Bump at injection site..help

Hi All, hope everyone had a great Thanksgiving! I brought my Woma python to the vet, because it seemed he was showing signs of a respiratory infection. I was right :(, and $160 dollars later, I now have to give him shots of Baytril. I am waiting for a culture too. I had never given any of my 26 snakes a shot before, so I was absolutely petrified :O of the idea of having to do this to my snake. The vet showed me, of course ,it was a snap for her. I did his injection today, and thought all went well, though it was very stressful, but I am now seeing a bump at the injection site. I am so worried. :( I made sure I didn't go just under the skin, the vet told me burns can occur with Baytril if you do that. Any advice would be appreciated, I hope I didn't ruin him for life! :tears: He is 2 years old . Thanks in advance!

Baytril can cause scarring at injection sites... not sure if there is anything you can do about it. I haven't used it yet... if you're worried maybe you should ask your vet for advice.

Unfortunately there's not much you can do about that-Baytril has to be given intramuscularly. He probably will end up with a scar unfortunately-you can use Neosporin on the site but seeing as Baytril is an antibiotic the bump will be a clean spot. The next time after you start go ahead and make sure if he moves-stop plunging the needle so this doesn't happen again. I've had the same thing happen to one of our burms-it was devastating and I had felt horrible but the vet told us these things do happen. I am so sorry but you took him to the vet and that speaks volumes how much you care for your snake.

that sucks and that seems pretty scary

A lump at the injection site is rather common when Baytril is given to snakes. That lump is often caused simply by the body identifying the Baytril as a foreign substance and the body trying to keep the Baytril separated. Right after giving the injection lightly massage the injection site, as this will help distribute the Baytril into the tissue. That kind of lump can last anywhere from 24 hours to four days.
Scarring (necrotic tissue) ussually occurs with higher doses of Baytril, that could be avoided by diluting the Baytril with saline. If you are worried about the dosage/weight ratio possibly being on the high side, contact your vet and ask, if the Baytril should be diluted.
Best of luck!

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Originally Posted by burmmamma

Unfortunately there's not much you can do about that-Baytril has to be given intramuscularly. He probably will end up with a scar unfortunately-you can use Neosporin on the site but seeing as Baytril is an antibiotic the bump will be a clean spot. The next time after you start go ahead and make sure if he moves-stop plunging the needle so this doesn't happen again. I've had the same thing happen to one of our burms-it was devastating and I had felt horrible but the vet told us these things do happen. I am so sorry but you took him to the vet and that speaks volumes how much you care for your snake.

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FYI, on another thread, I saw someone say you can use a triple antibiotic ointment, but not Neosporin. Here is the link:
http://www.ball-pythons.net/forums/s...ad.php?t=56490

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Originally Posted by SoundUnsleep

A lump at the injection site is rather common when Baytril is given to snakes. That lump is often caused simply by the body identifying the Baytril as a foreign substance and the body trying to keep the Baytril separated. Right after giving the injection lightly massage the injection site, as this will help distribute the Baytril into the tissue. That kind of lump can last anywhere from 24 hours to four days.
Scarring (necrotic tissue) ussually occurs with higher doses of Baytril, that could be avoided by diluting the Baytril with saline. If you are worried about the dosage/weight ratio possibly being on the high side, contact your vet and ask, if the Baytril should be diluted.
Best of luck!

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That seems like exactly what it might be than, as I was sure I went into the muscle, and not near the skin, as the vet informed me, this is what causes the scarring, not going deep enough into the muscle. The lump seems to be going down a little now, I gave the injection at 3:00. The scales seem fine, I made sure I went under a scale as the vet showed me. The vet I am using is an awesome and knowledgable herp vet, Dr Heather Skaggs. I will definately ask her about dilution. Thanks again!!!!

Well, I have given him so far a total of 3 shots,( it is getting easier ) and the bumps did go down all times. I talked to the vet, and she said the bumps are a natural reaction. I don't see any problems ( burns etc) with the scales/skin so far, so I guess I am doing the injections correctly.

I gave Mrs. Snake her first at home shots today. The Baytril did the same to her. So I'm glad I saw this thread. I just very gently rubbed/put pressure on it while I held her for a few minutes. It went down a little already.

So, thanks to the OP for beating me to the punch on the question. It helped me, too. :)

Burns from Baytril occur when to high a concentration is given. From what I have been told the 100 concentration is for large Boas and the 22.7 mixture is for smaller snakes. I have had to give Baytril its no fun but not a big deal. Try giving it to one that doesn't sit still and loves to bite. I am dealing with that now.

The vet is the one who is supposed to have the baytril already mixed in saline. If you think there is a mistake, take it to the Vet and confirm. Dont try to mix it yourself.
Baytril does burn, but like most have said, it's from higher concentrations.
Also, Baytril can be given in other ways, by nebulizer and also orally. The concentrations are different, and I don't know that much about it.
People say, that for snakes, it's just most effective given by injection.
If you worry at all, call your vet up and see if they will demonstrate again for you. Maybe Becki will chime in with some advice.

[edit] I didnt read the whole thread, you've already talked to the vet. My bad :P

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Originally Posted by Freakie_frog

Burns from Baytril occur when to high a concentration is given. From what I have been told the 100 concentration is for large Boas and the 22.7 mixture is for smaller snakes. I have had to give Baytril its no fun but not a big deal. Try giving it to one that doesn't sit still and loves to bite. I am dealing with that now.

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I am giving the 100 concentration, that in itself made me a little nervous about the scarring issue. I have a 2 year old woma aussie python, and thank goodness he is a good sport about the injections so far, and sits pretty still. I can't even imagine giving one to a wiggly snake. That must take alot of patience. I bet the injection does hurt them. I have my daughter who is only 8, hold his upper body in a snake bag, while I give the injection in the upper 2/3 of the body, alternating sides. She is an unbelievable help, don't think I could do it without her. Thanks again!

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Originally Posted by littleindiangirl

The vet is the one who is supposed to have the baytril already mixed in saline. If you think there is a mistake, take it to the Vet and confirm. Dont try to mix it yourself.
Baytril does burn, but like most have said, it's from higher concentrations.
Also, Baytril can be given in other ways, by nebulizer and also orally. The concentrations are different, and I don't know that much about it.
People say, that for snakes, it's just most effective given by injection.
If you worry at all, call your vet up and see if they will demonstrate again for you. Maybe Becki will chime in with some advice.

[edit] I didnt read the whole thread, you've already talked to the vet. My bad :P

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Actually, when I asked her about the bump, stupid me forgot to ask about the dilution. However, since she is a herp vet, and surely knows about diluting, maybe she did it already,and since everything seems ok so far, I guess I'll keep up with the current procedure. The amount that is in the needle, is .07 mls, or 7 units, if that means anything to anyone reading this thread. Thanks again!