Critical care question (pesticide exposure)

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Originally Posted by Caitlin

Update: He's still alive and still bitey. Yesterday he brought up a lot of mucus. Today he's breathing clearly and there are no signs of mucus around his nostrils or in his mouth. The slight wobble they noticed previously has not been visible today.

I don't want to jinx it, but I think the little guy may come out of this OK.

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Oh I HOPE so! :please:

Did you ask your friend how she used the NIX treatment? I'm wondering if she did it using the instructions for treating snake mites, or if she just applied it full-strength to the snake or in a manner where the snake could ingest it.

I haven't asked her for details yet, as she, her husband, and their kids were all so distraught. I know she applied it directly to the snake based on instructions a supposed 'expert' breeder provided. Once things have settled down I'll get more details.

Little Nix the snake (I have a dark sense of humor and suggested they name him that; they apparently are as warped as I am and adopted the name) is doing great. He has no visible wobble, has been drinking water and showing normal activity, and is acting hungry. They're going to try a small meal with him this week. I think he's going to be just fine.

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Originally Posted by Caitlin

Little Nix the snake (I have a dark sense of humor and suggested they name him that; they apparently are as warped as I am and adopted the name) is doing great. He has no visible wobble, has been drinking water and showing normal activity, and is acting hungry. They're going to try a small meal with him this week. I think he's going to be just fine.

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Well that's excellent news!

I have used NIX/RID and other permethrin-based products to battle snake mites, but I have never applied them directly to the critter, just the paper substrate, any hides or other décor, and interior of the enclosure. It's still effective once it dries and there's less likelihood of the product poisoning your snake.

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Originally Posted by Caitlin

... I know she applied it directly to the snake based on instructions a supposed 'expert' breeder provided...

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Yikes, poor little snake! No wonder it almost died! :(

Yep. I suspect many of the permethrin products are fine if used correctly (e.g. don't put them on your poor snake). I'm paranoid though, so I tend to stick with recommending Provent-a-Mite as the only permethrin product I am aware of that's been approved in the U.S. for use on reptiles. I'm just so glad that Nix the snake seems to be OK. They said he's stopped biting and has returned to his normal sweet temperament as well, so it really does sound like he is feeling much better.

And it even seems like he's maybe decided to forgive them for almost burying him, lol. They actually had the hole dug and were getting ready to put him in it when the husband thought he saw a slight movement =P Talk about a close call.

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Originally Posted by Caitlin

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And it even seems like he's maybe decided to forgive them for almost burying him, lol. They actually had the hole dug and were getting ready to put him in it when the husband thought he saw a slight movement =P Talk about a close call.

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:O How awful that nearly was.

I've never used any of these products, & since I don't plan to add any snakes here, I don't expect I'll ever deal with mites again. Which is fine by me.