Yellow Fungus?!? Please Help

[speedyfuzzball]

Hello!

I think Yoshi is doing a lot better! =D
He started his break from sporonox last Monday and his appetite slowly came back. Today, he ate around 50-60 small crickets! It was too bad I had just gotten them today though; they probably weren't that nutritious =/ But I am SO glad that he is interested in food again!

His skin is also looking better:

Kind of worried about those lighter areas... it kind of looks strange

His stomach cleared up a lot! There are still those problem areas near the bottom though =/

No =(

Tail.. Do those spots look like fungus too? What do you guys think?

Gained a bit of weight =)

Lips are a bit cut up because I've had to syringe feed him/give him medicine so much =(

Chilling =)

Also, is silver sulfdiazine not an antifungal?!?!? I had been using that the whole time because that's what the vet prescribed but I looked it up and it turned out to be a antibacterial cream for burns?? I can't believe I hadn't been applying antifungal cream this whole time! I feel so stupid ! I went to the store to pick up some Lamisil and I was wondering if this was the right kind?

Just want to make sure. It was the only kind at target. It said it's a gel, night time, 7 day treatment so I wasn't sure

OH YEA, Jessica and Cheryl from beardeddragon.co sent me a package!! It had silver sulfadiazine, carnivore care, probiotics, bee pollen powder (WHAT?? haha), electrolytes, and a cool sticker that says: The more people I meet, the more I like my bearded dragon! haha. Anyway, that was SO awesome and nice of them! They said it was from friends from beardeddragon.org and beaded dragon.co so if anyone donated, THAnk you SO MUCH! And thank you to everyone who has helped Yoshi and me. Thank you thank you thank you for all the advice and words of encouragement. It means so much to me <3

 

[XtinaBeardieMom]

So glad you and Yoshi are doing pretty well! If I'm correct, the silver cream functions as a lot of different things including being an anti-fungal, check out the description here >>> http://www.beardeddragons.co/beardeddragon/index.php?route=product/product&path=60&product_id=253 It also treats burns and is an anti-bacterial. Don't feel dumb, it's a good product to use on Yoshi. I don't know if silver cream is better than a straight anti-fungal... someone else will have to attest to that. He really is looking better!

 

[SpikesAgirl]

Awww, Joanne, that's so awesome that you got a package in the mail! The people here are so incredibly caring! That made me tear up a little for you! :love5:
OMG, Yoshi looks SO MUCH better! He must FEEL so much better! I can see where he's gained some weight too. EXCELLENT JOB!!! I hope you can see that all your hard work is finally making a change for Yoshi cuz I sure can!
I believe XtinaLotusMonster is right, it's used as both antimicrobial & antifungul, PM Tracie, she may have more info on that. Maybe ask if you can use the Silver one day and the Lamisil the next. I would put the cream on those tail spots too, just to be safe. I'm so glad he's eating too. They gut load the crickets at the store, I'm sure they were fine for him. Make sure you dust 'em up good with the calcium! <3
The white marks are probably scarring. I know another persons beardie has some white scarring from the fungus.
I'll be honest, I was getting a little worried when we hadn't heard from you in a bit... Glad things are starting to turn around for you and Yoshi and he's OK!
*Pats Yoshi on the head* & *Hugs Joanne*

 

[dragonlover3]

Hi,
WOW! He's looking soooo much better! I bet he feels so much more comfortable, too! That's great he's eating!!!! You are doing an amazing job with him.
I'd continue to use the silver based cream. It is good stuff. It's great advice to pm Tracie...Drache613....she knows bearded dragons, ....health, medical, nutrition, holistic....she is a very respected expert here and many of us go to her for advice! I believe the lamisil is fine. When you are applying any topical creams or gels, has anyone let you know to also apply it out around the fungus a ways on the healthy appearing skin/scales as well. It can act as a barrier to help stop the spread and nip any spread currently trying to start. Keep at doing what you're doing, it seems to be working! Keep at the tummy, it may take a while, reptiles heal so SLOWLY. And yes, treat the tail as fungus, especially because the fungus got so bad above that, it's probably a spread. Watch the mouth injury. It it's a wound and can be a opening for fungus spores. I would ordinarily advise to put a tiny bit of antibiotic cream on a wound but antibiotics can make fungus worse so I'd ask Tracie about it first. You can use a bit of Betadine diluted to look like weak tea, dampen a q-tip in the solution and dab the lips/mouth wound and let it dry. It is safe around the mouth as long as it isn't full strength and he isn't drinking it.
Bee pollen is an amazing supplement full of all good stuff. Bee pollen is one of the most complete foods found in nature It's packed full of protein, amino acids, minerals, vitamins, antioxidants, enzymes and bioflavanoids and tons of other nutritional elements. It can help stimulate appetite and the immune system.....I started giving my 4 rescued dragons bee pollen when they were sick with respiratory infections and got fungus. My beardies are healed and healthy. I still give all 4 a tiny pinch of bee pollen daily in their veggies. It's good stuff!
Amanda

 

[SpikesAgirl]

<3's Amanda! :love5:

 

[Drache613]

Hello Joanne,

I emailed you too.
The lamisil is perfect, you can use that daily after the betadine baths. Are the betadine baths clear for the most part?
The silver cream is commonly used for fungal issues. I wouldn't say that it is any better, but equal in being able to treat fungus. You can try both to see which he responds to more quickly.

Did he like the bee pollen or have you had a chance to use it?
His increase in appetite is a great sign! I believe he is looking better. I don't think those areas are fungal. It could be a shed possibly though on his legs. I would go ahead & treat the tail as well, just to be sure it has not spread.
His mouth area, you can use the silver cream on to help prevent infection. You can clean it off with diluted betadine with a swab also.
You are doing a super job, it will take time for him to get rid of all of the fungus. The skin has to slough off, heal & then rebuild.

Keep us posted!
Tracie

 

[speedyfuzzball]

Hi everyone!

I think Yoshi started to shed today! =D He hasn't shed is SUCH a long time. He also hasn't been eating really =/ after the post I wrote about him eating all those crickets, he hasn't really been interested in them and I actually found him sleeping next to one -_- I fed him 2.5 mL of carnivore care (with probiotic powder, electrolyes, bee pollen powder, and calci-blast. someone please let me know if this is too much to add to one meal!) and he ate a bit of squash baby food off a cotton swab.

So it seems like silver sulfadiazine is good for Yoshi so I'm going to continue using it ^_^

And no, I was not aware that I had to put cream around the fungus as well. =( The vet told us to just apply to the affected areas. Recently, I've just been covering his whole body in the cream which I dilute with water because I don't know what part is affected and what parts aren't anymore so just to be safe

I put diluted betadine on his mouth today and then silver cream after that so hopefully that area won't get infected or anything =/

Bee pollen sounds amazing I'm so happy and thankful that Jessica and Cheryl from beadeddragon.co sent me some =D Thank you so much!!!

Tracie, I got your email and wrote back I'm not sure I understand your question entirely regarding the betadine bath.. After his bath, the betadine solution does look a little bit cloudy because of the scales and fungus that come off during it.
Yes! I used the bee pollen today but he probably didn't really taste it as it was mixed with carnivore care.

Does anyone know of any good, accurate scales to measure beardies' weights with? I'm thinking that's probably an important thing to have!

 

[dragonlover3]

Hi,
I got my scale in the kitchen department at Walmart....$20. It has a nice size attached tempered glass platform to weigh on and it's big enough to set a plastic shoe box on when they get to big to set on the platform or if they won't stay on the platform for more that 2 seconds. :lol: It measures in pounds or ounces or grams. A nice scale and not expensive.
Amanda

 

[SpikesAgirl]

Yoshi will probably feel so good after a nice shed! They slow down eating sometimes when going thru a shed too. I'm sure it's going to be day to day with him with his appetite. He really looks so much better!

I got a Dymo 3lb digital postal scale at Wal*mart. Weighs in grams and pounds. Can be set to zero after you put a container on it. It was a little more expensive, 27 bux I think. I know when I was shopping for the scale, there was a 10 dollar model that was out of stock in the kitchen area of the store. Hope that helps! :wink:

 

[XtinaBeardieMom]

I have this scale...

http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B0007GAWRS/ref=mp_s_a_1?qid=1339081373&sr=8-1

I had it before I got the dragons actually. I'm a professional baker so I weigh all of my ingredients for precision measurements instead of using volume (cups, tablespoons, etc). Anyway I've had this scale for 5 years, never had to replace the batteries even with heavy use, love it! It can weigh in grams, ounces, kg, etc. I just use a big plate or shoebox on top to weigh my dragons. Hope that helps!

On a side note, one of my rescue girls refuses to eat a single thing every time she sheds so I have to force feed her Critical/Carnivore care during that time. So I think Yoshi's drop in appetite is pretty normal. I don't think it's bad to mix all those things in one feeding (bee pollen, electrolytes, etc.) as that is one very healthy and nutritious meal for little Yoshi!

I'm so glad he is doing better - thank you for stepping up to care for him, he probably wouldn't still be here without you as sad as that sounds. Do you happen to have any plans to bring Yoshi home with you eventually, or is your brother going to keep him? Sorry if that's too personal of a question, I understand. Either way, Yoshi is so lucky to have you in his life!

 

[speedyfuzzball]

Hello! Thank you for all your advice and the responses were so quick too! :O
I got a scale today at Walmart and Amanda, I think it's the one you have ^_^ it was $20 with a glass platform
Unfortunately, Yoshi weighs only 97 grams =( He was 90 grams at the vet exactly a month ago and I thought he'd have gained more weight than that =( It makes me so sad to know that he's supposed to be triple, if not even more, that weight Hopefully after he sheds, he'll be interested in food again and gain weight but I'm nervous for when I have to put him back on sporonox. I know he probably needs it though =/

I also got a plastic container so I can bring him outside and we went out for the first time today My phone's weather app said it was 70 degrees F out but it felt hotter than that. The app also said it was going to thunderstorm but it was beautiful out the whole day. The sun was out and Yoshi seemed to enjoy it. He closed his eyes and stuck his tongue out but I thought that means he's overheating? I probably should have gotten a deeper container as he could probably climb out of this one if he wanted to. I wanted to study but I found myself watching him the whole time. He's so cute!! :love10:

Does his tongue look abnormal? He's had that black/gray spot on the tip for as long as we had him

Also, does anyone know if yellow fungus is contagious to humans and dogs? Again, it's never been confirmed that it is yellow fungus but a few on here as well as Tracie said it probably is so I'm treating it like it is. My mom's been SO paranoid and nervous about this whole thing. Making me wear gloves the whole time, wiping everything down with disinfectant wipes AND spraying lysol haha

I hope everyone and their bearded friends are doing well ^_^ (Humans and lizards, I guess, haha I didn't realize how weird that sounded until I typed it out xD)

 

[speedyfuzzball]

I have this scale...

http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B0007GAWRS/ref=mp_s_a_1?qid=1339081373&sr=8-1

I had it before I got the dragons actually. I'm a professional baker so I weigh all of my ingredients for precision measurements instead of using volume (cups, tablespoons, etc). Anyway I've had this scale for 5 years, never had to replace the batteries even with heavy use, love it! It can weigh in grams, ounces, kg, etc. I just use a big plate or shoebox on top to weigh my dragons. Hope that helps!

On a side note, one of my rescue girls refuses to eat a single thing every time she sheds so I have to force feed her Critical/Carnivore care during that time. So I think Yoshi's drop in appetite is pretty normal. I don't think it's bad to mix all those things in one feeding (bee pollen, electrolytes, etc.) as that is one very healthy and nutritious meal for little Yoshi!

I'm so glad he is doing better - thank you for stepping up to care for him, he probably wouldn't still be here without you as sad as that sounds. Do you happen to have any plans to bring Yoshi home with you eventually, or is your brother going to keep him? Sorry if that's too personal of a question, I understand. Either way, Yoshi is so lucky to have you in his life!

I think it's awesome that you're a professional baker! When I was in high school, I was really interested in going to culinary school since I loved cooking/baking but I wasn't 100% sure if I wanted that as a career and culinary school is so expensive!! x_x I hope you're enjoying it =)

I still live with my parents so I do get to see Yoshi whenever I want but when I do move out, Yoshi is DEFINITELY coming with me. I don't trust him with anyone else! I don't mean to sound conceited, haha it's not like that.. I'm no where near close to being an experienced owner, I just feel more confident now that I know about beardeddragon.org <3 Yoshi and I would be lost without this wonderful website. Thank you so much!

 

[RockHound]

If it is yellow fungus, you have little to fear unless someone in the house is immunosuppressed (has HIV or something). Yellow fungus is opportunistic, and rarely preys upon healthy animals. Apparently, it's quite common and found in soil, so it's something you've probably come into contact with many times in your life.

That said.. Might want to keep him away from much direct contact with dirt and plants and such while he's outside. Definitely treat him as immunosuppressed.

Here's an article I found: http://vetherppath.hubpages.com/hub/Yellow-Flesh-Eating-Fungus-Nannizziopsiosis-in-Bearded-Dragons

 

[XtinaBeardieMom]

I think it's awesome that you're a professional baker! When I was in high school, I was really interested in going to culinary school since I loved cooking/baking but I wasn't 100% sure if I wanted that as a career and culinary school is so expensive!! x_x I hope you're enjoying it =)

I still live with my parents so I do get to see Yoshi whenever I want but when I do move out, Yoshi is DEFINITELY coming with me. I don't trust him with anyone else! I don't mean to sound conceited, haha it's not like that.. I'm no where near close to being an experienced owner, I just feel more confident now that I know about beardeddragon.org <3 Yoshi and I would be lost without this wonderful website. Thank you so much!

I'll PM you when I get a chance to tell you a bit more about a career path in the culinary/pastry industry if you're interested

I'm soooo glad Yoshi will be coming with you when you move out! He's your "baby" now, and every member here can understand not wanting to trust anyone else with your "child" hehe. I'm going out of town for 3 days soon, and I'm currently freaking out about a friend having to come over just to clean up poo & dump some greens in their bowl just for that long lol! So how long until you move out, if you don't mind me asking? If you end up going somewhere where you can't take Yoshi with you (college dorm, etc.) then don't hesitate to let us know here, and I'm sure you could find someone responsible to foster him until you can take him back, or adopt him if it's long-term. Point being, now that you're here at beardeddragon.org... little Yoshi will be in good hands either way from now until forever! We're all so in love with him already :love5: You really have done a beautiful job with him!

As for the minimal weight gain, ANY weight gain you can manage is great at this point so don't beat yourself up. Just keep trying to get 2-3mL of the Carnivore/Critical Care in him every day. Believe me, I know how difficult that can be... just do your best, that's all you can do. Everything else you're giving him (bee pollen, electrolytes, etc.) is great too & should really help his immune system. You may want to try these >>> http://www.beardeddragons.co/beardeddragon/index.php?route=product/product&path=62&product_id=107 to feed Yoshi. They're appetite stimulating & very nutritious. I can usually get my little stubborn eater to eat at least a little bit of this stuff every day. I could probably read back through this thread to find out (it's long though lol), but is Yoshi eating any live food right now?

 

[XtinaBeardieMom]

P.S. The "gaping" (mouth open, tongue out) is fairly normal when they're basking and the tongue coloration is normal too. If he gapes for more than a few minutes, just make sure he has a hide (you can use a shoebox w/a hole cut in it for outside time) or a cooler place to go to if he pleases.

I'm really not sure about the contagious nature of Yellow Fungus, but hopefully someone else here can help more with that :?: