Vet In The Morn!!

I'm pretty sure my BP has a RI cause he is blowing the odd clear bubble. How do they give BP antibiotics?, in their food or what?? He should be OK till the morning, or should I prepare myself???? This is all new stuff that I am learning.Please Help?????

i have no advice to give... just hugs of support to you :hugs:

he should be Ok till the morning

How long has he been this way?
You have to give them injections and keep their temps up. Your vet should show you how and give you the perscription and all to get going with it. It kind of a process.

He's been this way for approx. 2 to 3 days, been trying to get into the vet.

uh oh, hopefully it will be ok!

Im going to the vet tomorrow too!! gonna get my snakes dewormed. I hope your guy is alright!


~mike

When I took my Duchess in for a RI I was given several pre-filled hypodermics, which I kept in the freezer. Every three days I ran one under water until it thawed, put Duchess in a pillowcase, slid the needle under her skin in her back (on the front 1/3rd of the body) and injected right under the skin. It was no big deal and she did get better; I think there were a total of seven hypos. Being diabetic I'm pretty good at giving sub-q injections though so it was no sweat for me. ;) You'll be fine, if this is what you end up having to do.

I was just given oral antibiotics for Hepburn, so I do know there are injections(Which I did last time) and oral. Not sure which is easier, but at any rate if possible, have a 2nd person to give you a hand holding the wriggler.
Wolfy

Injections are the most effective way to administer anti-biotics to ball pythons ... I've worked with several very knowledgable vets over the years and now have two of the top ball python vets in the country and they all agree that the low absoption rates of anti-biotics through a ball pythons digestive system makes oral dosages extremely ineffective when compared to injections.

-adam

[QUOTE=neithersparky]injected right under the skinQUOTE]

I must disagree with you friend. Right under the skin and entering the muscle are 2 different things. In order for the antibiotics to be completely effective and get the job done... the needle must be inserted into the muscle. :D

[QUOTE=Kilo]

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Originally Posted by neithersparky

injected right under the skinQUOTE]

I must disagree with you friend. Right under the skin and entering the muscle are 2 different things. In order for the antibiotics to be completely effective and get the job done... the needle must be inserted into the muscle. :D

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So which is it? Can someone clarify this?

Just got back from the vet! Got oral antibiotics once aday, just found out I have a male BP in great health!! I feel very relieved he is doing well, oh ya he is going to shed for the first time, his eyes are clouded over blue. How long after does he start to shed??

he'll shed within 7 days... so make sure his humidity is up :)

Question. Not the RI expert here but will the elevated humidity prolong the Ri even more so than seeing if he can shed with normal humidity. And with the oral antibiotics is that going to slow his recovery with raised humidity and slower absorbsion rates ??

All questions just wondering???

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Originally Posted by codpy

Just got back from the vet! Got oral antibiotics once aday, just found out I have a male BP in great health!! I feel very relieved he is doing well, oh ya he is going to shed for the first time, his eyes are clouded over blue. How long after does he start to shed??

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OK i am confused here:eek: .Your first post mentioned that he was blowing bubbles like.Now you have been to the vet and he gave your snake some oral antibiotics,and he is in great health:confused: .Like Adam has allready mentioned that oral antibiotics are to slow to start working,and in my opinion are worthless.Something just does not add up here! Not being rude to you at all,are you sure this vet is a reptile certified vet? Once again going by your description in your first post,and what the vet did just do not add up:confused: .To add to it he says your snake is in great health,with URI its not possible.

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Originally Posted by Freakie_frog

Question. Not the RI expert here but will the elevated humidity prolong the Ri even more so than seeing if he can shed with normal humidity. And with the oral antibiotics is that going to slow his recovery with raised humidity and slower absorbsion rates ??

All questions just wondering???

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Yes it will prolong the URI.Once again yes to your second question.

That I have no idea, I was told to lower the humidity and some say leave it the same?? Vet said just keep things as normal as poss., RI's in reptiles they are slow to get them and slow to get rid of cause they are cold blooded.

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Originally Posted by codpy

That I have no idea, I was told to lower the humidity and some say leave it the same?? Vet said just keep things as normal as poss., RI's in reptiles they are slow to get them and slow to get rid of cause they are cold blooded.

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I would find a REAL reptile Vet.I have had ball pythons get URI within a couple days in the past when my temps were incorrect(my early years).So i can not see how he thinks thats a slow rate.Second with proper meds(injections) depending on how far along the URI is it can be knocked out rather quickly.The time frame can range from a couple weeks or a couple months,this depends on how far along the URI is of course.Does anyone else feel the same way as i do about the Vet and his way of handling this?

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Originally Posted by joepythons

Yes it will prolong the URI.

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Nope, higher humidity will help loosen the mucus in the snakes lungs so that I can be expelled easier and not develop into a deep lung infection (which are very difficult to cure). Lowering humidity to "dry out" an URI is an out dated method of treatment for ball pythons.

-adam

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Originally Posted by Adam_Wysocki

Nope, higher humidity will help loosen the mucus in the snakes lungs so that I can be expelled easier and not develop into a deep lung infection (which are very difficult to cure). Lowering humidity to "dry out" an URI is an out dated method of treatment for ball pythons.

-adam

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Adam thank you for correcting that:) .See once again the old school ways have been proven incorrect.I wonder what it says on the caresheet? Going to check.

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Originally Posted by Adam_Wysocki

Nope, higher humidity will help loosen the mucus in the snakes lungs so that I can be expelled easier and not develop into a deep lung infection (which are very difficult to cure). Lowering humidity to "dry out" an URI is an out dated method of treatment for ball pythons.

-adam

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See I was wondering cause I have heard it both ways thanks Adam

[QUOTE=Kilo][QUOTE=neithersparky]injected right under the skin

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I must disagree with you friend. Right under the skin and entering the muscle are 2 different things. In order for the antibiotics to be completely effective and get the job done... the needle must be inserted into the muscle. :D

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Well then it isn't me you're disagreeing with - its my exotics vet. ;) She instructed me to go just under the skin (as did an online friend who has a large collection of snakes). I'm just saying that I do what I'm told!

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Originally Posted by neithersparky

Well then it isn't me you're disagreeing with - its my exotics vet. ;) She instructed me to go just under the skin (as did an online friend who has a large collection of snakes). I'm just saying that I do what I'm told!

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I would definitely stick with whatever your vet told you! ;)

[QUOTE=neithersparky][QUOTE=Kilo]

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Originally Posted by neithersparky

injected right under the skin

Well then it isn't me you're disagreeing with - its my exotics vet. ;) She instructed me to go just under the skin (as did an online friend who has a large collection of snakes). I'm just saying that I do what I'm told!

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A large collection of snakes means nothing. If you get a snake that was kept in an ideal environment and keep it like that, 99.9% of the time, nothing will arise. He/she may have just got lucky and got all snakes like this and never had to deal with anything with injections.

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Originally Posted by tmlowe5704

A large collection of snakes means nothing. If you get a snake that was kept in an ideal environment and keep it like that, 99.9% of the time, nothing will arise. He/she may have just got lucky and got all snakes like this and never had to deal with anything with injections.

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*deletes her lengthy reply, realising it is probably pointless and off-topic anyways* All right...never mind, forget I said anything. I was just trying to help out the OP. We are a hedge. Move along... :rolleyes:

Adam or anyone who can answer what meds are given for URI's? Injection prederred!


-Andre

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Originally Posted by Regal Boids

Adam or anyone who can answer what meds are given for URI's? Injection prederred!


-Andre

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I think its Baytril(spelling).Its been so long since i had any snakes with URI i forgot lol.

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Originally Posted by Regal Boids

Adam or anyone who can answer what meds are given for URI's? Injection prederred!

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It depends on the bacteria that is causing the infection. It's best to have your snake cultured to determine which anti-biotic will be most effective at killing the bacteria causing the infection and to make sure that the particular bacteria the snake is infected with isn't resistant to a specific anti-biotic.

-adam

My opinion...

If you are lowering the humidity (which I think you are supposed to do) your snake will have a bad shed, but recover from the URI(hopefully)

If you raise the humidity, your snake will have a perfect shed, and your snake's URI will get worse...


I'd MUCH rather risk bad shed, then risk my snake getting a deep lung infection like adam said.

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Originally Posted by Adam_Wysocki

Nope, higher humidity will help loosen the mucus in the snakes lungs so that I can be expelled easier and not develop into a deep lung infection (which are very difficult to cure). Lowering humidity to "dry out" an URI is an out dated method of treatment for ball pythons.

-adam

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Originally Posted by bpkid

My opinion...

If you are lowering the humidity (which I think you are supposed to do) your snake will have a bad shed, but recover from the URI(hopefully)

If you raise the humidity, your snake will have a perfect shed, and your snake's URI will get worse...


I'd MUCH rather risk bad shed, then risk my snake getting a deep lung infection like adam said.

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You've got it backwards.

-adam

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Originally Posted by Adam_Wysocki

You've got it backwards.

-adam

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Lol, so should he keep humidity the same?

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Originally Posted by bpkid

Lol, so should he keep humidity the same?

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So, for the THIRD TIME in this thread ... here it is. ;) :sweeet:

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Originally Posted by Adam_Wysocki

Nope, higher humidity will help loosen the mucus in the snakes lungs so that I can be expelled easier and not develop into a deep lung infection (which are very difficult to cure). Lowering humidity to "dry out" an URI is an out dated method of treatment for ball pythons.

-adam

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Get it? Got it? Good.


-adam

:whisper: i got it the first time - do i get a cookie?

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Originally Posted by Adam_Wysocki

It depends on the bacteria that is causing the infection. It's best to have your snake cultured to determine which anti-biotic will be most effective at killing the bacteria causing the infection and to make sure that the particular bacteria the snake is infected with isn't resistant to a specific anti-biotic.

-adam

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How much does the average culture cost? Also how much do the meds usually cost. Did you say a while back on here that you use to culture your own?

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Originally Posted by Regal Boids

How much does the average culture cost? Also how much do the meds usually cost. Did you say a while back on here that you use to culture your own?

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I wouldn't be able to help you with the cost aspect, the scale that I am working on and my personal experience in diagnosing and treating ball python ailments allows me to have arrangements with the vets that I work with that wouldn't apply to smaller scale hobbyists.

I collect the culture samples myself, but send them out to labs to be analyzed. It's not something for the beginner to try ... if you don't do it precisely, you'll get an incorrect result which could lead to an incorrect diagnosis, which could lead to the death of your animal ... please leave the technical aspects of reptile care to people that are trained to perform them properly.

-adam

Thank you very much!

-Andre

I also took my ball to the vet yesterday and came back with a nice bill and antibiotics to inject. She was not diagnosed with a bacterial infection, but we are hoping that is bacterial and that it's nothing viral. She was also carrying two different kinds of internal parasites, so she was dewormed. I have to give injections every 3 days. It is intramuscular but the needle just doesn't appear to go very far under the skin.

A while back, when I had my first bp, it had an RI and the vet gave it the a shot, but that was it! He never told me to give it multiple shots after, and this guy is supposed to be an expert snake vet!!

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Originally Posted by mmchoppers

A while back, when I had my first bp, it had an RI and the vet gave it the a shot, but that was it! He never told me to give it multiple shots after, and this guy is supposed to be an expert snake vet!!

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each snake will require different treatments. some one shot is all it needs others need more. i had a water python i had to treat for 6 weeks with shots and oral meds. that was no fun due to her tempermant.