Reptile & Amphibian Forums

this baby was fine the last time i seen him, and the person who now owns him said that the bumps started small and have just gotten larger.He has one on his mouth and its the worst.She said she has been putting antibiotic onment on them but has not helped. Any ideas on what this is and how to treat it?

Without pictures it's pretty much a shot in the dark, but if antibiotic ointment isn't working perhaps it's fungal. It is possible, especially in a tank, to overdo the moisture and humidity requirements. if the dragon is living in a sodden environment it is highly likely it has developed a fungal infection. Antibiotic ointment is useless. The dragon needs drier conditions and fungal cream such as that used to treat vaginal infections or perhaps athlete's foot. Exterior parasites/mites are another possibility. There is much information available at: www.anapsid.org Go to the lizard, then water dragon sections.
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dianedfisher@yahoo.com

My 3 CWD-Avanyu, Tripod and Drago

when babies are kept together in crowded conditions their sharp little claws can leave marks all over each other. In an environment with poor ventalation and excessive moisture, these can fester into a bad skin infection. This is most likely the case, as indicated by Diane you will have to correct the moisture/humidity problem. I would recommend silvadine cream, which you can purchase from your vet, it is extremely effective in treating skin infections in herp and is very safe. Mites usually cause crustyness around the eyes and can be seen as tiny black or red dots moving around. Usually their activity on a small animal can cause black patches of dead skin, swell is uncommon. Subcutaneous parasites are another possiblity, although I would consider it rare for a captive bred animal if not impossible. Easy to check though, excise one of the bumps, if a long white worm comes out, there you go. They are easy to treat, just pop'em out, if there is alot you have to do it over a period of time to reduce stress. Good luck, in any case it should be treatable if you act quickly!

I agree with the other respondent. It could be a lot of things, but the most likely culprit is a cage that never dries out, causing a fungal infection. It's fine to have a water bowl in the cage, but it shouldn't be so big as to dominate the floor space of the cage. The baby may then be constantly wet. The substrate should not be waterlogged or constantly damp at the surface, and the glass of the cage should be free of water droplets.

If the problem isn't severe, it's possible to dry out the cage, disinfect it, and then wait for the next shed. Sometimes this problem will heal on its own, if it's not severe. But if it's severe and it sounds like it is, a vet should be called.