RI on baby ball python need help

Hey netizens of ball-pythons.net
So i have a beautiful female pied ball python she weigh at 173 grams the last time i weigh her.

2 days ago i found out that she have respiratory infection. The problem i got right now is i am living in a small city and there is no exotic pet vet at my area, the nearest exotic pet vet is 2 hours flight from my place. Asking here and there in my local reptile community they suggested me to bump her enclosure temps at 31-32 degrees celcius.

The past 2 days i don't see any improvement, and i am desperate to find a solution, i watched some youtube videos and i am not sure which one to do.

What i understand is antibiotics is my first option to improve her health condition.

The condition is, at my area there is very limited medicine option that i can get. One of the available option is baytril.

The question is, since baytril is acessible. Should i try it on her? If yes, then what is the dosage for her size and the length of the treatment?

2nd, i saw quite alot of videos on youtube with vicks vaporub and eucalyptus oil treatment for respiratory infection on ball python. These 2 products are available at my area, should i give it a try? If yes should i do baytril and this treatment at the same time?

Please, if anybody can enlight me regarding this problem i will be very thankful. Since this is my first ever RI case on my collection, it is making me paranoid and stressful.

Yesterday i asked a guy on ball python facebook group and he said i should give up and give her to someone else. This totally breaks my heart, she was cutest and most adorable noodle at her best times. And i don't want to give up on her at this particular moment in her life.

Thanks in advance to whoever read and reply to this case, and i am really sorry if my english is not perfect. It is not my native language.

Im sorry, I cant comment on baytril, as Ive never used it, but DO NOT use vicks or eucalyptus oil! They are very harmful to snakes.

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Thank you for your response, okay so i will pass on vicks and eucalyptus oil.

When there's an infection, treating randomly with any antibiotic can easily do more harm than good, you need a culture to see what bacteria you are dealing with. Part of having animals includes vet care, is there a local vet that could maybe get advice from a reptile vet and help you out?

Without proper examination and diagnosis by a reptile vet, your best guess is what you can find online and what people (non-vets) can try and suggest. Giving the wrong meds and the wrong dosage can kill your snake, and you won't know that you overdose your snake immediately because of their slow metabolism until it is too late.

I have heard of raising temps and/or humidity, but your best bet is a vet. Have you tried your closest reptile rescue for help?

Unfortunately I agree that surrendering your pet or making the travel to a vet may be necessary. Not that this a slight towards you, but seeing posts like this is heartbreaking because planning for a pet always requires planning for a vet. Animals will inevitably get sick, and medical care (access and finance) should be the first thing on your list prior to purchase of any pets. In the end, the pet suffers longer than necessary and the owner feels the loss of the pet either to illness or having to give it up to a rescue who can save him. That latter option is hard, but if that is what it takes to get him better, then take this a lesson learned and do what you have to do for the snake's best interest.

Baytril is not without harmful effects, and especially if it's the wrong antibiotic to begin with. Without lab work first, it's just a shot in the dark, no pun intended.

I agree with Cheesenugget...keeping pets for which you have NO available vet care isn't a good plan for either you or especially your pet, sorry to say. Neither is depending on the internet or social media sources...it's irresponsible to prescribe treatments for animals NOT seen, & advice given by those untrained can often prove to be dangerous, even deadly, for your snake. Veterinarians, like other doctors, take an oath to "first do no harm" and quack "cures" like using Vicks (TOXIC!!!) or eucalyptus oil (toxic &/or irritating at best) are NOT the right answer.

What you need is to get your animal to a vet (any vet) and ask for the following

Get a culture and based on the culture the proper injectable antibiotic should be prescribed for no less than 30 days.

Do not play vet, your animal must be properly diagnosed and the proper antibiotic must be prescribed, there are more than one type of RI and this is why there is not a one fit all antibiotic, also do not prescribe an antibiotic just because or because you have access to it.

As for you asking for dosage recommendations keep in mind this is a dangerous game that could lead to dangerous advice which is not what we do here even if some of us are familiar with dosage.

Do not use home remedies that includes vicks and other essential oils you will do more damage than good.

A RI is not a human cold you are trying to alleviate with human remedies, it is something serious that needs to be treated with antibiotics.

Thank you for the responses guys. So the main problem is vet, yea i admit i don't think that far when i decided to keep a snake, thought any vet will be able to treat my snake when they got sick etc. Until 2 days ago i call the nearest vet available to my place and he said that he won't be able to handle my problem since he only treat farm animals like cow, goat and chicken. To make a picture for u guys im living in this country called Indonesia where exotic vets are rarely available yet there is tons i mean tons of reptile keepers. So am i the only irresponsible reptile keeper? No. So are my actions regarding my pets acceptable? No.
I have stated when i started this thread that i am desperate looking any answer that at least comfort my nerves so i can think clearly what is the best option to do.
If you say, "yea in this case you better give your snake to someone else". I doubt that someone else can give better treatment to my snake if not killed her with their own home remedies.
Have you ever know that in Indonesia almost all kind health problem regarding exotic animals are D.I.Y thing? Probably not, because maybe you people think that everytime someone made a post, they must be from a pretty developed country in the subject of animal care.
Please guys im not trying to judge anyone here, i am just looking for possible solutions.
And i write it one more time if you guys dont believe me try find at least one exotic vet on google that is available in Indonesia.
Thank you. If you find this post offensive or just pure rant just tell me, i will delete it.

What about this place in Jarkarta? They look like a pretty big well organized place

https://www.jakartaanimalaid.com/animal-clinic-jakarta/

No clue if that's even near you...

BUT maybe a call or an email to them and they might be able to refer you to someone / some place near your location??

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Gocntry

What about this place in Jarkarta? They look like a pretty big well organized place

https://www.jakartaanimalaid.com/animal-clinic-jakarta/

No clue if that's even near you...

BUT maybe a call or an email to them and they might be able to refer you to someone / some place near your location??

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Thank you for your positive response, i have checked the website you linked. Will call them as soon as they open this morning.

I definitely agree that you need to seek a vet who can help you properly diagnose. I don’t have any experience with treating a bp for an RI but I would not treat them with anything right now. As stated, wrong antibiotics will only worsen the situation, and if it’s actually viral, then it’s not going to help at all. But there are some things you can do to help your snake out temporarily until you seek medical assistance.

You could place a branch inside their enclosure that’s elevated(diagonal) so that they can rest their head both up and down at a 45 degree angle. You’ve increased their temperature which is good. And really try to keep the humidity at 60-65%. 70% is okay but I would not push it any further. Lastly, take a look through the enclosure and make sure there isn’t any type of mold, bacteria growth, feeces, or urates. Also clean out the water bowl, and make sure to replace water daily.

Do you know what stage your snake is at? It would also be good to know to determine what other actions you need to take and if there is anything else you need to look for.

We don't get many posts here from folks in places like Indonesia, so I can understand your frustration. Your best bet is to contact a vet...you might try Baytril injections
IF you can get an accurate dosage based on your snake's accurate weight (NOT going to advise you here about dose as it's unethical to do so), as in all honesty there
ARE some vets who just "take a guess" & by-pass lab tests (some pet-owners reject lab work as being out of their budget) do us it...and "sometimes" it might work, if
you & your pet are lucky. There are other antibiotics that can be safely used for snakes too, depending on the infection, but so many things used for warm blooded
animals are toxic or useless for snakes, so it's not a minor detail. Please do consult with a vet though, & all the best for a good outcome.

The ad for the clinic in Jakarta does mention it's for "domestic animals" but I'd ask anyway...maybe they know of someone to refer you to. Also, are there any
zoo's there? They typically have an exotic vet working for them, & perhaps that vet would like to "moonlight" just a little?

Another thought is having your snake's (fresh!) stool checked by the nearest vet...even if they only 'see' dogs & cats, they should be able to use their microscope to check out fecal material from a snake. Maybe also a swab from your snake's oral secretions? Another thing occurs to me...that what seems to be an RI could also be symptoms of a parasitic issue instead...warm & humid places have more issues like this...some parasitic worms can travel to a snake's lungs, so it might be a matter of treating your snake for parasites instead of a bacterial infection. If it's parasitic, Baytril won't do a darn thing...this is why we
urge you to get the diagnostic help from a veterinarian...and if they aren't snake-lovers, perhaps you can help them to become more enthused to consider trying to help snakes.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Faith.luu

I definitely agree that you need to seek a vet who can help you properly diagnose. I don’t have any experience with treating a bp for an RI but I would not treat them with anything right now. As stated, wrong antibiotics will only worsen the situation, and if it’s actually viral, then it’s not going to help at all. But there are some things you can do to help your snake out temporarily until you seek medical assistance.

You could place a branch inside their enclosure that’s elevated(diagonal) so that they can rest their head both up and down at a 45 degree angle. You’ve increased their temperature which is good. And really try to keep the humidity at 60-65%. 70% is okay but I would not push it any further. Lastly, take a look through the enclosure and make sure there isn’t any type of mold, bacteria growth, feeces, or urates. Also clean out the water bowl, and make sure to replace water daily.

Do you know what stage your snake is at? It would also be good to know to determine what other actions you need to take and if there is anything else you need to look for.

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Will do the branch and cleaning routine.

As of what stage, i dont really know. The visuals i can tell you are. She stand her head and neck straight, sometimes she will just curl and elevate her head. Earlier today i checked and cleaned her mouth there is mucous and some white-ish part at the back of her mouth. Nose is not clogged. Sometimes i hear pop. To add information she ate 3 days ago.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Bogertophis

We don't get many posts here from folks in places like Indonesia, so I can understand your frustration. Your best bet is to contact a vet...you might try Baytril injections
IF you can get an accurate dosage based on your snake's accurate weight (NOT going to advise you here about dose as it's unethical to do so), as in all honesty there
ARE some vets who just "take a guess" & by-pass lab tests (some pet-owners reject lab work as being out of their budget) do us it...and "sometimes" it might work, if
you & your pet are lucky. There are other antibiotics that can be safely used for snakes too, depending on the infection, but so many things used for warm blooded
animals are toxic or useless for snakes, so it's not a minor detail. Please do consult with a vet though, & all the best for a good outcome.

The ad for the clinic in Jakarta does mention it's for "domestic animals" but I'd ask anyway...maybe they know of someone to refer you to. Also, are there any
zoo's there? They typically have an exotic vet working for them, & perhaps that vet would like to "moonlight" just a little?

Another thought is having your snake's (fresh!) stool checked by the nearest vet...even if they only 'see' dogs & cats, they should be able to use their microscope to check out fecal material from a snake. Maybe also a swab from your snake's oral secretions? Another thing occurs to me...that what seems to be an RI could also be symptoms of a parasitic issue instead...warm & humid places have more issues like this...some parasitic worms can travel to a snake's lungs, so it might be a matter of treating your snake for parasites instead of a bacterial infection. If it's parasitic, Baytril won't do a darn thing...this is why we
urge you to get the diagnostic help from a veterinarian...and if they aren't snake-lovers, perhaps you can help them to become more enthused to consider trying to help snakes.

---

Yes i will not give up on her, will try call those clinics as soon as they are open. Maybe they have recomendations that is closer to my area. As of my local vets are mostly deal with farm animals, the other vet i just visited today his office got nothing but table, chair and a rack of medicine. So, i doubt he have the equipment to check fecal material. This is the problem in Indonesia, animals/pets really aren't "big deal".

Quote:

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Originally Posted by TwinSerpents

Yes i will not give up on her, will try call those clinics as soon as they are open. Maybe they have recomendations that is closer to my area. As of my local vets are mostly deal with farm animals, the other vet i just visited today his office got nothing but table, chair and a rack of medicine. So, i doubt he have the equipment to check fecal material. This is the problem in Indonesia, animals/pets really aren't "big deal".

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I do understand...I once lived in S. Korea, & when a loose pet dog got hit by a car, it was immediately scooped up...NOT to be taken to a vet, but taken home as someone's dinner.

BTW, do you have a small accurate gram scale to weigh your snake? I'd ask the vet anyway...farm animals need treatment for parasites too, you know. And if you can weigh your snake, maybe they could order & prescribe something. Some vets will help you IF you help them...you could offer a list of possible antibiotics that are safe for snakes...even if they don't have it on hand, they might be able to order it...they probably need YOUR business too. And if you can get one vet to help, let them know that others are keeping pet snakes too...it might be an incentive to learn a bit of reptile medicine. Time to be persuasive...;) good luck! And don't forget that many vets are just as afraid of snakes as the general population is...so it helps a lot when you can demonstrate how docile (& pretty!) your pet snake is... You won't win over every vet, but you might find one or two...I hope so.

Good news. I contacted the clinic listed by one of the member of this forum, they suggested me to a vet near my city. I got appointment this afternoon and on the way to their place as of this moment. Will update later.

Thank you very much to you guys who show concern towards my pet and myself as a keeper. Can not show how thankful i am to this community, but you guys are the best. We are probably 12-24 hours apart from each other, yet you guys are more helpful than my local reptile community.

Finger crossed hopefully my little baby will be back healthy as she was at her best times.

Just want to give quick update. I went to the clinic and i was shocked about how good is the place. They got full equipment, friendly staff, they even got surgery room. Such place in Indonesia this is the first time i witnessed so many people passionate about pet care. The vet i appointed to was super friendly and knowledgeable about reptile.

After some check and examination she said that my baby got bacterial infection causes her RI. She gave me some medicines for home treatment and what even better she gave me her personal number in case there is some stuff i want to ask about, since i live 2 hours drive from the clinic.

She was super happy also the moment i brought my baby to her room, she said that they don't treat so many reptiles at their clinic.
To whoever future reader especially indonesian who lives in East Java, whenever you need a good vet / clinic i would like to recommend Rakki Pet located in Malang city.

Personally 2 hours drive to their location was super worth it.

Glad you found a nice place to help you and your snake.

Let us know how she's doing and hopefully they get her fixed right up. :gj:

Quote:

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Originally Posted by TwinSerpents

Just want to give quick update. I went to the clinic and i was shocked about how good is the place. They got full equipment, friendly staff, they even got surgery room. Such place in Indonesia this is the first time i witnessed so many people passionate about pet care. The vet i appointed to was super friendly and knowledgeable about reptile.

After some check and examination she said that my baby got bacterial infection causes her RI. She gave me some medicines for home treatment and what even better she gave me her personal number in case there is some stuff i want to ask about, since i live 2 hours drive from the clinic.

She was super happy also the moment i brought my baby to her room, she said that they don't treat so many reptiles at their clinic.
To whoever future reader especially indonesian who lives in East Java, whenever you need a good vet / clinic i would like to recommend Rakki Pet located in Malang city.

Personally 2 hours drive to their location was super worth it.

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Happy you got the little one to the vet. Keep us posted on the progress.

What a nice surprise to find some medical help & within a reasonable distance. Hope your snake makes a good recovery, & do let your local snake lovers know about this vet, that there IS willing vet help for their pets should the need arise. :gj: Let us know how she does too, OK?

Just want to give a quick update, my baby is not out of the wood yet. But she just ate 2 mice jumper 2 days ago and showing health improvement. Her condition right now is she still have this clear thin mucous that sometime bubbles from the tip of her mouth. No more wheezing or clicking sound and no more stargazing with open mouth.