Possible Heart Disease + yellow fungus + pneumonia

[Emilio]

Hi Tracie,

Yes definitely each day seems to be getting better now not worse. The culture took a week last time but he said this may be sooner. But it may be that I have to call in because he doesn’t work until Monday again. As long as we’re doing something about it in the meantime and it seems to be working I’m ok waiting. I think we have ruled out everything else.

She actually drank up her smoothie yesterday so that was a happy cry win for us. She enjoyed her soak this morning and is actually not fighting me with meds and topicals I have to put on her so I think she knows whatever we’re doing is helping her feel better.

We have no idea how she got it though. He said it could be because her immune system is so shot from trying to heal the pneumonia and heart disease. The same thing happens to our pup when he had pneumonia. The small things the body can normally heal become harder to fight. Her tank is super clean, if we let them run around the house it’s supervised and after I’ve cleaned and vacuumed.

Thanks for the check in. I hope this helps anyone that may come across the same issues. Because I feel like she’s had everything under the sun. We always check your site when we’re in a pinch and even when the vet diagnosis her just to compare and bring up and differences in suggestions. We understand he’s a vet but he sees so many different species of animals. He does usually consult with other vets or dr. Boyer who is a herp vet if he has questions or concerns about what he is seeing. So we appreciate the research and he knows how much she means to us.

?

 

[Drache613]

Hello,

I am glad to hear that she seems to be improving daily. Bless her!
I hope the culture comes back soon Let us know what the results are once they come in
At least treatment is helping her out but it will be challenging but hopefully she will continue
to improve.
Fungal infections are opportunistic so definitely when their immune systems are taxed or
depressed from repeated antibiotic use fungus can take over. This is a pretty common ailment
that a lot of bearded dragons end up having.

Tracie

 

[Emilio]

Hi,

Each day is getting better with the skin but her little gurgle cough is back. Where that was getting better before the yellow fungus started it’s like it’s starting again. So hopefully the saline nebulizer some good time in the sun and nourishment help that along.

She seems much happier and more like herself than before.

It’s going to take some time though. I’m just glad we only have her in two meds now besides topicals and hopefully we can start slowing the meloxicam as she heals.

Getting her to eat is still not easy. She laps up a little bit of her smoothie and then we get one or two crickets in her but that’s it. A big win will be when she goes for her greens again. Here’s hoping.

 

[Drache613]

Hello,

I am happy to hear she is improving. If you can, getting her out doors would definitely be helpful
for her, just be sure she doesn't get overheated!
It will absolutely take some time, they do heal slowly. Yes, you don't want to keep her on the
meloxicam for long term. I hope she starts eating more greens on her own. You can continue
to feed her the nutritional smoothie for her. Hopefully her appetite will come back fully.


Tracie

 

[Emilio]

Slowly but surely she is starting to get back to normal. Don’t mind the meds on her face, but wow what a difference to the last awful pic where her eye was almost gone. ?

 

[Drache613]

Hello,

Wow, that is really terrific, I am pleased with how that is starting to heal up. I am sure that
she feels a lot better. Her eye is looking much improved also! That's great. I am so glad
that your vet has been so helpful, that is hard to find.
Is she eating a little bit better now?
Keep us posted on her progress!

Tracie

 

[Emilio]

Aye, I know we have had our fair share of emergencies and not being able to find a vet. The vet has been great and admits when he needs to do a bit more research. He admitted that he’s learned a lot just from her case since she’s had so many issues from having a prolapse, being spayed, a undetectable then detected pneumonia and now yellow fungus. I mean it’s been a year almost two.

She’s eating a little bit, I think her lip is still sore and it’s still turned up a bit and she’s gurgling a bit more. She will drink A little bit of her smoothie and usually will have a cricket or two. Still not her normal appetite.

Hopefully we’ll have a check in today from the vet with some updates.

 

[Drache613]

Hello,

I am sure that her face & lip scales are sore from all of this. I am glad she is trying to eat
some. You definitely have to go slow with her on the eating of her slurry, so she doesn't
aspirate anything.
It is difficult to find a vet who will actually do research on something he needs more information
on. I hope she is feeling better. Let us know how the vet visit went for her.

Tracie

 

[Emilio]

It’s a mystery. Results for yellow fungus came back negative but he thinks he just didn’t get a good enough sample. He thinks based on his research and discussions with Dr. Boyer who is the be all in the herp vet world at least here in CA it still is pointing in the yellow fungus direction. It’s an ugly fungus that can take a while to show up.

So we’re keeping her in the anti fungal ever other day and meloxicam for pain and inflammation every day and topicals until she’s fully clear. Soak every morning to remove topical and reapply and nebulizer with saline everyday or every other day. Of course she scratched her face again so one side is a little red, how do you stop a lizard from scratching?

Good news she ate 6 live crickets the other day and 4 yesterday. So her appetite is slowly coming back. She is much more mobile too moves around her tank a bit more still wobbly but so much better.

Vet said to send emails with pics for the next few weeks so he can see progress but of course reach out for anything urgent. He will check her bloodwork and vitals in 3-4 weeks.

-Dina and Ori

 

[Drache613]

Hello,

I have to agree, it does look very suspicious of yellow fungus. Sometimes it is very hard to
detect. I would continue to treat for fungus issues, since thus far it does seem to be improving
right now.
It is very hard to keep them from scratching their face. If her skin is healing, that is what is
most likely causing her to want to scratch her face because it is itchy for her.

I hope she is starting to feel better. Keep us posted on her progress.

Tracie

 

[Emilio]

Update.

Ori is doing well but still so far out of the woods. She’s been coughing a lot which means her lungs are still not clear. But she is eating live crickets and green smoothies.

Her skin seems to be healing and shedding the dead infected skin away. At least we hope because it’s taking her scales with it. I’m afraid to use the terramycin or lamisil on the raw skin. Does this happen after yellow fungus? See photos.

We have her booked into the vet Wednesday and he might squeeze her in Monday. Poor girl. She did gain some weight I hope it’s from the food and not mucus building.

 

[KarrieRee]

Poor Ori-- I am glad to hear she's doing so well - please keep us posted

 

[Drache613]

Hello,

She is looking better, slowly. The Terramycin is fine to be used on & around the eyes, too.
Or you can use a small amount of honey, also. It does look like the skin is healing up right
now.
Is she eating very well?
Have you nebulized her to help with the stubborn respiratory infection?
Let us know how the vet visit goes if you are able to get her in!

Tracie

 

[Emilio]

Ok so it’s safe to do the terramycin in her raw/new skin. Just didn’t want it to irritate her but at the same time don’t want her to get an infection. Will her scales grow back? It’s just a smooth shiny surface under the lifted skin.

Stage past couple of days I didn’t nebulizer her or give her her miloxicam and she has two great days. I may do them later but she actually has not been gaping or coughing and she actually slept last night when usually she’s head up gaping.

And today she ate 3 dishes of dandelion greens and a blueberry. She probably would have eaten more she was ravage. So I hope that is a sign she is feeling a lot better.

Vet can’t see her until Wednesday so we’ll see. She’s doing well for now so he said unless it’s an emergency he can’t see her until wed he’s that busy.

-Dina

 

[Drache613]

Hello Dina,

At least the vet will get her in on wednesday, that's good!
It does sound like her skin is slowly improving. Keep up with the ointment daily & make sure
it is clean before applying the ointment. When cleaning the skin, you can use sterile saline
solution or distilled water then gently pat the area dry. Eventually, the smooth skin will grow
scales back, but it takes time.
I am happy to hear she has been eating some, it definitely indicates she is feeling better right
now! At least she is sleeping well also.

Tracie