Yellow Fungus Disease (YFD)

I have experienced yellow fungus with one of my dragons. It has been a long and painful process for Mo, but she is gradually getting better. The photos below show just how bad she was before we finally figured out what was wrong - thanks to the help and guidance of Cheri Smith.
This photo was taken in December 2002. The tissues around Mo's eye were very dark and spongy. One reptile specialist that we took her to prescribed Baytril because he thought it was a type of bacterial infection. Well, he was wrong and the Baytril only made it worse. This photo was taken in January 2003. Her eye is still very swollen, but after a tissue sample was taken in December and analyzed, it was determined that she had a type of fungus. Oral meds were ruled out for the time being because they can be very harsh on a Beardie's system with numerous side effects. So we decided to try topical meds first. We tried Miconazole, Iodine, and Lamasil. Out of the three, Lamasil worked the best. Here is Mo's eye in July 2003. Look at the difference! She was on Ketoconazole (an anti-fungal oral medication) for two months. We are still applying the external Lamasil treatments. In addition to the oral and external meds, Mo is also receiving acidophilus (probiotic). She has shown remarkable improvement in the last few months. With our fingers crossed, we are hoping she will be completely healed in a few more months.
In August 2003, yellow spots started to appear all over Mo's body. Since the Lamasil cream was hard to work into her scaley skin, I found Lamasil in a spray form and it works great. Also, we had to bathe her in Nolvasan for several days to get rid of all of the dead skin and fungus. Another photo of the yellow and discolored spots all over Mo's body. (August 2003)

In the spring of 2005, I decided to try a more natural approach to help Mo. The antibiotics I tried were harsh on her kidneys, and I didn't want to do any further damage. I did some research on Grapefruit Extract (GSE) and decided to give it a try. I added one drop of GSE to some baby food mixed with water (GSE has a bitter taste), and I also added some Acidophiliz and a drop of liquid Echinacea. I gave this mixture to her every other day for about 3 months. I've really noticed an improvement in her skin condition. The skin around her eye is healing very slowly and she has not had any further yellow fungus outbreaks on her belly like she did before.

Summer of 2005 - I'm still giving Mo the GSE, liquid Echinacea, and Acidophiliz mixture about once a week. Her eye isn't completely back to normal, but there have been no fungus outbreaks! Hooray!

As Mo's condition continues to improve (fingers crossed), I will update this page with her progress.

Update April 22, 2009 - Mo has lived a much longer life than I could've ever imagined. She passed away in her sleep last night. She stopped eating a few days prior and went pretty quickly. My guess and the vet's assumption is that the fungus finally took its toll on her.

She lived with us for nearly 7 years, and despite her battle with Yellow Fungus, she lived a surprisingly long life. She was full of zest and energy most of the time and had a wonderful and sweet disposition. Rest in peace little Mo-Mo. You will be missed.
This information should be used only as a reference tool and should not be used in place of vet assistance. My views and opinions are the result of hours of dedicated research. But remember, I am not a professional. If you have a sick beardie and don't know what to do, don't play God, take him to the vet immediately.
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