Treating Yellow Fungus Disease

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Kitlings

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For two weeks now, I have been treating my 6-month old beardie, Lazaron, for yellow fungus.

I noticed the discoloration first appearing around her vent about two weeks ago:
80790-4884234867.jpg

In my search for a local reptile vet, I called the reptile specialty store which originally I bought her from, and they offered to have their expert check her out for free. After I brought her into the store, they confirmed it was yellow fungus and recommended an antifungal cream like Tinactin.

I bought the generic brand (same active ingredient, tolnaftate) and started rubbing it on the fungus once every day. First I give her a shallow bath, just to clean the area and wipe off the shedding fungus, then I apply a thin layer of the cream. I noticed a massive improvement in just a few days. This picture was taken today:

80790-5256348811.jpg

(Sorry for the sub-optimal pictures, I have a hard time holding both dragon and camera lol... There was a little bit more of the yellow around her thighs and belly.)

So it seems to be working, but I spent a few hours today looking through other peoples' posts about YF and started to worry that it could get worse. My main concern is, is there any way to tell JUST by looking at her, if it has spread internally? It would be extremely difficult for me to afford a vet right now - it's $75 just to bring the dragon in, plus $150 or more for the diagnostic tests and treatment. If the fungus doesn't get better after a month, is there a good chance it's an internal problem? I read that itraconazole or voriconazole can be used as treatment for it.

Since YF is such a serious infection, I know I will absolutely have to take her to another vet if it doesn't get better, I am just wondering if this forum has any advice or tips for me on the treatment :)

Also I am thinking about giving her betadine baths as well, since a lot of people on here said they used that in their treatment. Apparently however, betadine is just a disinfectant, not necessarily an anti-fungal product. So why is it used? Just to keep them clean? I'm also going to try using Lamisil (instead of the cream I'm using now) since a lot of people on here recommended it in other posts. Is the spray version OK to use? She has a lot of spikes around her legs and belly, and some of the cream doesn't really get into those cracks (even with a q-tip) :( I'm worried that I'm missing some spots, and the fungus is going to keep spreading.

Thanks for any advice. Here's a normal picture of her taken today. She's been eating and acting normally every day (thank god)... except she gets a bit annoyed when I have to apply all this cream on her, the poor girl. :p
80790-3401568546.jpg
 

AHBD

BD.org Sicko
Hi there....so far she looks great . :) Great that she's still eating as well ! You are doing exactly what can reasonably be done at this time, and no there's no way to tell if she has it internally but there is some thought that when it is around the vent that it has shed from inside, but i don't know if that's a fact. Some beardies start out with it on their leg, face, back, etc. so who knows how + why it can start in different locations. There are differing views on the value of betadine baths....you will have to decide for yourself. And yes, the spray would be a great idea, I have read of others using it.

You can also be vigilant in keeping the tank clean + dry....you might keep large pieces of cardboard around to fashion in to basking areas that can be thrown out while the fungus is visible or use something that is non porous and easy to sanitize that can be cleaned daily. Keep reading about it + do the best you can. I hope she keeps improving !!
 

Kitlings

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Original Poster
Updates.
80790-5367505010.jpg
This one was taken yesterday, on the 22d. She recently has a shed, and most of the fungus came right off. I took this pic right after she had a bath so she was a bit cranky and dark-colored.

I bought the Lamisil spray and used it on her yesterday.

80790-7734569660.jpg
This one was taken today. It looks like some of the fungus is coming back (or it's just easier to see with the light and color).

I'm not sure if I am spraying too much or too little. And is it necessary to bathe them (and then dry them) before putting on the spray? Should I spray once or twice a day?

So much of it came off after the shed, but now it looks like it's coming back. It's really disappointing.

Thanks AHBD. I already removed her wooden branches and basically she is just left with her basking rock, which I clean every day.
 

AHBD

BD.org Sicko
Hmmmm....I do see a very light shade of yellow again, just slight. I'm not sure how often to sparay, and yes she should be completely dry before any cream/spray is applied but she doesn't actually need a bath before application.

Keep up the good work though !
 

Kitlings

Member
Original Poster
Thanks AHBD :)

I don't have a picture for today, but I noticed that a LARGE portion of her tail is now yellowing. I can't believe how fast this fungus spreads. It seems like the Lamisil spray is not helping, or in fact making it worse. Maybe I am doing something wrong, or maybe the spray doesn't work very well on reptiles. The spray is very liquid, and although it looks like it dries quickly, it could be creating too much moisture and spreading the fungus. :(

So today I decided to only spread the cream on her. The yellow spots where I applied the cream last time are 90% gone...
 

AHBD

BD.org Sicko
I'm sorry to hear that it's returning so quickly + widespread. You can surely try the cream again, and you might want to read an experience on the beautiful dragons website. Just Google beautiful dragons yellow fungus....it's about a dragon named Mo [ with pictures ] that lived to be 7 despite having Y.F., and mentions what worked well for Mo. In this case they did use Lamisil spray, along with other treatment. Hopefully something will work for your girl !
 

Kitlings

Member
Original Poster
Well it's been a while, but I thought I'd update this story now.

- The topical cream does absolutely nothing for this disease. I've tried different brands, both cream and spray forms. My vet does not recommend it at all. Some people claim it worked for them - maybe it's a different form of fungus or it's temporary - but it didn't work for me in the least.

- Got prescribed Voriconazole and she's been on it for about 1 month now. No improvements yet whatsoever, but it will take more time.

- She is getting short betadine baths daily. I'm not sure if this is helping at all. The yellowing is all over her body. It goes away every time she sheds, but it comes back full-strength within 2 weeks.

- She is still fairly active somehow, but she is underweight. He appetite comes and goes.

- I removed all wood and some decorations from her tank to minimize the fungal spread. Her plastic "furniture" (basking rock, etc) and tiles get cleaned in bleach regularly.

I've searched the forums countless times and read other peoples' experiences. I might try tea tree oil and/or grapefruit seed extract next.

The exotic reptile specialty store, where I bought her from 8 months ago (she had the fungus when I bought her, I just didn't know about YFD at the time), has been completely unhelpful. When I first brought my dragon back to them, they said the yellow fungus wasn't serious or contagious. Everything I read online said the opposite. I clearly wasted my time with them and will never buy from a store like that again. Only from a respectable breeder. But I can't even buy any more beardies now, or I will be exposing them to this disease.

I haven't missed a single day of this treatment. I've been trying my best to give her the best. Nothing seems to be helping.

Some people probably think I'm wasting my time... but giving up on her isn't an option for me (unless the vet thinks it's necessary). Pics taken today:

80790-8851384692.jpg
80790-2230331633.jpg
 

CooperDragon

BD.org Sicko
Staff member
Moderator
I'm sorry to hear she hasn't been getting better. I agree though, don't give up on her! I've read about the Voriconazole helping quite a bit over time but it may take several months. It's encouraging that she looks so alert in your photos.
 

Drache613

BD.org Sicko
Staff member
Moderator
Hello,

Oh I am so sorry the fungus is still causing trouble!
She has been on the Voriconazole for a month, but it doesn't seem to be helping?
Are you also giving a probiotic for her regularly too? That is a good idea to help balance out the normal flora of the yeast/fungal buildup in the system. I would however, but the betadine baths down to maybe 1-2 per week. Too many baths can cause fungus to spread.
She looks very alert & happy though!
I hope that she gets better, definitely don't give up on her.

Tracie
 

Kitlings

Member
Original Poster
-Update-

We are still fighting the fungus, but the medication seems to be helping a *lot* now. There is less and less yellow appearing all over her body. It is indeed a very slow process, but there is progress. :shock:

I am giving her less Betadine baths. Every other day, instead of every day, seems to be fine. I *really* like betadine because it gets into every crevice of her scales. It looks like a very thorough cleaning. I know moisture isn't good for the fungus, but I keep the baths short and they are extremely helpful for her shedding and drinking. I do 2 minutes of clean drinking water and 2 minutes of water + betadine mix.

Her appetite is better now. She went through almost 1000 crickets in 3 weeks!

I asked the vet about a probiotic. He said it wouldn't hurt to give it to her if I wanted to, but at the moment it's not really necessary. So, I'm going to hold off on it.

And I am still fully cleaning her tank at least once a week. I clean ALL decorations, tiles, and glass with a mixture of water and bleach. For her 2 favorite basking rocks, I soak them in that bleach mixture for a few hours. Then I rinse and soak them in pure water for about an hour to get the bleach out.

Thanks Drache and Cooper for the nice comments.
 

CooperDragon

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I'm so glad to hear she is making progress! I hope the progress continues and she feels better and thrives =)
 

Kitlings

Member
Original Poster
Hey guys, I know this thread is getting old, but I hope it's OK to update it again.

80790-7543661035.jpg

Laza just came back from the vet again today. And she seems to be doing VERY well! The doctor said he almost didn't recognize her. She almost doubled in weight now and her fecal came out completely healthy. Unfortunately the yellow fungus is STILL not gone, but, the vet said it has gotten MUCH better. Hopefully it will be gone soon.

We will stop the medication(Voriconazole) in a few days because she has been on it for several months now, and it could begin to cause liver damage... Instead, he prescribed her an immune system booster. It's a jelly-like substance that I have to give her once a day with her food. We are hoping that her immune system will be strong enough to keep the infection under control. Overall she is VERY active lately and eating a lot (20-30 adult crickets plus a lot of endive salad every day).

The cost of this visit was $95. I was hoping to keep it under a hundred, so I just barely made it. :') I am currently jobless, so this isn't easy... and I am still worried about the infection coming back... But we are doing the very best we can.

If you want to see more pictures of Laza, I made a blog here for fun: http://lazadragon.tumblr.com/
 

CooperDragon

BD.org Sicko
Staff member
Moderator
I'm glad to hear back from you. It's great to hear she's doing so well! It's probably a good idea to take a break from the voriconizole for a bit. Hopefully she will be able to keep the YF in check on her own. Perhaps try some topical antifungal creams for a bit. Go Laza!
 
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