Is Potato’s face ok?


Is potato ok? I don’t know if a vet trip is needed so I thought I would ask.

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It looks like maybe a small fungal infection…
I’m not as familiar with it in skinks but the crusty look to the nose makes me think it’s likely.

The downside is it’s on his nose, so I don’t know if any OTC treatments are okay for it. Wouldn’t want him ingesting any.
Maybe @mblaney knows? Shot in the dark for this. If not thanks for popping in anyway!

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A couple months ago my gecko had some base rub and the vet recommended neosporin. Do you think that would help at all?

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Don’t quote me on this, and definitely do some more research as skinks may be different, but I believe neosporin (pain reliever free) should only be used on open wounds. I’ve seen some accounts of neosporin causing scales to flake and fall off on snakes because of the oil base. Either way it should only be used sparingly.

If it is fungal, I think a vet trip is the way to go. I’m not sure if neosporin has any anti-fungal properties.

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I thought it may have been from me removing some shed too early. He had shed everywhere else and that scale had started to peel and when I went to removed it had some resistance so I stopped but it stayed on for another week or two after so is that a possibility for it?

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Neosporin (no painkillers) would be fine if it was more like an open wound. I wouldn’t put it on there tho as it may just give more moisture to the potential fungus.

I don’t know if the vet would prescribe an oral antifungal or just suggest a cream topical.

As far as other things go. What kind of setup is he in? If it’s a pretty easy to clean one, I’d start with a little dish soap and water bath for Potato and a deep clean for his setup. A light bleach solution should do the trick. Just give it time to air out well. Anything that can’t reliability be bleached may need to be tossed tho in case of remaining spores.

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i don’t think it’s anything you did and definitely not directly related to the shed. If anything the scales could have been popping up from the infection’s early stage of it was that spot in particular

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Do you think I should monitor it and if it gets worse go to the vet or go as soon as possible?

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Absolutely.

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@logar It looks suspicious. I think a vet visit is in order just to be on the safe side. I would not take any chances if I were you…. :pray:

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Sorry for delay- I’m honestly not sure. I’d go to a vet just in case, but I think it’s ok to get a normal appointment instead of an emergency one, so long as the lesion doesn’t change in size, color, shape, texture, or temperature. I think scarring and infections are conceivable causes but it’s honestly beyond my range of knowledge. If Potato does go to the vet, please give us an update so we can all learn. :smiling_face:

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So a bit of an update. My family has always had dogs and we have been going to the same vet who we absolutely love for them for a long time. She recently opened up her own practice and it turns out she also is a certified exotic vet. we sent some pictures and she gave us some recommendations for (I am pretty sure) topical treatment . I can’t remember what they were as I forgot my phone at my house and am currently in school. I am going to try them out before going to the vet but I have an appointment for December 22 with a different vet (He is over twice as cheap and is a dedicated exotic vet) just in case.

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they said to use SSD and chlorohexidine on it

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I’m not familiar with SSD? Do you know what it is? Just curious :face_with_monocle::thinking:

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Silver sulfadiazine. From the quick research i did on it, it seems to be the perfect medication for this situation. plus my family already has some lying around so that is another bonus

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Well alrighty then! Whatever makes Potato Cakes better! :pray::heart:

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Don’t use chlorhexidine without diluting it significantly. Also (unrelated), from the perspective of a retired veterinary professional, that’s pretty sketchy of you to get advice from one vet, then take your business to a different vet. It’s not terrible if you see that first vet with your other pets, but that was still hard for me to read.

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I am a freshman in high school. The one vet is over $100 and the other is about $45. I need all the extra money I can get. we have been seeing the more expensive one for around 10 years and she knows that I need any extra money. I understand where you are coming from but it wasn’t even me who reached out to the first vet, it was my mom without asking me

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Sometimes we have to do the best with what we’ve got and in this case your mom was looking out for you as well as Potato. The fact that you guys have been loyal to your original vet for so long, I am sure he/she understands that since the money is coming out of your pocket this time, your mom did the right thing by finding a less expensive alternative.

Keep us updated regarding “Tater’s” progress! I’m glad you reached out for help Logan! :+1::sunglasses:

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I know. I am actually really happy she did as the vet is very, very helpful and friendly and truly does it because she loves animals not because of money.

Update- So I keep forgetting to mention this but he doesn’t just have it on his nose but has about 6 other spots that are just much smaller so they are a little harder to monitor to see if they are getting better. It might be my imagination but his nose spot already seems to be getting a bit better.

Also @mblaney I am putting it on once a day at night. Does that sound good?

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