Re: Snakes keep getting sick..
Are RIs always caused by bacteria? or can viruses cause them too?
Does the vet try different types of culture medium to identify the (possible) bacteria?
Re: Snakes keep getting sick..
Quote:
Originally Posted by Mendel's Balls
Are RIs always caused by bacteria? or can viruses cause them too?
Bacteria is by far the most common, but they can be viral. I don't think that I've ever personally seen a viral RI in a ball python, but I'm sure it's possible.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Mendel's Balls
Does the vet try different types of culture medium to identify the (possibe) bacteria?
I send my cultures out to a lab that is very good at pinpointing bugs. With particularly nasty bugs I'll use multiple labs for a comparison.
-adam
Re: Snakes keep getting sick..
SoI take it that it is very easy to distinguish the two general types.......color of mucus differs between viral and bacterial RI?
Re: Snakes keep getting sick..
Quote:
Originally Posted by Mendel's Balls
SoI take it that it is very easy to distinguish the two general types.......color of mucus differs between viral and bacterial RI?
I don't get into it on that level ... The labs I use are solid ... They give me the break down of what bug we're fighting and what is effective against it or what it is resistant to.
Maybe if there's someone here that works in a lab culturing snake mucus they'd be able to "talk turkey" with you. ;)
Wish I could be more help.
-adam
Re: Snakes keep getting sick..
Quote:
Originally Posted by Adam_Wysocki
I don't get into it on that level ... The labs I use are solid ... They give me the break down of what bug we're fighting and what is effective against it or what it is resistant to.
Maybe if there's someone here that works in a lab culturing snake mucus they'd be able to "talk turkey" with you. ;)
Wish I could be more help.
-adam
Sorry I misunderstood ur original post....
so you've never seen a viral RI because your labs have never shown those results....got it...thought you meant you could tell almost right away.
would most vets appoarch this level of throughness with reptiles? Or is it just really hard to find a good herp vets?
If the animials still appear sick and they arent finding the bug I would ask them to try different culturing conditions
Re: Snakes keep getting sick..
Quote:
Originally Posted by Mendel's Balls
so you've never seen a viral RI because your labs have never shown those results....got it...thought you meant you could tell almost right away.
Right. They've all cultured for bacteria or were cleared up with anti-biotics ... so no viral ... but they do exist ... I don't have an online refernece for viral respiratory infections off the top of my head, but I remember reading about them and discussing them with my vets.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Mendel's Balls
would most vets appoarch this level of throughness with reptiles? Or is it just really hard to find a good herp vets?
It's really hard ... just like on the internet, there are a lot of them with "book knowledge", but few with good amounts of "hands on" experience.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Mendel's Balls
If the animials still appear sick and they arent finding the bug I would ask them to try different culturing conditions
Roger that. ;)
-adam
Re: Snakes keep getting sick..
Quote:
Originally Posted by Adam_Wysocki
I don't have an online refernece for viral respiratory infections off the top of my head, but I remember reading about them and discussing them with my vets.
-adam
If anyone cares viral RIs can be caused by Reoviruses
See citations at http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/q...arch&DB=pubmed
Did any vets say if there is anything you can do about these nasties?
EDIT: Link didnt work.....sorry about that...just type in Reptiles and Reovirus in the search bar and your find the papers I was trying to link too
Re: Snakes keep getting sick..
I do not live near Peoria.. but thanks for the offer on that. I will go to the second vet, I think.. and take all of the snakes that I think may be ill.
Problem is, I think 'these snakes are all well' then the next week one of them starts showing RI symptoms. So.. I could take all the snakes that are sick now, but next week I might have to take another. Ah well.. you do what you can.
Re: Snakes keep getting sick..
Quote:
Originally Posted by Mendel's Balls
Did any vets say if there is anything you can do about these nasties?
Not that I remember off the top of my head ... I have file cabinets full of notes that I know have records of my discussions (I'm a nut for taking and keeping notes and data), but I've got my security guys coming for an upgrade to the system at my shop and a Freedom Breeder delivery to tackle tomorrow and I'm about to rack out ... maybe next time if I remember.
-adam
Re: Snakes keep getting sick..
Quote:
Originally Posted by Shelby
Problem is, I think 'these snakes are all well' then the next week one of them starts showing RI symptoms. So.. I could take all the snakes that are sick now, but next week I might have to take another. Ah well.. you do what you can.
Dont know if this is feasible but maybe you should try to take all of the them even the ones not showing any symptoms currently and have the cultures ran on the whole collection.
