Possible Yellow Fungus Treatment

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97Lemon

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Around last February I took my bearded dragon Fred to the vet for a possible fungal infection. It was medium yellow, and I think it started on the folds of his neck and in the space between the beard and shoulder pad, because it was the strongest there. On one side it had completely destroyed the tiny lower beard scales leaving just exposed yellowed skin. It was also on his arms and his belly by the time I got him to the vet. It wasn't late stage, but I hadn't really caught it early. I was seriously concerned about his survival. The confirmed it and put him on Voriconazle which I had read had the highest cure rate for yellow fungus. I didn't feel like I was doing enough. I knew I could give him Betadine baths but I had doubts about Betadine's effectiveness. I decided to do some of my own research.

It turns out other highly invasive fungal species infect humans sometimes, most often soldiers with large open wounds. These infections are a serious problem and have a mortality rate if the fungus has entered the blood stream (angioinvasive). I found a case study on the effectiveness of applying a common wound care product called Dakin's solution to invasive fungal infections on wounded soldiers, and it appears to be effective against these infections. Here is the study:

WARNING: GRAPHIC WOUND IMAGES

https://academic.oup.com/milmed/article/178/4/e503/4222840

Also:

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4267292/

Look under "Antifungal Management"


Dakin's solution is basically diluted bleach. Bleach kills everything. Since this is safe for humans and it is a myth that bearded dragons absorb water through their skin, I thought I should give it a try. I bought a bottle of quarter strength Dakin's solution and some first aid microfiber wound cloths over Amazon. I also used gauze. For the next several months I would put a the wound cloth over the mouth of the bottle and turn the bottle upside down to get it wet. Then I would gently apply it to the affected sites, taking care around the face and eyes. After that, I rubbed an antifungal cream on the areas. The package bragged that it worked against athlete's foot and ringworm, which are apparently some of the most difficult to kill fungal infections humans commonly get. I wore a glove and used different fingers for different spots to avoid contamination. I did this daily along with giving him the Voriconazle.

He shed very frequently because of the Voriconazole, and I could see the fungus coming off with the discarded shed. But there was more underneath and I could still see it advancing on his body. But eventually, the scales under the discarded shed became clean and free of fungus.

I know that water helps with shedding, but it also encourages fungal growth. However, I think the Dakin's let me help him shed while killing the fungus.

I kept up with the Voriconazle for about a month after I saw the last of it to make sure it was gone. I read somewhere that sometimes it will retreat and then soon resurge, but it has been several months since with no sign of it so I think it's gone. I am aware that it was mostly the Voriconazle, but I believe the combination of internal and external treatment went a long way towards beating it. I am writing this to share that I believe Dakin's solution can be effective in yellow fungus treatment (in combination with Voriconazle) and warrants further Investigation.

Fred is now perfectly healthy. You can't really tell he had the fungus apart from on his neck where it damaged the scales.

TL:DR - I successfully used multi-pronged approach involving oral Voriconazle and application of topical fungus cream to treat yellow fungus. Dakin's solution is used against invasive fungus by medical professionals and I believe it may be more useful than Betadine.
 

AHBD

BD.org Sicko
That's really interesting, worth a try for anyone that has a beardie with Y.F. Do you have before + after pics of your dragon ?
 

CooperDragon

BD.org Sicko
Staff member
Moderator
That is interesting. I'm glad your dragon has responded so well. The combination of a topical treatment with the Voriconizole has shown to be effective in several cases. The Dakins solution is certainly worth looking into further. It reminds me of a study done in Australia using F10 in a fairly strong mixture and applied directly to the skin. That appeared to be effective at treating the surface infection as well.
 
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