# new tegu, fungal infection-



## ReptiBonezXO (Mar 26, 2012)

hey guys,
This weekend I am getting a new tegu from a friend who can no longer care for him. 
He is 5 months old, about two feet long, and has a fungal infection on his belly, one rear foot, and on his tail. 
It started with cracking on his tail, and belly from a resistant, cruddy shed. 

My friend took him to the vet, and is sending me some "silvadene" creme to put on it twice daily. He says the gu is responding well to the creme, and that the infection seems minor, and has not spread any further. 

He is currently keeping him on paper towels due to the infection.

Any advice or pointers on how to better the gu's chances of getting over the infection faster. 

Also: Would soaking be a better alternative to a humid hide bc of the infection? or can i use damp washcloth in the humid hide instead of moss to help avoid/prevent bacteria. 

He is currently eating goldfish, pinkies, meal worms, and crickets. 
I think my friend may be injecting the pinkies with cod liver oil to help him shed but im not sure. :huh:

What do you guys think about vitamin E (for on the skin)?

As stated, any advice is welcome, and appreciated:] 
I will try and get pictures on here if i can get them off my phone.


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## monstruo-the-tegu (Mar 27, 2012)

all these options sound good but i am no expert but i would use creme and ask a vet or forums like this everybody has good info that could help


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## tommyboy (Mar 31, 2012)

I think soaking would be highly recommended. Does he still have any retained shed? I have used a clean damp towel in the enclosure and it works great to keep him clean. I'm not sure about the silvadene, I was always under the impression it was for burns? I'm sure somebody else here may know more about it.
I might also start look at varying his diet some. There are great tegu food lists on this forum to try like lean meats (turkey,beef,chicken) and gizzards. Is your friend using vitamin and calcium supplements? 
Post some pics as soon as you can. Best wishes for you and your gu.


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## ReptiBonezXO (Apr 10, 2012)

so getting the gu was delayed, but i got him this past sunday.

Ive got him set up on tiles, and i cleaned all his cage decor before i put it in with him. He basks, and sleeps in his cool hide at night. i have been using the creme for now. His rear right foot looks "foggy" where the infection is. I soaked him today, then dried him really well, and applied the creme.

I have one of my tshirts in there now, to acclimate him to my smell.

One of his front toes looks a little cracked like maybe it had begun to spread there.
So in total, its for sure on one foot, maybe another, tail, and belly. his feet are my biggest concern. His tail and belly look way better than previous pictures i saw of the infection before i received him. 

Any suggestions on things to put in the water i soak him in? different meds? i have cod liver oil for him i think (to put on his food), in the stuff my friend gave me to go with him. 

Also, when i soaked him this morning, some of the foggy skin on his foot began to peel off. Im hoping he is shedding this cruddy layer of skin off, but i don't want to provide too much moisture in his cage, bc i dont want to allow an environment for the infection to grow.

i'll post pictures as soon as i can.

thanks!


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## got10 (Apr 10, 2012)

My wife put mayonnaise on Gonzo when he had a strange looking retained shed( fungus ?)on his neck and armpit area and the shed came off two days later with no ill effects. I think you can try the same thing . The Mayo would soften the skin the oils in it would help soften the live skin and the vinegar in it should help keep down the infection as well. Good luck 
I still use that when i have stuck shed. I just make sure to keep them very clean during that time


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## laurarfl (Apr 10, 2012)

Silvadene is good for burns because it can minimize scarring (a bit), but also because it can work against both bacteria and fungus when a culture has not been done. Since burns are prone to infection, Silvadene is popular in that scenario.

I would nix the goldfish, bump up the pinkies to hoppers, and add some fruit for vitamins, phytonutrients, and moisture for the skin. Cod liver oil would be good on a hopper, but then make sure your calcium supplement doesn't contain Vit D (it's in the cod liver oil).

Increasing the heat will raise metabolism and therefore immune function. Humidity can be kept high for the skin healing, but substrate (moss, paper towel, washcloth) needs to be changed daily.

Exposure to sunlight or a mercury vapor lamp will also promote skin healing and kill off bacteria/fungus as long as the light is use properly.


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## ReptiBonezXO (Apr 13, 2012)

ive got him eating giant mealies right now (just the last two days), gotta go pick up some more hoppers/pinkies. 

Ive got him on tile, misting with warm water, and a damp wash cloth draped over one of the hides. 

I'll try and get him to eat some fruit, but he doesnt seem to interested in it. i dont think he got too much variety before i got him. 

i need to get another probe thermometer, and try and bump his temps a bit. 

is there anything i can soak him in to help? would vinegar in his soaking water help?
im still trying to post pictures. ive got to email them from my phone, then put them on photobucket, get them in the right format, then try and get them on here. lol


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## laurarfl (Apr 14, 2012)

I wouldn't use vinegar. I would get Betadine or Povidine from the local drug store and mic it to the consistency of weak tea. Then soak for 15 min 2-3 times daily.


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## ReptiBonezXO (Apr 14, 2012)

thank you! i will try this, ive got to go reptile supplies shopping today, so i will pick this up. the reason i asked about the vinegar was bc of the "mayo" suggestion, i was thinking like a tablespoon or two per sink full of water. but i will try this stuff instead. thanks for the input guys! i really do appreciate it.


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## ReptiBonezXO (Apr 16, 2012)

okay, so i got the betadine yesterday, and soaked him today in it. Will be doing so again before bed. I am still using the silvadene. I wanted to ask if i could use althetes foot creme. I figure its more specicically geared towards fungal infection care. he doesnt have any issues on his head or face, so i dont have to worry about getting it near his eyes. Has anyone used this with decent results?

opinions are appreciated!


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## TheOneKimchi (Apr 27, 2014)

Could you post pictures of the fungal infection please?


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## TeguBuzz (Apr 28, 2014)

TheOneKimchi said:


> Could you post pictures of the fungal infection please?


This thread is 2 years old.


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