respiratory infection question

[tom112089]

hello.
one of my ball pythons has a respiratory infection. he has bubbles in the corner of his mouth, exhibits open mouth breathing, some times lays with his head up and has mucus in his mouth. the mucus is clear and he isn't any less active than he normally was. iv already taken him to a vet that i believe to be a great doctor. he has seen our other reptiles and our guinea pigs. he already prescribed baytril injections and he is due for his last one tomorrow.
my question is how long does it generally take a ball python to get over an RI and is he still contagious after he has had antibiotics? he has had it for about a week and a half. i took him to the vet the day after i noticed the bubbles and gave him baytril shots every 3 days since then. i have 7 other ball pythons that are in the same rack system that he was in before i quarantined him and none of them are exhibiting any signs of illness so far. my rack is wired with flexwatt and a herpstat kept at 90 degrees during the day and 83 at night.

[Crazymonkee]

Did he do a culture to determine if Baytril is the correct antibiotic to use? I would keep him quarantined until all symptoms are gone and then some

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[satomi325]

Sanitize his rack slot.
Get a culture done to check if Baytril is the correct antibiotic. There are different forms of RI and Baytril isn't effective for some of them. So its important to find out which antibiotic is effective. Its generally a go to default drug for some vets.

If it is a correct antibiotic, your snake could take 3-6+ weeks to recover.

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[SlitherinSisters]

A culture definitely needs done if he's not getting better. Cultures are really important so you can find out whether or not that is the correct antibiotic to give him. The RI shouldn't spread if you don't put another snake in with him, put his water dish in with another snake, etc. Just be really careful and use hand sanitizer after you handle him.

[tom112089]

thanks for all the tips. but there are a couple of new things now.
first i found out it wasn't baytril that he gave me it was fortaz. he said he was going to give me baytril then changed it at the last minuet cause he thought it would work better.
second he wants $900 for a culture and lung cleaning and there's no way i can afford that in addition to the fact that he said it still could come up negative.
third im not sure if hes drinking. i know antibiotics can bring on a shed which could look like dehydration but he just seems very empty. iv been giving him a 20 minuet soak in 85 degree water with added reptisafe every day. iv tried to feed him too and he wont eat. i don't want to assist feed unless i absolutely have to cause of the additional stress that causes.
and lastly yesterday and today iv been holding him so he can hang down to let fluid drain and there was a little mucus that came out that wasn't clear it was yellow greenish. could that be signs of the fortaz working or does that mean hes getting worse? im also buying a nebulizer for him with saline solution cause my doctor said that would help

[Crazymonkee]

Ok simple hard true... if he's getting worse he needs a culture or you will most likely loss him. RI is nothing to play around with. See if you can find another vet asap

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[satomi325]

$900 for a culture is insane! The most I paid was $100. Maybe even $200 max.

$900 is ridiculous. I suggest looking for a new vet.

I suggest stopping the baths. That's just extra unnecessary stress on him.

Nebulizers are good. Maybe try the F10 nebulizing treatment by BHP if you can't find a good vet for a reasonable culture. Its good for minor RI and it won't hurt to try. But I still encourage you to do a culture.



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[Physician&Snakes]

I did a lot of rehabilitation at the exotic pet store I worked at for 7 years and I still do a bit on the side. Most of the upper respiratory infections I have treated were done without antibiotics (yes, even the "bubbly" ones). The pathogens that cause RI are present in most snakes, they can only produce symptoms when the immune system suffer a blow...such as an unexpected drop in temperature for a prolonged period; however, it can also be idiopathic at times. This is my RI treatment for Python regius...
Glass tank
Ambient air temperature temperature of 90-92F (I do not provide a cool side)
Coconut bark or cypress bedding, that I keep nice and moist
Fresh water always
Hides always
Food sparingly or none at all
daily check ups to clean out excess mucous and assess general well being

The extra heat stimulates the immune system to kick it, the high humidity aids in retaining heat and keeping the specimen hydrated. Allowing the immune system to purposely experience a febrile state like this allows the formation of memory lymphocytes (B-cells) that will be reactivated should the specimen come under siege by the same pathogen again thus causing the problem to be wiped sometimes even before symptoms show. Antibiotics are a last resort in my opinion.

Also please understand that the cost of veterinary care is going up due in part to the higher debt vet and med students are getting out of school with, that means they need to make more to help attack the interest on that debt. In addition to this, the salaries of vets whether seasoned or new are also dropping. It is alright for a customer to complain about the price of any service, but at the same time please be knowledgable of the fact that there are a lot of vets (not all of course) out there with 300-350k in debt, a family, and a salary between 40-120K (that is barely half of their total debt at best, any financial advisor out there will tell you this is more than a rough patch)...be respectful, we are all out here trying to make it.

[Crazymonkee]

I completely agree about cost, but an at most $200 test should not be $900.
I am respectful of the debt they incur by going to school, but on the other hand... people have to be able to pay the fees or they are still not going to get out of debt. If no one can afford vet care less pets will be had.
Its all a cycle.

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[SquamishSerpents]

Get a different vet, cultures shouldn't be that expensive. You need a culture or your snake will die. The more "guesses" and partial courses of antibiotics you administer, the less chance of your snake recovering.