Successful Treatment of Fungal Dermatitis in a Bottlenose Dolphin (Tursiops truncatus)
A bottlenose dolphin at a Japanese aquarium developed a serious fungal infection on its tail fin while suffering from severe digestive problems and weight loss. The infection was caused by two types of fungi that are normally hard to treat because they resist many antifungal medications. Veterinarians successfully treated the dolphin using a combination of two antifungal drugs (voriconazole and terbinafine), surgical removal of dead tissue, and daily wound cleaning with special solutions. The dolphin’s wound eventually healed completely, and this is the first documented successful treatment of these particular fungal infections in bottlenose dolphins.