Dino's YF... Rest Easy my Lil' Friend :'(

[Fellowdt23]

Thanks much for the info hope this f10 works as for beardie feeling better at the vets he was great now that hes home hes back at the heavy breathing just wish vet could of seen him like this but atleast i have f10 to try along with antibiotic.

Why is it your always positive after a vet visit but when your home and watching your pet struggle all the negativity comes back

Thanks again for the info your help here is priceless

 

[SpikesAgirl]

Your so very welcome! I'm more than happy to share my story/knowledge if it helps someone in any small way!
I know what you mean about the vet not "seeing" what's going on. They "pretend" to be all better at the doctors office! 8) Anyway, I hope this cheers you up a little...when I was talking to a dragon breeder not too long ago, telling her about all of Dino's troubles, she told me that F10 is the safest medication for nebulizing reptiles. Here's a link for you to read about it:

http://www.f10biocare.co.uk/Asleaflet.pdf

This was the "home page" for the product that brought me to the link above:

http://www.f10biocare.co.uk/as.html

Sounds like a "wonder drug" after I did just a little reading! (I haven't finished reading it yet myself.) Hopefully it will work to knock that RI out! My signature link is to my photobucket album of Dino. It has pictures of how I nebulized her if you need an example. Just look for the picture of the clear box with the blue cover! :wink: Keep us posted!

 

[jewl495]

Hey Sue,

Thought I'd reply on Dinos thread instead of Yoshi's...Poor Dino I hope its just a scabs around her eyes and not more fungus. How close are they to the eye and have you been swabbing it with betadine or using silver cream? Not sure if you want to be swabbing the betadine to close to the eye but maybe even grapefruit seed extract. Colloidal silver if you can find a good source is also safe near the eye and to my understanding can be used to flush the eye as well but you may want to research that. As a last resort you can try applying either non-sweetened kefir or yogurt and apply that onto any non responsive fungal sores. It sounds crazy but I've had success with that on myself and its very soothing. If it doesn't help its definitely not going to harm her! Those are some thoughts until you can get her into the vet.

 

[SpikesAgirl]

Hi Jewls,
Thanks for your info! I appreciate any and all as we're still "on the mend"! Sounds like you got Kratos fixed up in a jiffy when you suspected some fungus on him. I'm curious about your "probiotic recipe"! I've been using Reptaid on her since the beginning of May. It has helped up to this point. It has grapeseed extract as one of the ingredients, doesn't break down the % on the ingredient list though. I actually just started to apply the SSD cream, to that area specifically, Wednesday. I also put some watered down betadine on the area as well during her bath (ran out, have to get more). These things haven't fallen off yet, if it were a 'scab' I think it would've by now. Skeptical about them. They seem to be "growing" off of her face. Pretty sure it's fungus related. I gotta get a pic posted soon. I had an appt scheduled for Dino this Tuesday with a new vet, they called and cancelled. I have to reschedule her. Didn't have my calendar handy. Not only that, but now I'm not sure they're going to be "good enough". I spoke to another office that I faxed her records over to and this vet who called me back was very up front and honest. Said she looked at Dino's records and blood work and she said, "Well beyond my knowledge of reptiles". WTH?! It is next impossible to find a qualified reptile vet around here. She mentioned MY vet as one the vets her office "LEARNS" from...REALLY?! O.M.G. Get the gun NOW! She also had a good thought/opinion: If the pneumonia is fungul and hasn't been completely knocked out of her system, that could be what is still causing her to have skin issues. The Reptaid may be keeping it at a minimum, but it could still be there. I might have to look into Angell Memorial in Boston. I really didn't want to have to go into Boston with her (40+ miles, located smack dab in the middle, awful traffic, etc.) but to get a qualified reptile vet, I think I HAVE TO. It's nuts. The chain stores sell these animals left and right and NO ONE knows what to do with them when it comes to the vets around here. So super frustrated about that! The best is PETSMART has an animal hospital in the store (Banfield): No reptile vet there. On one of my "bug runs", I went in, inquired and said, "R U kidding me right now?! Have you seen the animal display out there?" :| Anyway, always something. I hope Kratos is doing well! He's so handsome! Thanks for looking "over here" at Dino's thread! <3

 

[jewl495]

I'm so sorry, it sounds like you're frustrated and I would be too! In fact I like my vet but she isn't "the best" but she knows a lot and I feel comfortable for her to handle the basics! However, I wish I had a reptile only vet like I have an avian vet for my cockatoo.I drive and hr and a half away for her to have her annual checkup because dr speers is known through out the US for his knowledge of avian medicine he is one of the best! If there was ever an emergency with my cockatoo I'd freak having to use anyone else. I would force them to be on the phone with my vet in order to handle the situation. I wish I had that for Kratos as well.
As for Kratos...I can't confirm that it was fungus and it cleared fast so proof isn't really on my side. As for probiotics So if you research how to make probiotics you will get a lot of info. Look on youtube its a great place to learn. You want to pick a good quaility probiotic that has as many good strains available that are safe for beardies. I juice fruits that are acceptable for beardies to consume but I've read you can also use soy milk(I've never used soy to make yogurt). A juice thats not super sweet is best because otherwise it will have a higher alcohol content and obviously this is not what you want! From what I've read yogurt or probiotics in general are in a dormant state and basically have to wake up. When you have a system that is overloaded with harmful bacteria and parasites, the good bacteria will have a lot of competition. They won't thrive and multiply in our systems as easily. When you make your own probiotics its alive, active, and ready to continue multiplying, which in theory should give you a better chance of restoring balance. In a perfect world we would consume good bacteria on all our fruits and veggies we eat, but because of pesticides they don't live in abundance in the soil or on the food we eat any longer.
Oh and btw...if you apply the yogurt or kefir to a fungal spot it would only be done for 20 mins or so. The idea is the lactic acid eats away at the dead skin making it easier for the fungal medicine to work. This is what was suggested to me at one time, and It worked, BUT human skin and reptile skin is different. AND it could have been a coincidence.

 

[SpikesAgirl]

Yup, pretty frustrated. I've been so darn busy at work during the day that I haven't had a minute to call AM Boston yet. :roll: I will just keep applying the SSD cream to the sites, giving her Reptaid orally and betadine baths in the mean time. I've also watered down the SSD cream to mist it all over her as well. Thanks for the info on the probiotics! I started to look online a bit but again, too much to do to spend a lot of time on the computer lately! I give her BeneBac Plus for a probiotic as the Reptaid is supposed to have antibiotic properties. I give it to her twice a week. I'll probably up it to four. Can't hurt. I certainly didn't see this coming as I thought things were getting better for quite a while. Still, she is MUCH better than she was! I'll bet your Cockatoo is gorgeous! They are full of personality! I can see why you travel to get the best care possible for her! I love birds! My sister had a Congo African Grey...OMG, he was the best! :love5: He was my sister in-laws first, then my sister took him when he needed to be re-homed because she fell in love with him! Unfortunately, once she started having kids, he needed to be re-homed again. She couldn't devote the time and attention to him that he needed and he was nippy when the kids got near his cage. Poor Freddie. We found a wonderful person to take him though. He took to her right away so we knew they were a perfect match! I wanted him but hubby said "ABSOLUTELY NOT". He wasn't a fan of Freddie's. LOL!

 

[SpikesAgirl]

You guys...Dino's scab came off. I've been putting SSD (silver sulf) cream on it directly since the 12th. It softened them to the point that it became loose enough to remove. It's so raw. I don't know if I should put anything on it or not! I'm so afraid right now. OMG. I cried because it was so upsetting to look at. Please look at the pics and tell me what you think:

This is left side after her bath/shower, before it came off

In the bath, left side, before it came off

Right side before it came off

Right side off

Left side off

OMG, that one kills me... I'm still searching for a vet you guys! Any advice or thoughts would be appreciated.

 

[Kalyn876]

The right side looks terrific, the left side in my opinion looks like very nicely healing lizard skin with no scales. Now I would love to hear others opinions on this as well because I've never dealt with it personally. To me it's not swollen or discolored it actually looks pretty good

Im not sure if you should keep treating it or not, maybe pm Tracie (Drache613) or I can because I conpletely trust her opinion in matters like this.

I really do think this is a good sign :mrgreen:

 

[speedyfuzzball]

Hi Sue!
Yeah, the left side does look extremely raw =( Tracie did tell me I could apply silver sulfadiazine on the raw spots on Yoshi's mouth but you should double check with her. I'm glad it finally came off though! Just hoping it heals quickly without infection. *hugs* Go Dino!

 

[SpikesAgirl]

I let her be tonight. I know if I put Reptaid on it, it will BURN. Reptaid has a small amount of alcohol in it. (Mealworms FLIP out when I drop it on them, must burn their eyes.) I let her sit under her lamp for a while after I posted those pics and it doesn't look as raw, drying out a bit. Looking at it with the scab off, it looks like it was spreading down her face over her bottom lip. I just know it's the fungus spreading. A vet I spoke to recently thinks that if the pneumonia was fungul in nature, and isn't completely out of her system, it could be causing the breakouts and skin issues. Reptaid is probably just keeping it at bay...

 

[jewl495]

Sue the left side does look raw but It will be ok and I don't think it will harm her to let it breath for a day! Put some silver cream on it tomorrow morning when she gets up. I would put it in the fridge to make it nice and cold to lessen the pain/burn. The dr told me to do that when my son burned his leg and he said it felt much better cold. If it stings her, I would think the cold would be soothing.

I think what the vet had to say about he RI being fungal makes a lot of since. Hopefully you'll get some time to take her in to the vet soon. Has she been treated for internal fungus at all?

 

[SpikesAgirl]

Hi Jewl, yeah, she's been on almost every antibiotic available for reptiles, only antifungul was intraconazole. Took her off it after 5 days because we almost lost her on it. Scary times! I'm calling Angel Memorial tomorrow come Hell or High Water. I think it will be a little less raw in the a.m. as it started to dry up a bit after her basking for a while after her bath. I was really worried about putting anything on a spot so raw looking. :shock: I don't want her trying to get at it if it burns. She always tries to bat my hand away when I'm applying the SSD cream to it. It's funny how she does it but, at the same time, it's pitiful cuz I know it bothers her when I'm touching it. I agree that vet does make some sense. Too bad she doesn't feel confident about treating Dino. I really liked her demeanor over the phone. She seemed very compassionate. Oh well, the search for the "qualified reptile vet" around here continues... :roll:

 

[SpikesAgirl]

Okay, so NO REPTILE/AVIAN/EXOTIC SPECIALIST at Angel Memorial Boston at this time. You've got to be freakin' kidding me. "You can TRY Tufts Veterinary School in Grafton to see if THEY can help you." :shock: Dying right now.

 

[jewl495]

Ok so there has to be another way....lets try a different approach. Remember me telling you I go to one of the top avian vets in the country. Dr Speers is always traveling the country giving siminars.. One of the things he will do is offer phone consults for people that can't come see him and he works with your vet. So he will take over care but do it through the other persons vet. MAYBE you can find a Reptile vet that does something similar. So now we need to know who the top Herp vet is in the country.

Julie

 

[jewl495]

Ok here try this guy...he travels and gives lectures on Reptilian medicine. http://www.seavs.com/aboutseavs/meetus.html
Call the other vet back and ask her if she would be willing to work with another vet to help care for Dino. She sounds like she would be willing to learn and this could be a win win for both of you.