Oral meds vs Shots

So heres my whole deal going on with my girl. Initially I took her to a vet and was told yes she does indeed have a RI but its very mild so you can just raise the temps and keep it all about a solid 95/80 with 50% and you should be fine. Then after I read on here that if left untreated it'll just get worse I went in search of a new vet. Called around and asked the vets how they would treat a RI and went with the one who said the shots. So took her in, they confirmed the mild RI and gave me Zosyn. Gave her the shots (.22 each shot) every other day for two weeks, the last one was today. While she hasn't gotten any worse she sounds the same so I'm going to be trying another vet which is closer to my new apt. I'm going to insist on a culture but my only problem is with the shots I was never able to give the actual shot myself. I was able to get the needle into the skin, but not deep enough to actually inject it, luckily my father was able to do it for me. However now that I'm no longer at home (and about a half hour away) its not gonna work if I need to give shots again every other day when I can't do them myself. I'm wondering if I can do oral meds, do they still work as well? Now this is all hinged on the possibility of her still having the RI which I think is a good possibility, I just want to have it all straightened out for when I actually go in to see the vet.

first off, why would you change vets again? i think she should be seen by the same vet who prescribed the shots... as a follow up visit (which often is covered with the intital visit cost)... and... no orally is not nearly as effective.

Oral meds are generally not considered effective in ball pythons due to their slow metabolisms. Other species of snakes may be treated orally with success, but those results are generally not seen with p. regius.

Many vets or vet techs are happy to teach you how to properly administer the shots ... make sure you don't leave the office without being comfortable doing it yourself.

Hope this helps.

-adam

I actually had them show me how to do the shot when I was there and the problem I had in the office is the same one I had at home. Once you get past the initial skin, its pretty difficult to get the needle in deep enough (at least for me it has been). I'm not sure if I was going in at a wrong angle, I needed a different spot, or in general its just pretty tough to get it in far enough. Hopefully the RI is gone, but given the fact there was no culture done to see what should really be given I'm not holding my breath on it.

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Originally Posted by recycling goddess

first off, why would you change vets again? i think she should be seen by the same vet who prescribed the shots... as a follow up visit (which often is covered with the intital visit cost)... and... no orally is not nearly as effective.

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The vet I saw second is over an hour away now and I don't think shes in every day. And with school starting again tomorrow, Fridays would be the easiest for me to get in. Plus if I need multiple visits for a culture and then going back for the actual medication, its a lot easier for this other one since its probably like 20 min off from me. I feel bad jumping vet to vet but I need one that is closer and easier to get to. :(

ahhhhh

Well I have an apt for Friday at 11 am. I'll make sure to bring the bag with the info for the medicine I was giving her. Although I'm pretty sure they will be calling the second vet to try and get the records faxed over. I told em not to even bother with the first since app all they had in my file was "raise the temps".