Need help! ASAP

[racinstrat]

Well I seem to have put myself in a bit of a predicament and I need advice, I got a case of mites a couple of weeks ago and after doing research, the webs told me to use an ivermectin bath to kill off the bugs, well after doing this my 2 smallest seemed to become very very ill and 1 ended up passing, and my other has been in a coma like state for 2 weeks and I had basically given up hope on her, but the last couple days she's become responsive again, reacting to me touching her and has finally been able to move under her own power, but now I'm at a point of what do I do now? She has eaten in close to a month and she looks very dehydrated, she is very small being as she was a twin and the smaller of the 2, maybe 100g, she's been a little fighter and I don't want to give up on her as she seems to be pulling thru, do I force her to take pedialyte and a pinkie? HELP!

[cristacake]

I'm not very experienced so I won't give advice on anything I don't know for sure. People on here always say how the cloaca soaks up water, so do try putting her cloaca into water. I don't know for sure about the pedialyte.

Does she look extremely thin? If not, I would say don't force feed as that is extremely stressful and stress is not something you want to put her through right now. If you can post pictures of her condition it could help us to figure out what she needs.

I'm really sorry you're going through this, it must be tough. We'll do what we can to help your girl pull through

[bcr229]

No, the cloaca does not soak up water, that is for lizards.

Ivermectin works on mites BUT you have to get the dosage/solution strength and treatment process exactly right or as you found out, it will kill your snakes too. Reptiles don't tolerate it well at all, you have to be very careful they don't ingest any, and it gets washed off after a few minutes.

Do NOT give pedialyte, that's an electrolyte formulated for mammals not reptiles.

I would start with a small feeder so as not to overstress her internal organs. If she'll take f/t then a small mouse fuzzy, offer it wet so she gets extra water with it. You may end up having to assist feed, not force feed, so that also means mouse fuzzies as pinkies just squish and get gross. Alternatively if you have a vet near you, you can ask for help with tube feeding Carnivore Care. Also, I don't know if ivermectin kills off gut flora, but in case it does, adding some NutriBAC probiotic powder to her meals won't hurt her.

Otherwise you want to keep her in the most humid environment possible - tub, cypress mulch, UTH on a thermostat and make she stays warm enough - like you would set up a Brazilian Rainbow boa, with 90% humidity or higher, so she doesn't dehydrate further.