Reptile & Amphibian Forums

I'm posting this for a friend who has had about a two foot alligator for a little over six months. He came in underfed, but seemed in great health once that was corrected. We just noticed, however, a white spot on his face and one on his neck which look like canker sores. The spot on his face seems to have eroded tissue fairly deep, although bone is not showing. As I have little experience with crocodilians, the closest thing I can compare it to is a fungus infection on a fish. Upon closer inspection, it appears that most of his teeth are now missing as well, making me think fungal or bacterial issues in the water.

Has anyone seen this or have guesses as to what it could be?

Thanks,
nate.

We have found the white growth on many gators that have been raised in cramped conditions that rarely get their water changed or cleaned. Even the best filters do not clean out all the harmful stuff that comes from the old food and feces festering at 80 degrees for weeks on end. Found on animals in room temperature too. If left untreated or the conditions left the same you will have more spots eating away at the skin of the animal. We got in a 30" nile crocodile who's skull looked like it was dripped upon by acid. Too late for that animal, it died within two days of me getting it. If the owner would have looked for help earlier we or a Vet could have saved it.

Yes, you should go to a Vet and have it looked at, but as we all know the immune systems of the animals are fantastic. Most of these guys just need some serious proper care. We have found that a light Nolvasan bath for an hour (like you would for a turtle) works to clean this up. If the spots are small and few, Clean fresh tap water changed daily (with its chlorine) will do the job. Needless to say the cage must be sterilized before putting the animal back and the water changed often until it clears up. Do not let any food or wastes stay in its container. Change it every day if you have to. The immune system is already weakened from lack of good diet, improper water conditions, and probably no way for it to get dry with good sun. Everyone will agree, Good husbandry is the best way to keep these and any other animal healthy. If the spots continue after a few days or more show up please get it to a Vet or at least put a picture on here so we could look at it and try to help. I have seen too many alligators kept as pets in lousy conditions die because of the owners ignorance of the animals needs. They wait until the animal is really really sick and then they want to do the right thing and give it up. Usually too late. When you are tired of them or not sure if somethings wrong with them, give them quickly to some type of animal services for rescue. Do not wait until the animal is on deaths door.

Sorry about the soapbox, but I just got in an alligator that was raised in a 40 gallon breeders tank for the last four years, eating one mouse every two weeks. It's only 21" long. Poor thing has more problems than I want to count. The owner that gave it up said: "He had one when he was a kid and he wanted his kids to raise one." When I asked what happened to the alligator that he raised, he said it died. I wonder why. Twenty two years later and the man still has not learned a thing. I needed a good vent. Thank You everyone. Good Luck with your animals. Please take GOOD care of them.

I agree with Bob_b. Most fungal and bacterial infections in crocodilians stem from poor water conditions and secondary infections. See my post above regarding "white spot on caiman" by tbone21.

Since you mentioned that this abscess is located on the animal's face and it is missing teeth, you should not rule out the possibility of mouth rot (stomatitis). Stomatitis can become extremely necrotic, killing large amounts of tissue, muscle and skin. I have received two or three iguanas that had such horrible cases of mouth rot that tissue was completely absent; leaving the teeth and jaw (what remained of them) totally exposed. One of them with a head about the size of a tennis ball had an abscess protruding from it's lower jaw the size of a golf ball and it's bottom jaw bone was rotted in half.

It sounds like the gator that you have doe's not have an infection as serious as the cases I just stated, however it should receive a professional examination by a qualified vet.

Bill
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