Reptile & Amphibian Forums

We just got 2 fbn's for my son for his bday (nov 28th)and one had a place on his nose that looked like someone took a chomp out of it. It was a pinkish orange color, not black/brown like the rest of his face and body. I didn't even notice it until the next day.

I suspect he has a fungus...the area seems larger and it's whiteish now. Any suggestions on what to do to treat it? (I'd really like to avoid a vet bill if at all possible, we've been hit hard by the garter snake ones!

Thanks for any and all advice!

That could, indeed, be a bite as they turn white because of being in the water. Clean the area w/ hydrogen peroxide & apply Neosporin (Without pain reliever as lidocaine is toxic to newts). He'll heal up. Watch the area & keep it clean. It'd be best to quarenteen him in a seperate tank until it's healed. I've even added those fish tank tetracycline tabs to the water to help it with healing. Good luck!
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1.3.0 leos, Yoda, Geo, Tang, Ginger
1.0 Blue Tongue Skink Indigo (Indy)
0.1.1 frogs Buffy the Cricket Slayer, Butrose Butrose Froggy
1.1.4 firebelly newts Wayne Newton, Isaac Newton, Fig Newton, Juice Newton, Olivia Newton John & Helmut Newton
1.1.0 cats Gus & Mena

Thank you sooo much! I have all those things on hand; even the tetracyline! (had to use it on the bettas for "popeye" a couple of months ago.)

I feel much better now.... I'm heading off to bed soon with a lighter guilt load. (I was afraid they were both going to get sick and we'd go broke for Christmas! LOL)

Mom, Cam, Squirmy, and Wiggles all thank you!
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Sprig - Head Keeper of the Mellen Menagerie: 1 cat, 2 garter snakes, 2 fire bellied newts, 3 baby red-eared sliders, 4 little tree frogs, feeder fish and crickets... & a partridge in a pear tree!

>>Thank you sooo much! I have all those things on hand; even the tetracyline! (had to use it on the bettas for "popeye" a couple of months ago.)

Bad news. I looked him over more closely today (I haven't wanted to over-handle them) and found out that the white part isn't flesh, it's cartilage! On the very left edge of his left nostril is a vertical split. I don't know what the heck happened to him, but it's not fungus or just a flesh wound like I thought. It doesn't really look like there's any necrotic tissue around the area, so I don't think it's due to "rotting" or something. I suspect he just slammed his nose into the tank at some point before we got him and broke it! I noticed that when he breathes out there's often a wet bubble that blows out the injured side, so that worries me.

I had thrown a tiny bit of a tetracycline tab into the clean water I put in earlier today and he seemed a little more active after soaking/swimming in there for the day. (he's by himself in a plastic container for now.) When I checked him over a little while ago, I also noticed that he was shedding; it came off in my hand as he skittered around between my fingers.

Now I don't know if I should keep medicating him in the hope that it'll heal up, or if he won't recover from something like that!?

This guy (as well as his tankmate)isn't eating as far as I can tell; we've had 'em since Nov. 28th. I've given them small crickets, frozen bloodworms, frozen brine shrimp, and newt food. I even threw in the baby guppy we had left and neither of them have touched him; he's happily swimming away in the tank w/the healthier newt right now.

Anyone have any ideas? Oh, and to top it all off, one of our two little Northern Chorus frogs is on the lam! I noticed when I changed the water in the tree frog tank that he was no where to be seen. Took every piece of furniture out, including the substrate/liner. We turned the area around the tank inside out and upside down, but no frog. Sigh. I don't hold out much hope for finding him alive...it's really dry in our house outside the tank environs. And the cat roams the ground floor during the day. They're in a terrarium that's a weird shape, so I had to improvise a top for it. Unfortunately, after 5 months of it working really well, it's suddenly not secure enough. Gotta figure out something new now, I guess.

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Sprig - Head Keeper of the Mellen Menagerie: 1 cat, 2 garter snakes, 2 fire bellied newts, 3 baby red-eared sliders, 4 (uh oh, make that 3) little tree frogs, feeder fish and crickets... & a partridge in a pear tree!

Oh, I'd say he has a chance. Personally, I'd keep putting tetracycline in the water & let it heal. I'd also watch it for inflamation or anything & possibly use hydrogen peroxide to clean the wound occassionally.
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1.3.0 leos, Yoda, Geo, Tang, Ginger
1.0 Blue Tongue Skink Indigo (Indy)
0.1.1 frogs Buffy the Cricket Slayer, Butrose Butrose Froggy
1.1.4 firebelly newts Wayne Newton, Isaac Newton, Fig Newton, Juice Newton, Olivia Newton John & Helmut Newton
1.1.0 cats Gus & Mena

>>Oh, I'd say he has a chance. Personally, I'd keep putting tetracycline in the water & let it heal. I'd also watch it for inflamation or anything & possibly use hydrogen peroxide to clean the wound occassionally.
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Thanks again, "b's mom"! I spoke tonight with the lady that runs Savanna Exotics (where I get all my feeders and lots of good advice.) She said pretty much the same thing. We think he just got really freaked out at some time before I bought him and in one of his "shimmy frenzys" up the side of the tank, smashed his face on something...filter, etc.

She also reassured me that they are eating, but I'm just not seeing it since they eat at night. (I bought them from her store, so they're used to the feeding regimen there.) Since their little slippery bods aren't emaciated, it stands to reason that they probably ARE eating, just not a lot.

Sooo...I'll continue what I'm doing for now and see how he does. If anyone's interested, I'll post an update in a week or so.....??

Tammy
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Sprig - Head Keeper of the Mellen Menagerie: 1 cat, 2 garter snakes, 2 fire bellied newts, 3 baby red-eared sliders, 4 (uh oh, make that 3) little tree frogs, feeder fish and crickets... & a partridge in a pear tree!

Yes, please do keep us posted. Best of luck!
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1.3.0 leos, Yoda, Geo, Tang, Ginger
1.0 Blue Tongue Skink Indigo (Indy)
0.1.1 frogs Buffy the Cricket Slayer, Butrose Butrose Froggy
1.1.4 firebelly newts Wayne Newton, Isaac Newton, Fig Newton, Juice Newton, Olivia Newton John & Helmut Newton
1.1.0 cats Gus & Mena