branches are natural and for most of us, easy to replace. The post on sanitizing wood and rocks will show you how to deal with them.
3. Sick reptiles need a non stressful environment (Andrews, 2022) not only to get better but to speed that process up. Keep the environment stable, especially during the cleaning process to minimize stress. You need this to go away as quickly as possible.
4. Keep flies and other pests away. They can spread coccidia to all sorts of places we wouldn’t necessarily have cleaned unless we knew they had spread the parasite. You don’t need more work right now.
5. Get yourself some disposable gloves and aprons so that everytime you clean or could get contaminated you can easily pop them on and dispose of them afterwards.

Also, flies and other insects should be controlled to prevent them from mechanically carrying oocysts from crate to crate.

Lindsay, 1997

How to Clean for Coccidia

Coccidia oocysts are resilient and difficult to eliminate. To kill coccidia you need to attack it from multiple fronts, particularly through medication issued by your vet and thorough cleaning. There is more on how to manage coccidiosis in bearded dragons here.

Water Protects Coccidia Even in Sunlight!

A very useful insight from the study by Martinaud et al. (2009) showed that oocysts shed in water were protected from the harmful effects of sunlight! So, water acts as a barrier, blocking UV radiation and preventing desiccation, both of which are critical for killing oocysts.

What this means for us, is that water in our bearded dragons enclosure may preserve the oocyst viability, allowing them to remain infective for longer periods. It also means we should dry everything thoroughly to ensure that protective water barrier doesn’t exist.

Prevent Cross-Contamination

If you have other reptiles, separate them quickly to completely different areas. Nothing should go between the infected reptiles and the uninfected, including your clothing.

How Often Should I Clean for Coccidia during my Bearded Dragons Treatment?

Clean your bearded dragon’s environment for coccidia at least every day it poops, but it needs to be more than weekly. So if your bearded dragon isn’t pooping at least every few days, maybe check out what else is going on.

Cleaning Frequency for Coccidia in Bearded Dragons

Theoretically, the only time the environment your bearded dragon is in becomes contaminated is when they poop. Because, as we have seen before, the coccidia oocysts are expelled in fecal matter.

Once your bearded dragon has defecated, start your cleaning practice the same day, even immediately if possible. The sooner you clean, the less the coccidia oocysts have a chance to spread.

1. When does contamination with coccidia occur?
   • The environment becomes contaminated when your bearded dragon poops because coccidia oocysts are expelled in feces.
   • Cleaning promptly, ideally within the same day, reduces the risk of oocysts spreading.
2. The vulnerability window of coccidia, perfect time to strike:
   • For the first 12–16 hours, coccidia oocysts are not infectious and are extremely vulnerable. This is your best chance to clean effectively and prevent them from sporulating (maturing into their infectious stage). But, don’t worry if you miss the window, cleaning before they are infectious was just extra protection.

Weekly cleaning simply is not enough to control coccidia infections in bearded dragons. A study by Pike et al. (2023) evaluated the effectiveness of weekly cleaning protocols using a 10% solution of quaternary ammonium compounds disinfectant on the management of Isospora amphiboluri in captive bearded dragons (Pogona vitticeps). They found that weekly cleaning is insufficient to reduce the levels of coccidia (Isospora amphiboluri).

Unfortunately, the Pike et al., (2023) study didn’t go into what disinfectant kills coccidia for bearded dragons (except for ammonia) and, dissapointly, it did not look at the effects of more frequent cleaning.

Preventing the Spread While Cleaning & Protecting Yourself

Once you touch the oocysts, that you can’t even see, which are on objects you are working with while cleaning, everything you touch from there on is going to be infected.

This means you need to set yourself up beforehand. Have any solutions you will use made up ready to go. Hot water should be boiled, door handles you don’t want to touch while potentially contaminated should be open and whatever else you need at hand.

Have disposable gloves. If you need to change what you are touching, like answer a phone call, then you can just pop the gloves in the bin and put on a new pair when you are ready to get back to it. The same goes for a plastic disposable apron which you can easily replace with a new one.

Clearly wearing PPE to protect yourself (like a mask, disposable gloves, plastic apron, eye protection and so on) is a wise move to protect yourself. God forbid if you were to get ammonia, splash of boiling water or any other treatment in your eye. Look after yourself, you are worth it.

Step-by-Step Guide to Clean for Coccidia

Based off all the research we have gone through so far, here is how to clean for coccidia:

1. Protect yourself by putting on all the PPE you need. I know that you know what to do there so I won’t go into it again.
   Once you touch the oocysts that you can’t even see which are on objects you are working with, everything you touch from there on is going to be infected. We discussed how to protect yourself from this earlier.
2. Remove any poop, leftover food and other organic matter. Make sure that the food and drinking water is kept clean, no poop in it to keep reinfecting your bearded dragon (Andrews, 2022).
3. Remove all the furnishings and treat them as follows:
   • Scrub accessories with detergent or, for extra protection, use F10 SCXD Vet Disinfectant/Cleanser. Note that if you will be using the F10 SC disinfectant, then their recommendation is to also use their cleaner in this step.
   • Pop them in a container:
     • That has the F10 SC solution (see steps below for ratio). Turn the accessories at times and ensure there are no bubbles for oocsyts to hide in. Or…
     • Boil water and pour it over the accessories in the container making sure there are no bubbles of air that the oocysts can hide in. Turn them in a few minutes to ensure every surface is being touched by the hot water.
       Any accessories too big for this treatment may be able to go in the oven if they can cope with that.
4. Scrub the enclosure down with detergent or, if you will be using F10 SC as the disinfectant then use the F10 SCXD Vet Disinfectant/Cleanser for this stage of cleaning as well. This starts the action of breaking down the biofilm and those tough oocysts walls and removing any hidey-holes the coccidia oocysts are protected by.
   Rinse off with clean water ready for disinfecting stage.
   • Choose you methods of cleaning for coccidia:
     • How to use F10 to kill coccidia (the easiest method):
       • Mix 10 ml of F10 SC Vet Disinfectant to 900 ml of water to make up 1 liter.
         That is about 2 teaspoons to 3 ¾ cups of water.
       • Keep the surface wet with the solution for a contact time of 60 minutes.
       • After that the disinfectant can be allowed to dry on its own or you can dry it with paper towels. It is inert once dry and doesn’t need to be washed off.
   • Using a steam cleaner, very slowly pass over every wall, door and floor of the enclosure. Be methodical so that you are doing it in a way that a) you can’t miss any part, and b) there is no water flicking up carrying untreated oocysts into new areas or where you have already cleaned.
   • Using ammonia solution to kill coccidia. This is definitely one of the challenging disinfecting agents, please review the cautionary tale under the ammonia section before using it.
     • For a 10% ammonia solution mix 100 ml of ammonia with 900 ml of water per liter of solution that you need.
     • That is 1.6 cups of ammonia and then add enough water to make 1 gallon total solution.
     • Using a paper towel wipe it over the enclosure. It is best not to spray it. It’s hard enough to work with the odor wiping it but making it airborne through spray is worse.
     • The areas being treated with ammonia must stay wet with the solution for at least 15 minutes. For extra precaution go half an hour if you can.
     • Wash off the ammonia thoroughly.
5. Dry the enclosure and accessories. As we saw in the research, oocysts can live in water even in direct sunlight.
   If you have the luxury of sunshine, as an extra precaution pop the enclosure and accessories out in full sun for 4 to 8 hours. The surfaces need direct sunlight to make a difference, no shade. This means that not all sides of the enclosure will get sunlight. The ceiling of the enclosure shouldn’t matter as that wouldn’t normally be a spot where your bearded dragon can touch so it shouldn’t have oocysts.

The oocyst wall is impervious to many common disinfectants, allowing oocysts to survive and remain infective in a moist environment for long periods of time (months to years).

Ryley, 1973

We Come to the End on How to Clean for Coccidia

We addressed the best disinfectant for coccidia, we found some great solutions and some not so effective ones. We looked at what cleaner kills coccidia, well they don’t directly kill but they are an important step in the cleaning process. We even looked at whether vinegar has any hope with coccidia, it didn’t. Hopefully that all sets you up for success.

There is a lot of work ahead of you. Here’s hoping you get through this well (*clinks an ice cold drink with yours*).

There are some other articles on the health and wellbeing page that may be useful to you including an article on disinfectants for your normal cleaning of your bearded dragons enclosure once you are through this time.

My heart goes out to you my friend. May all be well.

References

• Andrews, A. (2022, August 5). Overview of Coccidiosis in Animals. MSD Veterinary Manual.
• Biard, C., Monceau, K., Teixeira, M., Motreuil, S., Bettencourt-Amarante, S., Develay, L., & Moreau, J. (2021). Coccidial oocyst release: once a day or all day long? Tropical bird hosts shed new light on the adaptive significance of diurnal periodicity in parasite output. Parasitology, 149(4), 469–481.
• C. Horton-smith, Taylor, E. L., & Turtle, E. E. (1940). Ammonia Fumigation for Coccidial Disinfection. Veterinary Record, 52(48), 829–832.
• Chang, K. (1937). Effects of Temperature on the Oocysts of Various Species of Eimeria (Coccidia, Protozoa). American Journal of Epidemiology, 26(2), 337–351.
• ChemSupply Australia. (2020). Safety Data Sheet for Acetic Acid (90% Vinegar). In ChemSupply Australia.
• Guillaume Martinaud, M. Billaudelle, & Moreau, J. (2009). Circadian variation in shedding of the oocysts of Isospora turdi (Apicomplexa) in blackbirds (Turdus merula): An adaptative trait against desiccation and ultraviolet radiation. International Journal for Parasitology, 39(6), 735–739.
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