island rehabber
12-14-2016, 08:08 AM
I'd like to address the question about Metronidazole (Flagyl). I have read on TSB in the past regarding Metronidazole being used to treat fungal infections. This information is incorrect. Metronidazole does not have antifungal properties. I certainly don't know everything but when I read that I was skeptical. I decided to study that to see if I had missed something. Metronidazole has antibacterial and antiprotozoal properties. As an antibacterial it has only coverage for anaerobes. It has no aerobic coverage. For this reason I would never use Metronidazole alone to treat a bacterial infection unless I had a culture that indicated the infection was solely anaerobic. We rarely have that information. We are all familiar with its use treating Giardia and other protozoal infections.
I'm not sure where the 'antifungal' notion came from. Is it possible that its use as a topical for fungating wounds made the leap to antifungal use. Fungating wounds are not caused by fungus. It is a wound that breaks through the skin that is associated with a malignancy. They don't heal because of the cancer at the root of the issue. Topical Metronidazole is used to reduce the anaerobic bacterial load.
Bottom line... I would not use Metronidazole for a fungal infection.
I also would not use Fluconazole. Antifungal drugs tend to be more toxic than antibiotics. I would only use them when I'm sure what I'm treating. Another issue is that Fluconazole isn't used for treating mold infections. It is used for treating yeast infections (Candida). Both yeast and molds are fungi but they are treated differently.
The discussion about moldy smelling air conditioner would not be caused by yeast. It would be caused by mold. Window unit AC's are notorious for the drains blocking and backing up condensation into the unit. This moisture promotes the growth of mold and the classic moldy smell. I'm not that familiar with window units. Don't they have evaporators like central units? I would definitely try to get some service on the unit. I don't know if the coils could be GENTLY pressure washed ???? but the drain could certainly be checked.
Just because you smell mold, it doesn't mean that you are susceptible to a fungal infection. Invasive fungal infections are not something that 'normal' healthy individuals get as a rule. The immune system takes care of inhaled spores. If everyone that breaths spores gets invasive fungal infections there would be no one living in Florida or other humid climates. Invasive respiratory fungal infections from molds are something that the immunocompromised get. I work at a cancer hospital. Invasive fungal infections are a HUGE issue there. They are devastating and they are deadly. For a cancer patient on chemo, an infection with simple bread mold is life threatening and usually fatal. Treating invasive fungal infections is NOT in the scope of our abilities as squirrel peeps. I wouldn't even consider it.
Also, forget the culture. Even if you did grow a mold from the nasal exudate, it would not mean that Rama/Cruiser have a fungal infection. It could be from an inhaled spore that represents an incidental finding or transient colonization NOT infection. An invasive fungal infection is usually diagnosed with tissue culture and X-ray.
Of course, mold can cause respiratory issues. These issues are related to allergic reaction or in extreme conditions mycotoxins NOT infection. I can rake moldy leaves for 8 hours and never blink... my mom will be sick for a week just being there for 5 minutes. She does not have a fungal infection. It's an allergic reaction to the inhaled spores.
Rosie, I wish I had an answer for you. If you think Rama's issue might be associated with the AC you could try Benadryl to see if it would help. I do remember that Cruiser didn't do well on Benadryl though.
Unfortunately, I do believe that Cruisers issues are related to odontoma. Of course, we are just guessing without a definitive diagnosis. Because of infection associated with odontoma, treating with antibiotics will always be a good option. One of the antibiotics that DrE uses post op is Metronidazole. She uses a cocktail of antibiotics. You could certainly try the Metro with Clavamox. Dr E likes Baytril also...me, not so much.
The problem is that the infection associated with odontoma will return when off of antibiotics.
If you want to treat Rama with antibiotics, Clavamox would be your best option.
Stosh, I could be mistaken but in most Central American counties, antibiotics are available over the counter. They don't care about the FDA or N. American rules.
I recently learned something from another rehabber that was researching odontoma. In my research I found the same information. We know the typical causes of odontoma... trauma, cage bar chewing and MBD. Another cause that can be added to that list is frequent chewing on very hard nuts and seeds. I know we have always used these to HELP them file down the teeth. Now I wonder, are we helping or hurting? I'm not sure if there are more cases of odontoma now or if the increasing numbers are due to better awareness. Unfortunately, pushing their life expectancy way beyond what they would live in nature causes us to see more odontoma. The part that really bothers me is that we are seeing them in younger animals. Dr. E thinks we are over supplementing (diet related). I just don't know but I do know we all live in fear of it. :(
I'm not sure where the 'antifungal' notion came from. Is it possible that its use as a topical for fungating wounds made the leap to antifungal use. Fungating wounds are not caused by fungus. It is a wound that breaks through the skin that is associated with a malignancy. They don't heal because of the cancer at the root of the issue. Topical Metronidazole is used to reduce the anaerobic bacterial load.
Bottom line... I would not use Metronidazole for a fungal infection.
I also would not use Fluconazole. Antifungal drugs tend to be more toxic than antibiotics. I would only use them when I'm sure what I'm treating. Another issue is that Fluconazole isn't used for treating mold infections. It is used for treating yeast infections (Candida). Both yeast and molds are fungi but they are treated differently.
The discussion about moldy smelling air conditioner would not be caused by yeast. It would be caused by mold. Window unit AC's are notorious for the drains blocking and backing up condensation into the unit. This moisture promotes the growth of mold and the classic moldy smell. I'm not that familiar with window units. Don't they have evaporators like central units? I would definitely try to get some service on the unit. I don't know if the coils could be GENTLY pressure washed ???? but the drain could certainly be checked.
Just because you smell mold, it doesn't mean that you are susceptible to a fungal infection. Invasive fungal infections are not something that 'normal' healthy individuals get as a rule. The immune system takes care of inhaled spores. If everyone that breaths spores gets invasive fungal infections there would be no one living in Florida or other humid climates. Invasive respiratory fungal infections from molds are something that the immunocompromised get. I work at a cancer hospital. Invasive fungal infections are a HUGE issue there. They are devastating and they are deadly. For a cancer patient on chemo, an infection with simple bread mold is life threatening and usually fatal. Treating invasive fungal infections is NOT in the scope of our abilities as squirrel peeps. I wouldn't even consider it.
Also, forget the culture. Even if you did grow a mold from the nasal exudate, it would not mean that Rama/Cruiser have a fungal infection. It could be from an inhaled spore that represents an incidental finding or transient colonization NOT infection. An invasive fungal infection is usually diagnosed with tissue culture and X-ray.
Of course, mold can cause respiratory issues. These issues are related to allergic reaction or in extreme conditions mycotoxins NOT infection. I can rake moldy leaves for 8 hours and never blink... my mom will be sick for a week just being there for 5 minutes. She does not have a fungal infection. It's an allergic reaction to the inhaled spores.
Rosie, I wish I had an answer for you. If you think Rama's issue might be associated with the AC you could try Benadryl to see if it would help. I do remember that Cruiser didn't do well on Benadryl though.
Unfortunately, I do believe that Cruisers issues are related to odontoma. Of course, we are just guessing without a definitive diagnosis. Because of infection associated with odontoma, treating with antibiotics will always be a good option. One of the antibiotics that DrE uses post op is Metronidazole. She uses a cocktail of antibiotics. You could certainly try the Metro with Clavamox. Dr E likes Baytril also...me, not so much.
The problem is that the infection associated with odontoma will return when off of antibiotics.
If you want to treat Rama with antibiotics, Clavamox would be your best option.
Stosh, I could be mistaken but in most Central American counties, antibiotics are available over the counter. They don't care about the FDA or N. American rules.
I recently learned something from another rehabber that was researching odontoma. In my research I found the same information. We know the typical causes of odontoma... trauma, cage bar chewing and MBD. Another cause that can be added to that list is frequent chewing on very hard nuts and seeds. I know we have always used these to HELP them file down the teeth. Now I wonder, are we helping or hurting? I'm not sure if there are more cases of odontoma now or if the increasing numbers are due to better awareness. Unfortunately, pushing their life expectancy way beyond what they would live in nature causes us to see more odontoma. The part that really bothers me is that we are seeing them in younger animals. Dr. E thinks we are over supplementing (diet related). I just don't know but I do know we all live in fear of it. :(