Treating fungal infections?

chamelia

New Member
So i've been applying Lotrimin lotion twice a day for about three-four weeks now, and i haven't seen any improvement. I can also see that it might be spreading in other areas as well :/ He hasn't been eating normally too, refuses to eat crickets and hasn't eaten mealworms for two days now. He has been drinking quite a lot though, every time i offer him some (3x a day) he drinks for a couple minutes.

What other things can i do to treat this? I'm getting a little worried
 
pictures would be good. You need to take it to a vet for proper treatment. A fungal infection that is spreading is not going to respond to at home treatments and can get very serious very fast. You really don't have a lot of time to waste once these set in, especially after trying home treatment for several weeks. It will need to properly diagnosed and get systemic treatment from a vet that has reptile experience.
 
I forgot to mention that i've already been to the vet and confirmed it was a fungal infection. He prescribed me to use Lotrimin lotion. I had another thread a few weeks ago that with pics that i'll post in a second...
 
The vet i brought him to really didn't have much reptile experience, which kind of worried me. But i can't find a herp vet around my area (Central massachusetts). So if anyone has been through this before, or seen this before, what can i do??
 
That's a shame because lotrimin is not enough. Are you anywhere close to Tufts University? Their vet school has an excellent exotics department and is very knowledgeable about reptiles.
 
There are some bad fungal infections that chameleons can pick up that need more than a topical treatment. They can kill the chameleon quite quickly. The only way to find out which fungus your chameleon has is to run some tests.
 
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I have treated a lot of different kinds of skin infections including fungal infections on the skin with this .........Vetericyn wound & infection treatment ...... In some wc reptiles over the years it works really good maybe try this stuff. But you still need to find a reptile vet for him..
 
I have treated a lot of different kinds of skin infections including fungal infections on the skin with this .........Vetericyn wound & infection treatment ...... In some wc reptiles over the years it works really good maybe try this stuff. But you still need to find a reptile vet for him..

Lol get outta my head i was just gonna post about this stuff Vetericyn is good stuff for many different types of wounds/infections it is abit spendy but well worth it and lasts a long time.
 
Yes you can order it online ... A little trick to it is spray it on and try to rub it in a little every 3 days give him a shower to remove any dead skin ect. Then re apply ...
 
Ok thanks guys. How fast does it usually start clearing up?

I have yet to use it on any types of fungal infections but i have used it on a pretty wicked scratch on my chams side that she kept opening back up with her claws on her hind leg and it started to heal up nicely in about a week or so with daily sprayings.
 
It will take a good while I had one Leo take almost 2 months to heal... Ever wound is different... You still need to try and get him to a vet and get a culture done..just in case this med. Dosnt work.
 
As I said..."There are some bad fungal infections that chameleons can pick up that need more than a topical treatment."...how will you feel if your chameleon has one of those and dies because all you did was treat it topically?
 
A vet is needed if you dont know what you are dealing with.

Someone brought me a iguana with yfd pretty darn bad. This is something you cant treat topically period...Already tried it. Vagisil, lotrimin, vetericyn it didnt matter. 2 weeks of itraconazole orally took care of it.
 
I agree a vet might be helpful. I am only adding this as I have been researching myself and work for a vet. In human medicine, for burn patients they are using Povidone Iodine as an anti-fungal and topical Silver Sulfadiazine is used topically to help heal the burn and prevent infection.

I am actually using this right now with Claude, he was burned on his shoulder by a new bulb and I believe a fungal infection started from there (this is localized to just that area though, it is not spreading). I have been doing a Betadine rinse, using a q-tip. Then applying the silver sulfadiazine to just that small area for about 7 - 10 days and I am seeing a lot of improvment. The damaged scales have come off and the area is shrinking quite a bit. Claude is eating and drinking normally, normal BM/urates.

I am obvioulsy not recommending this treatment to anyone or saying this is the end all be all - I am having luck with this and wanted to share in case it may help someone else.
 
He hasn't eaten in almost a week now... I've tried mealworms, waxworms, hornworms, and crickets but he just backs away. He still drinks but i saw him trying to poop today, and nothing really came out besides a little water :( There really aren't any experienced chameleon vets near me..... I don't know what to do. Ugh.
 
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