Pink/red between scales on underside of tail- sore to touch

2 days ago I found what I thought was a fungus on the top side of my Talons tail on the end closest to his body about 2 inches down from where it connects to his behind. It was a small black dot on one scale that was starting to look cratered and a bit silvery and a hardly noticeable darkening in the area about the size of a quarter. I noticed it because he is such a bright yellow/orange. Now in 2 days, it has gotten larger even with treatment. It involves a lightly darkened area {?make sense} about the size of a 50 cent piece. You can still see his color and pattern thru it, but it's darkened. It's not a shed. It looks like the pics on here of the darker fungus. I've been treating it with Betadine Tea baths, witch hazel dab, and then applying a bit of Monistat and Lamisil mixed together. Today when I was doing the treatment he flinched like it was tender. He hadn't done that before when I did the treatments. I held him up and checked the underside of his tail near his body, right under that darkened area on the top. The scales are still the creamy white of his underside but over a good sized area the space between the scales is pinkish/reddish and very sore to touch. It isn't very close to his vent but is on the body end of his tail.He has slowed down on his appetite for the past week till he ate only 2 super worms yesterday and no salad, nothing today. He still basks well but has been getting up later than usual and napping more but I had thought it might be the time of year. He's been a bit darker at times for a short period time but no black beard and lightens right back up. Now I'm concerned it might not be like a semi brumation. I'm concerned it might be this ...what ever it is...making him feel sick.
Can the fungus in combination with the Betadine bath anti-fungal treatment and anti-fungal cream cause irritation, causing the pinkish reddish coloring between the scales on the underside of his tail and cause the soreness he's feeling, like a side effect? I know pics help a lot, I'll try to get one now and post it

Amanda

I would be concerned that its infection and not a fungus. He really needs a vet, soon as possible.

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I know they are blurry, darned phone, but you can see the pink and red
Amanda

Gail, it looks like an infection to you? OK Vet's tomorrow. Thanks!
Amanda

I was so hoping it was just irritation from the treatments and others might have seen it before.....but you are right Vet is the only option at this point. Hope he will be ok til the morning. I got him out of bed for the pics, he's back to sleep now
Amanda

Yeah, it looks infected to me. I've never heard of betadine or lamisil causing something like, makes me wonder if the original spot wasn't some kind of tiny wound. Hopefully a round of antibiotic will clear it up, please let us know what happens.

Thanks Gail. I'm taking my little guy first thing in the morning. Our Vet is great and will have us come right in when I call him.

Hello Amanda,

That looks like an infection to me also. I don't think that the betadine & lamisil would be affecting the area that way either.
At least you can get him in to see him in the morning. Let us know how things go at the vets.

Tracie

Thank you Tracie and Gail. I'll post when we get back from the Vet.
Amanda

Hello Amanda,

Great, I hope things will go well for you at the vets.

Tracie

Got in to see my vet at 3pm, he was in emergency surgery today so couldn't see Talon any earlier. We got back from the Vets about 4:15. Talon does have a bit of fungus on that top side of his tail, but very little, and the pinkish/reddish area in the sides and bottom is possibly a bacterial infection but more probably my stupidly! He said the Betadine Tea soaks followed by the witch hazel dab and monistat or lamisil I had been doing was great and to continue, {YEAH BeardedDragon.org members for the spot on advice}, except to replace the witch hazel with Chlorhexidine scrub solution to use after after the Betadine Tea soak on the entire affected tail then to let the Chlorhexidine dry on the whole area, then apply the anti fungal to the fungus only and to stop rubbing against the scales! At this point he believes the redness is very possibly a BAD irritation because I rubbed against the direction of the scales while I had him in the Betadine Tea soaks for the past 3 days. I wiped what I thought was very gently against the lay of the scales thinking if I could gently raise the scales the solution would penetrate and work better. :shock: :shock: I'm to follow the treatment plan as above especially the part about not bathing against the lay of the scales and I should start to notice an improvement by tomorrow, but if their isn't a noticeable improvement in 2 days or is any worsening to come back for re-evaluation. I did the treatment as prescribed, and he is in his house napping. So there you have it, I'm a total jack-ass :roll: and hurt my buddy's tail. I don't even deserve to be keeper of my sweet beautiful Talon, I'm such a piece of work! And just trying to help.
We also took one of our other dragons in, Moya. I woke her out of brumation last week and found a tiny start of fungus on her beard and figured I'd get her check too. He prescribed the same Chlorhexidine scrub solution daily. He also found a bit of fungus on her right side so I'll be treating her with that solution too. She is not happy and has been staying a bit darker than usual as I'm keeping her awake basking in the UVB to help with the fungus. He said I could let her be in semi brumation, wake her daily for the treatment, bask for an hour or so to dry and she could return to sleep for the day.
I couldn't feel any more guilty that I do right now, my poor buddy's tail is so sore he doesn't even lay it down. I'm hopin' and prayin' it heals fast so he will feel better.
Amanda

aww wittle buddy... I'm sure it's going to start feeling better soon. Glad you took him and found that out now. Let us know how he's doing.

Hello Amanda,

Oh that is too bad. Things happen & you only had good intentions, so don't beat yourself up about it.
I think that he will recover but it will take a bit of time.
The witch hazel is pretty strong too so I agree, the novalsan would be less harsh on the scales.

Let us know how he is doing. Does he have a nice soft blankie to lay on?
Be sure to keep the humidity down in both tanks.

Tracie

Thanks Tracie....ya, I'm feeling really bad for hurting his tail. I had only good intentions to help him but.....! He is laying his tail down a bit more this morning but it is still so sensitive! All 4 enclosures have 20% to 30% humidity so I'm lucky there. I've certainly had my fights with respiratory issues with my rescues. .....All 4 of my beardies have 2 fleece blankies in with them at all times and a piece of plushy acrylic sheep skin to curl up on too. I removed his basking branch day before yesterday eve when I noticed he was favoring his tail and saw the red between the scales on the underside. I re-arranged things a bit using his soft blankies and sheep skin to make a basking area so he didn't have to climb and lowered both of his lights so he can stay low and made him a tail prop out another piece sheep skin. I put it under the distal end of his tail since the red hurt part was near his behind and he was holding his tail up like they do when they are going to poo, poor guy. I think the prop helped as he did relax it a bit so he still has that set-up til his tail is better. I have a morning routine. When I get up I start my coffee dripping and greet each of my beardies and get some "eye time" with each one and yak my head off to them. They usually come to the front of their enclosure and sit there listening and having eye contact time. I just love it. This morning Talon slowly made his way over to the front still favoring his tail of course and then scratches at the door. He wanted to be held. 100% forgiveness for hurting him. I just cried while I carefully held him for a while. I love my Beardies.
Amanda