Treat a Respiratory Infection (RI) from Home. DIY

[Lizardlicks]

I think maybe you should reread what you TYPE first before you post it. We're responding to the posts as presented. if you're leaving out information, we can't respond to that information, only what you typed.

As for finding a good, reasonably priced vet, I would look up reviews of local vets in your area. Plenty of those to be found online.

[Pterolykus]

I think maybe you should reread what you TYPE first before you post it. We're responding to the posts as presented. if you're leaving out information, we can't respond to that information, only what you typed.

As for finding a good, reasonably priced vet, I would look up reviews of local vets in your area. Plenty of those to be found online.

I don't know what you're referring to when you say I'm leaving stuff out. I think I'm being pretty straight forward.
But anyway, thanks for the info. That's what I want to see. I'll make sure to check out reviews and see if anyone has put what they paid in any. Thank you.

[predatorkeeper87]

First of all, I wasn't saying that I was being attacked. My bad if it seemed that way. I meant in future.
Second, the snake care I was referring to back then was the $800 bill I am currently referring to.
Third, I am not saying that I can afford a $1600 bill. You're taking my replies way out of context.
Fourth, I said that all my vets have the same price EXCEPT the outrageous $800 bill. You should maybe double read something before replying to it.
So yes, if I do find a vet that is around $150 like you guys are saying you have paid I am more than happy to pay. It's the $800 bill that I am reluctant on because clearly that vet overcharged on everything.

I am not ungreatful for any of yoir advice. I am not implying that I am currently being attacked (although now i feel as I am since I'm being insulted due to people taking things way out of context). I am able to care for my animals and no I do not "rescue" I rescue. I do not take in anything I cannot handle as I am stating once again that I am willing to make vet appointments with REASONABLY PRICED VETS. I will keep looking but no vet I have spoken with will give me a price estimate they all say that I must make an appointment first. So unless the only way for me to find the right vet is by paying a $75 visit fee than that's pretty ridiculous. Are there any other ways to look for price estimates?
I am not an unreasonable person I'm just trying to get the information I'm asking for. I just don't understand how so many people earlier on have said that this method works and now suddenly people are denying it.

well then get in your car and drive to a vet that won't charge 800 dollars, also the books you type I can't bring myself to read through entirely....

no one denied the methods, everyone smartly stated that a vet visit, culture and appropriate antibiotic is what is needed along with the supplemental care we provide via F10 fogging or what have you. That alone is not going to cure an RI unless the snake is otherwise healthy and its immune system does 99.9% of the work.

[Kcl]

Thank you for the info on the oils. I had no idea and have clearly been given false information.
I do not keep having RIs these snakes came to me from a lady who clearly took poor care of them. I honestly had no idea they were sick when I got them since I have kept them in quarantine and haven't taken them out until after quarantine was up to examine them.

Periodic health checks should be integrated into a quarantine procedure. Many also integrate a vet check and/or a fecal into the quarantine. At the very least a periodic health check and a visual examination of all feces should be performed to check for abnormalities. If you are not checking for symptoms during the quarantine period, there is not all that much point in it. The purpose of the quarantine is to give time for symptoms of illnesses to be identified before potentially introducing it to other snakes. If you're not watching the snakes for the symptoms to develop, you're not really doing anything with the quarantine.

Edit: well, technically you'd still avoid introducing anything that would kill within 90 days (or whatever your quarantine period is). Anything non-lethal, not so much.

[Pterolykus]

well then get in your car and drive to a vet that won't charge 800 dollars, also the books you type I can't bring myself to read through entirely....

no one denied the methods, everyone smartly stated that a vet visit, culture and appropriate antibiotic is what is needed along with the supplemental care we provide via F10 fogging or what have you. That alone is not going to cure an RI unless the snake is otherwise healthy and its immune system does 99.9% of the work.

Ok that's relatively what I needed to hear. I'm the type of person who needs info not just including "go to a vet". I like to know why something wont work and how. Like you said "it won't cure the snake unles it's healthy and the immune system takes most control." Thank you!

[Pterolykus]

Periodic health checks should be integrated into a quarantine procedure. Many also integrate a vet check and/or a fecal into the quarantine. At the very least a periodic health check and a visual examination of all feces should be performed to check for abnormalities. If you are not checking for symptoms during the quarantine period, there is not all that much point in it. The purpose of the quarantine is to give time for symptoms of illnesses to be identified before potentially introducing it to other snakes. If you're not watching the snakes for the symptoms to develop, you're not really doing anything with the quarantine.

Edit: well, technically you'd still avoid introducing anything that would kill within 90 days (or whatever your quarantine period is). Anything non-lethal, not so much.

Thank you for your input I will definitely keep that in mind! I do look out for abnormal behaviors in the snakes but I haven't taken them out during quarantine. I will keep this noted thanks.

[Kcl]

Thank you for your input I will definitely keep that in mind! I do look out for abnormal behaviors in the snakes but I haven't taken them out during quarantine. I will keep this noted thanks.

A physical examination only takes a few minutes and can be done at the same time as moving them for cleaning to minimize disruption. Just make sure you touch them LAST to maintain quarantine. Also sanitize hands between every cage, use different tools, etc. I look at their general body condition, check their cloaca for any redness or dirt or other abnormalities, look at the face for discharge, check the eyes for any dents, wrinkling etc, look for mites, listen for their breathing. I also weigh them periodically. There may be other things that I'm not remembering right now, but it's all pretty quick while still allowing you to find problems asap, including respiratory infections.

I also examine feces every time, checking for consistency, color, any visual presence of parasites, etc. The visual examination of fecal matter doesn't require disturbing the snake at all of course.

An animal behaving abnormally can certainly be a sign of a problem, but other ones tend to show up earlier, many of which can be caught by this kind of check.

[Pterolykus]

A physical examination only takes a few minutes and can be done at the same time as moving them for cleaning to minimize disruption. Just make sure you touch them LAST to maintain quarantine. Also sanitize hands between every cage, use different tools, etc. I look at their general body condition, check their cloaca for any redness or dirt or other abnormalities, look at the face for discharge, check the eyes for any dents, wrinkling etc, look for mites, listen for their breathing. I also weigh them periodically. There may be other things that I'm not remembering right now, but it's all pretty quick while still allowing you to find problems asap, including respiratory infections.

I also examine feces every time, checking for consistency, color, any visual presence of parasites, etc. The visual examination of fecal matter doesn't require disturbing the snake at all of course.

An animal behaving abnormally can certainly be a sign of a problem, but other ones tend to show up earlier, many of which can be caught by this kind of check.

You have been a big help for the future thank you so much!

[Kcl]

You have been a big help for the future thank you so much!

Always happy to try to help people identify animals' illnesses as early as possible. Luckily this process let me identify my baby boa's RI before there was any visible mucus, any wheezing, any gaping of the mouth, etc. The only symptom at the time was a very quiet click that the doctor had to quiet the room to hear (even with his scope) a small amount of mucus in the mouth once opened, and inconsistent eating which could have been a large number of factors (she was a new to us, pretty underweight baby).

My process is primarily developed from volunteering in wildlife rehab. For wildlife, I do as much of the check as is possible without touching the animal (with some deletions and additions based on species - birds will have some different signs than reptiles, etc), unless I already have to pick up an animal to move it, in which case I might do anything additional that wouldn't add handling time. The additional checks that do require handling I do for my snakes because they are meant to be handled eventually and won't be harmed by a minute or two. Animals that really shouldn't be handled in general, like if you had a particularly delicate snake species (hatchling gtp?, others), I'd just look as much as I can (i.e. if it happens to be crawling on something, I'd try to look at it's cloaca then and stare at it until either it happened to be visible or the animal was bothered or went to hide) unless a problem was identified and go from there.

[Lizardlicks]

Now I am wondering how long my girl has been sick for. She had a ton of mucus and bubbles, and when she was breathing while I held her at the vet I could feel her sometimes take a deeper breath that rattled. She was sold to me as a picky eater, but she might just have been ill the whole time in this other person's collection. She got her from a FB auction last August, and the original seller hasn't responded to any of my attempts to contact him, so heck if I know how long he had her for before that or how long this has been going on for the poor kid.