The unbeatable RI.

[JulieInNJ]

Zeus is my pastel. He came to me with 4 other snakes (my lesser Titan, my 2 het albinos Arya and Anya, and my normal Cleo) after another 'breeder/collector' was changing his breeding plans. Shortly after I got them home, Zeus, Titan, and Anya all showed signs of RI. They all went to the vet, were cultured, and prescribed Baytril, which should have taken care of the RI according to the results of the swab. After the round of treatment, Titan and Anya improved, but Zeus didn't. Zeus was then prescribed Amikacin. After that round of antibiotics, he improved for a little bit. But then I heard the rattle again. So back to the vet we went, and Zeus was put on yet another round of Baytril. Again he improved for a bit, but then the RI came back quickly and with a vengeance.

That leads us up to today. My poor buddy Zeus is just getting sicker and sicker, and nothing is helping him. He's not eating so he's wasting away to nothing. I don't know if he can take another blast of antibiotics, especially after already having 3 rounds, considering the shape he's in. We've done everything the vet has directed, taken the suggestions of other breeder/owners, and - believe me when I tell you - I keep my snakes in immaculate condition. Besides those 3 snakes, none of my other snakes have ever been sick or had a problem (thank god).

I'm afraid I'm watching my beautiful boy die. I'm not sure what to do at this point and it's breaking my heart. Maybe I'm just looking for something to assuage the guilt I'm feeling. I just hope he keeps fighting the good fight and we find something to make him better, although I think I'm losing him. RI's are no joke.

Here's my buddy, Zeus:

[Don]

Julie, I'm sorry to read this. Have you considered getting a second opinion? The good thing with Ball Pythons is you can ship them overnight to a vet. I can recommend Dr Stahl: http://www.seavs.com/aboutseavs/meetus.html. The temps are supposed to break on Monday, so if you contact him and let him know Zeus is coming, he can be expecting him on Tuesday. Regardless, I hope Zeus does OK. Keep us informed.

[Annarose15]

The only thing I can think of (aside from the visit suggested above me), is how long were each of these rounds of antibiotics? Two weeks, a month? I hear a lot of stories where only 10-14 days of treatment are prescribed, and the infection isn't really gone, only the symptoms have subsided.

[JulieInNJ]

The only thing I can think of (aside from the visit suggested above me), is how long were each of these rounds of antibiotics? Two weeks, a month? I hear a lot of stories where only 10-14 days of treatment are prescribed, and the infection isn't really gone, only the symptoms have subsided.

The shortest treatment was 21 days - 7 shots at 3 day intervals. I didn't note the amount of the dose, but the last round was stronger for a longer period of time.

[JulieInNJ]

UPDATE: It's a sad week at our house. We lost 2 snakes to the unbeatable RI.

A week ago or so, Anya VERY suddenly showed signs of a serious RI. Literally, one day she was fine, the next day she was critically ill. Before I could even call our vet, she was gone. From the moment we saw symptoms, to the time she died, was approximately 1 and a half days. She was a sweet, calm, wonderful little girl and I so wish I could have done more for her.

My beautiful boy Zeus has also succumbed to his RI. He went back to the vet 2 weeks ago, got a culture which discovered only 1 bacteria, and was put on yet another round of Amikacin (8 weeks this time). But his frail body just couldn't take the treatment. We were well aware that there may have been too much damage for him to pull through, but we had hope. Last night, I went change his cage, and he had passed. He was one of the most stunning pastels I've ever seen, having truly kept the 'pastel' hues. He was a voracious eater (when he actually ate between bouts of illness), and was quite a fighter.

I know we did everything possible, but it still SUCKS. Trying to stay positive, our lesser Titan is still in full health, but we will keep a close eye on him. Just to hammer home my point, do NOT mess around with RI's. It was pure torture to watch my boy die, even though we did everything we could for him.

Zeus and Anya will be sorely missed.

Anya


Zeus

[Don]

Julie, I'm so sorry. That must have been very difficult to post.

[Kaorte]

Julie I am so sorry to hear this. I believe you did everything you could, sometimes they just aren't strong enough. Its never easy loosing a pet. It especially sucks when there is nothing you can do to help them.

I'm so sorry for your loss. They will be greatly missed!

Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using Tapatalk 2

[Rickys_Reptiles]

OMG, I'm so so sorry for your loss!

You did all you could, and much more than many people do, so for that I think we should all applaud you!!

[akillian24]

OMG, I'm so so sorry for your loss!

You did all you could, and much more than many people do, so for that I think we should all applaud you!!

^^ this. And I had no ideas RIs could claim a life, even when treated promptly. Hugs to you.

[4Ballz]

this is tough to hear because you were trying to save these animals, and it was just too much for them. truly sorry for your two babies.

I would like to know how long after you got them from that breeder did the RI get noticed? (I'd talk to that breeder, let them know, just in case one his/her snakes aren't causing any other issues) just to clear the story.