I'm trying to figure out if this animal reinfects itself or I just never quite get rid of the coccidia.

AFAIK, coccidia is spread by an animal walking on or in someway coming in contact with infected feces (apart from breeding with a infected animal). I constantly sterilize everything. Does an infected animals body itself spread coccidia like the feet etc? Or is it only feces?

Coccidia strains are extremely hard to get rid of. Some can live on a dry surface for up to 6 months. There are vaying methods of sterilization but every one requires a long contact time to kill the coccidia oocysts (30min+). Bleach seems to be most commonly recomended, but it requires very high concentrations. Up to 70% in the case of cryptosporidium.

The life cycle of the coccidia takes place within the animal. The oocysts are what you need to worry about, they are passed in the fecal material. They will lie dormant in this stage untill they find a sutible host.

The animal's body doesn't spread the oocysts, but anywhere where a fecal has sat there is a probability that there are some still around.

Thanks Scott.

If he poops and some gets on the lefts I cut them off to be sure. I take the trees out and hose it down with warm soapy water to try and flush it off. Everything else I either pour boiling water on or use amonia mixture which I was told kills the Coccidia whereas bleach doesn't. This is the first animal where I had to deal with this parasite. What a mess.

hi Lucky,
i don't think you can actually get rid of coccidia completely.
what you can definitely do is try to reduce the risk of reinfestation.
Also, by taking care of your chameleon and reducing his stress, you are allowing him to have a healthy immune system. That itself will keep the population in control.

Cocidia are everywhere and prevail in the nature. On the soil dominantly.
so try to maintain a good sanitary condition and hope for the best.

70% bleach are way too much hassle and too dangerous for everybody to try.

try steamer, it might help a bit.

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Hi Dodolah. I had gotten it way down with two cycles of Albon. Three weeks ago there was 'maybe' two in his poop. Now its exploded. I don't understand why his immune system isn't handling it.

He doesn't have any stress. He's free range. The only time he's not happy is when he goes into his outdoor sunning cage. He wants to be free and will push on the door and scratch at it from time to time.

Dave Weldon is trying Appertex. I just don't want to keep pounding him with Albon.

Remember that with each treatment you need to gut your cage, and I mean gut it! Throw out everyhting that was in there when he was infected. Scrub the cage screen walls and pvc with a bleach solution. Rinse and refurnish.

I was told to do this in the last week of treatment for trichomonas. Did the trick for me.

I did this and continue to do this with his outdoor cage. In the house he lives in a 7' ficus. Which I hose down with hot soapy water for ten minutes. Replace the soil and now even have river stones on top of the soil which I soak in an Ammonia mixture of 30% Ammonia to 70% water.

From what my vet told me, as well as Catherine Adams and some other experienced members, you have to throw out anything that you can't scrub - ie plants. If you can't scrub it with a brush and bleach for several minutes without killing it, you have to toss it. Hosing it down won't do anything to the cysts that cling to surfaces. Or you can just be extra careful and toss everything.

What a nightmare. I've been growing that ficus and training it for the perfect Chameleon tree for a year and a half.

I have to take him into a vet again this Saturday. I'll talk to Dr. Greek about all of it. I'm sure everyone is right. I just have to figure it all out...

Thanks.

I was pretty devistated too when I found that I had to throw out my stuff. Otto had lived in there for a year, he had his favorite spots, my pothos was incredible, my bio vines were expensive..ugh.

I feel your pain.

I kept Otto in a minimal setting until the final test came back negative for trich. Then I went and bought a new plant.