Reptile & Amphibian Forums

I have been told my beardies may have a fatal fungus in their intestines that was only identified 18 months ago and wiped out an entire beardie colony. My vet told me it can't even be identified correctly yet because there are 5 or 6 other fungi in that same family that look very similar under a microscope. Has anyone ever heard of this or had any experience with it?

Would this be the fungus called yellow fungus? Very very bad stuff and no cure to date to my knowledge..

Here's the link to Cheri's article on Yellow Fungus. I have a beardie with it right now and she is responding well to treatments. I believe there are very few strains of the fungus that cures haven't been found for yet, but most fungus's can be killed off.

Veronica
Yellow Fungus - Cause and Effects

Both of my beardies have this. Let me know what they prescribed for treatment. My vet painted a bleak picture for recovery and said the probable cause was that as juveniles I fed them more crickets than veggies and they grew too fast.
She ignores the fact that my previous vet gave them 4 treatments for coccidia in a row in less than two months time.
The last treatment she gave them after the coccidia test came back negative she said "just to make sure".
I was never told to give them probiotics during treatments for Coccidia.
I am a first time owner though I have chameleons (they're fine)
and did lots of research into their care but much of the info did not mention medical issues.
I am livid that my supposed reptile vets never warned me about the albon and Bactrim possibly affecting them this way and felt they overmedicated them.
Any info in how your dragon is being treated you can give me is greatly appreciated.
Thanks, Sonia

No way was the cause because you fed more crix then veggies! That is what babies and juvies live for, crix. It's what makes them grow big and strong. It's what they eat in the wild. Is this guy for real?
-----
TheClassyLizard

that doesnt sound right at all, most juvis eat a 80 percent protein to 20 percent greens diet, if not some of them eat 100 percent proteins as babies and juvis, they need the proteins for growth and the veggies do not become a huge part of their diets until a later age. Where are you located? perhaps someone can help you find another vet for a second opinion.......
-----
reiko
photos

This vet is a lady and is the 5th reptile vet I have been to.
I actually like the 4th vet best of all He does not agree with her on the reason they got the fungus but does agree with her diagnosis and treatment. I sent him a copy of the tests done and he gave me a phone consult and did not even charge me for it.
He is pretty far from me (over 100 miles) that I drove to see him last time. If I need further treatments I will be driving the distance. He is having the testing done here and having me e-mail results to him for now. I have the meds and probiotics so I will see how they work.

Where in Florida? I am also in Florida..... East central, near Kennedy spce center you?
-----
www.BeginnersBasics.com

np

.

for their internal fungus. Is that a good treatment?

make sure you keep them very well bydrated during the treatment, these drugs are very harsh on the kidneys. You have to be very careful when using it and avoid certain food (few vets know this to recommend or advise people of this) anything that has high oxalates should be avoided while taking it..... you want to minimize any stress on kidneys and liver in their normal diet you can. That includes spinach, collards and mustard greens, tomatoes, peppers, parsnip and all beans, most berries, star fruit and mango..... this are all really good foods for a healthy non medicated dragon, but should be reduced or eliminated while on any treatment that taxes the kidneys. SO use the white, yellow or orange veggues more while treating... and the romaine is not so bad right now, they need the extra fluid that we so often recommend not using to much romaine, you need to keep the dragon hydrated each day to flush out the kidneys.

The other thing with it is that it causes a loss of potassium, that can cause heart problems, easy enough to correct with a little diluted Gatorade daily or pedialyte. Itraconazole needs the acids in the stomach to be absorbed properly, so also use any calcium several hours after the medication is administered and not with the medication.

Does this sound right to you?

the post to this is linked below.

What infection is she treating the other eds for?
While on Oral Antifungal meds

Correct me if I am wrong...but isn't the yellow fungus more of an external fungus than internal?

1. The yeast infection internally progressing to a fungal stage and irritating the tissue when excreted.

2. Fungal infections picked up from soil

3. Another dragon contacting it from one that it originated in internally...... again, this is HIGHLY contagious and can be passed by human hands between dragons

One of the most common first places it is seen is around the vent area of the producer of it or on the back on one infected from another that produced it internally.

That's certainly a nasty infection that dragon you pictured has. Certainly hope we can find a good treatment for this fungus.

Where a year ago, most dragons died with this, most are living and being cured with it now.

There is a Yahoo Group list that is mostly dedicated to people that came together and pooled information to trace patterns and find what this was. Thanks to them pooling information and treament, we now see most surviving.

There is not just one Yellow Fungus Disease, there are several fungus that cause it and the yeast based ones (mainly from antibiotics or other meds) are very easy to treat and cure. The mold based ones are harder (usually from soil), and can take a few months, but they are being cured.

I am not knocking the Pet medical community, but most are not educated in these fungi and treatment. The only way to know for sure which an animal has is through biospy and we are in contact with the researcher that is studing this one. But, MOST respond to the same meds and treatment routine and it is a routine that we have hundreds being cured with now.

Sadly many could have been avoided to begin with by adding some probiotics to their diet when they are being given medications... hardly a day goes by now that I do not have email and thanks from Vets all over the US and Canada or photos in my email of vets prescribed drug labels that say "Use probiotics whenever antibiotics are given to reptiles"

The URL below is to the Yahoo Group list that is helping people daily with this and collecting data to understand it better. These people have done what many Vets and researchers could not because they banned together and shared information..... some were lost, but we learned from each what worked and what did not work.

Anyone that is interested in Pogona Diseases should check out this site... PS I am also in Florida, in the Sarasota area
Pogona_Diseases

Mine probably got it through meds given without probiotics.
My vet said it was because I fed too many crickets to them as babies.
I think the FOUR treatments for coccidia done by the previous vet with no mention of probiotics at all might be the culprit.
But you know most vets won't admit that about another vet.
I am in Tampa FL so we are almost neighbors.
Is there a particular vet you recommend in FL that might be able to help me?

Plus a couple in Tampa I have not used...... I was trying to remember the one my vet here likes that is in Tampa... Lightfoot or something like that, it a female.

Do your dragons have any lesions or yellow discoloration on the scale or skin?