giving medicne...possible RI???

When my vet administered Flagyl (de-wormer) orally to my snake, he used a syringe with an extention on it so it would be sure to go directly into its stomach.

Did a vet prescibe these "antibiotics for worms" for your snake? Or are you treating the snake yourself?

If a vet gave this to you for the snake, go back to that vet IMMEDIATELY and get him/her to show you the correct way to give meds. Currently, you are doing the snake no good giving meds that do not end up in its digestive tract.

yes it's prescribed...and i'm oing it the way he showed me...he opened mouth and showed me where not to place the syringe..the glottis (breath hole) and when he gave them alot more come out of his nostrils than it did when i gave it to him...and i asked him if it was suposed to coem out of his nostrils like that and he said it's ok...WTF if it's not i'm screwed cause this is the only vet that will see snakes in my area! the last 2 times i did it it didn't come out of any holes so it went down. just afterwards he has soem slimey stuffleaking out of the sides of his mouth, i wonder if it's drool or mucus...it's a little sticky but not terible sticky....and the popping that i've noticed i believe is only after he gets his meds.


and i'm NOT playing doctor..i think that was very rude to say...just doing what i was told to do by a DOCTOR the way i was showed!!!

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Originally Posted by racer69

yes it's prescribed...and i'm oing it the way he showed me...he opened mouth and showed me where not to place the syringe..the glottis (breath hole) and when he gave them alot more come out of his nostrils than it did when i gave it to him...and i asked him if it was suposed to coem out of his nostrils like that and he said it's ok...WTF if it's not i'm screwed cause this is the only vet that will see snakes in my area! the last 2 times i did it it didn't come out of any holes so it went down. just afterwards he has soem slimey stuffleaking out of the sides of his mouth, i wonder if it's drool or mucus...it's a little sticky but not terible sticky....and the popping that i've noticed i believe is only after he gets his meds.


and i'm NOT playing doctor..i think that was very rude to say...just doing what i was told to do by a DOCTOR the way i was showed!!!

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Do you know the name of the medicine? In my experience, RI medication is injected intramuscularly and medication for internal parasites is either given orally in the mouth (not into the glottis) or via a tube directly into the stomach. Is your vet experienced with reptiles at all?

yeah...he claims to be....seemed to know what he was talking about. the medicine i'm giing is for in the mouth..and he never told me to go inot the stomach with it..btu i did go into the throat a tad so it would go down and not spew back out through nostril

Don't be concerned if the medication is coming out of the snake's nostrils. Snakes' nasal cavities end up inside the top of the mouth in a channel called the choana. This allows the snake to breath though it's nostrils, although all the air must then pass through the mouth and down the glottis to the lungs. If the medication is given orally (not through a tube directly to the stomach), it has a chance of going into the choana in the roof of the mouth and out the nostrils. Fluids can also end up behind the spectacle, as snakes' nasolacrimal ducts (tear ducts) are connected to the vomeronasal ducts which are also located in the roof of the mouth (snake tears drain into the mouth). If medication does happen to go into one or both of these ducts, it is of little concern. The medication is not going into the lungs, and if by chance it does go into the vomeronasal ducts, it will just drain back out. If the medication is meant to be given orally, then there is nothing to worry about. Hope this helps.

-Evan

thank you..i appreciate it very much...

No problem.

Do you know what medication you are giving him? If it is for worms, it is likely fenbendazole suspension (trade name Panacur) and is given orally. This should only be given two or three times, with two weeks between doses. The second and third doses are for the worms that have hatched since the first dose. How often are you giving the meds? Even if it is not fenbendazole, most antihelminthics are only given once every week or two.

-Evan

it kinda sounded like the human medicine augmentin....and it's once a day for 7 days. and it's oraly

When I wormed my bp when I first got him the way my vet ( who is a herp vet and only a herp vet ) showed me was take your syringe and on the side of his mouth kinda push it to open his mouth then push it back into his throat and squeeze very slowly. It may take two of you to do it, one to hold the body of the snake and one to give the drugs.
It ain't fun for you or the bp :) By doing it like my vet showed me I never had any come out of his mouth or nose or any where.
3yrs later and no worms and doing fine!