Shedding

[Allybee]

I have a young beaded dragon, he cant seem to shed right. His body sheds fine but around his eyes, mouth, ear and neck he cant seem to get it off. I dont wanna peel it off because i know that could cause even more problems. Theres skin from a few past sheds and its starting to build up and really crust. ive tried giving him bathes everyother day because he really hates them, and wetting his face everyday and it doesnt seem to help.
Does anyone know of a remedy or affordable medication to help him?
it kills me to see him have to deal with it

 

[sweetiepie9]

There is something called Shed-eze that you can buy and put in his bath. The other option is to find pure cocoa butter and rub it in where his shed is. I've picked off shed around eyes when it's coming off with no problem to my dragon. In fact they sit still when I do this as they know it doesn't come off easily. So there are two methods to try.

 

[Allybee]

would i have to find a vet to get the shed-eze or would it be available at a pet store? and is the cocoa butter safe to use every where? i tried helping to pick the clumps up but it seems like there are too many layers and it seems to hurt or bug him

 

[AHBD]

Hi allee....can you post any pics ? Just want to see if it's possibly the start of a fungal infectio, but hopefully not. Regular shedding skin should come off pretty easily like Diamc said [ although it's not good to pull on it in general, especially on the body ]

 

[sweetiepie9]

Shed-eze can be bought at any pet shop where they have supplies for exotics. And cocoa butter can be bought in a tube at dollar stores. I don't think it matters where the shed is, cocoa butter is very gentle but will help the shed come off. I've used in on my Lonzo's face and it worked, took a few days but it did come off. You can use a soft toothbrush in the bath, too, to help a stubborn shed to come off. I only "help" when my beardie is in the bath and the shed is almost off but stuck, not often.

 

[Allybee]

There was a big piece of skin on his one eye but he must have gotten it off

 

[sweetiepie9]

I think your baby needs to see the vet, as it seems to be more than shed, at least by the pictures. There is an issue around his eyes that's I've never seen from just shed. Do you have a good exotic vet in your area?

 

[diamc]

I agree with Deb that your beardie needs to see a vet. I have seen similar pictures of other beardies and the owner did find out it was fungal related. Let us know how you make out.

If you use cocoa butter on several areas, it could cause this skin condition to spread which isn't good. A normal shed shouldn't be as thick as this, not building up like this and should come off much easier. This is not a normal shed for sure.

 

[Allybee]

He did have a slight case of yellow fungus on his lower leg and stomach, Petsmart didn't let us look at him before buying... We managed to help him get rid of it but i hear once one gets it, it comes back often. We are going to get him in to a vet on Monday hopefully.. we live in a small area :/ i feel so bad for him i wish i could help him somehow he looks so dull sometimes, hes still eating thank god
Thanks for the help and advice

 

[diamc]

Petsmart didn't let you see him before you bought him?

Yes, unfortunately yellow fungus can return. Good that you will be taking him to a vet on Monday, hope all goes well.

In the meantime, to help make him more comfortable, you could give him baths in Betadine, adding enough so that the water looks like weak tea. Be sure to offer him a drink of plain water first if he tends to drink form his bath as you don't want him to ingest the Betadine. Then after that treatment, dry him very well and apply an anti-fungal cream to the areas being very careful to not get it in his eye.

Please keep us updated on him.

 

[sweetiepie9]

I'm battling fungus right now with my Didi, he's getting an oral anti-fungal med called Itraconazole and silver sulfadiazine cream. He gets the oral med twice a day, then I put Betadine on his skin and cover it with the cream. I had a young dragon, Titan, die from yellow fungus last December, so I'm very much hoping this works on Didi. So yes, to the vet asap and tell him what I'm doing. Don't give him any baths, they will make the fungus worse, even with Betadine in the bath. Even though I did give Didi a bath last weekend. Instead of normal baths I give him water by syringe every morning, plus acidophilus (a probiotic) and electrolytes (liquid). I have to feed him bugs because he doesn't have much of an appetite. And I also give him liquid serrepeptase to lower the inflammation, as I had a blood test done and a biopsy (which is the only way to determine if it's yellow fungus, as they can get regular fungus that aren't fatal). The blood test showed high white blood cell count, which indicates the internal inflammation, which is why he's getting the oral med.

I wish you luck with your little guy. Hopefully he'll be lucky like two friends of mine, who did beat the yellow fungus, even though you're right, it will come back, you just have to watch & be aggresive with treatment. One of my friends did give Betadine baths twice daily & then slathered Lamasil (anti-fungal cream) on her beardie and the lesions did drop off. Didi has it around his left eye, but no-where else I can see, even so, I cover him with cream, just to be on the safe side.