$700 vet bill, "solved" issue, now it's back - help

[cecilbaldwin]

Kinda graphic pics of snake injury below -

Almost three years ago we adopted a burned ball python from Enily of Snake Discovery (heres the video she did so you can get a quicker more accurate background on him https://youtu.be/fKUEtBuLn_E). We named him Cecil, he was our second snake and I was instantly in love.

If you didnt watch the video, tldr is a snake with excessive burn? scarring was abandoned at a pet chain in rough shape, unknown age and unknown history.

He was a healthy happy boy for the last few years (I feel like it's been so much longer). In the last four months, things have taken a total dive.

His bin is a 50 gallon xmas tree storage bin and was furnished with lots of natural decor, two hides, cocofiber/husk mixed bedding, a heavy water dish, etc. It was the same as it had been since we brought him home. (Well we upgraded him from a glass aquarium to the bin to keep in humidity but that was in december 18).

Starting in june this year we noticed a strange hard bump near just before his tail, on the top of his body. We kept an eye on it and asked Emily, who came over and said she'd also never seen it so the consensus was just... keep an eye.

Bit of background - Cecil has always had a bit of fluid buildup under the skin right before a shed so it's nothing we've ever been worried about.

He shed once after the discovery of the bump, then before his next shed the fluid under his skin "popped" and started leaking which had never happened before. He was immediately put into a sterile bin with paper towel.

Long story short, the bump turned into a huge infection, we brought him to the vet, and discovered the infection was also something else going on. We were in and out of the vet for an entire month, he went onto antibiotics, and went through two surgeries to remove the infected masses that had formed under his skin.

After three more weeks of random vet visits and checkups (and a lethargic scare where we thought he was dead), the vet gave him a clean bill of health and was confident things would get better. He optimistically said he would see us in a year for the good news.

All of this cost us over $700 on a $10 snake and everyone in our life who doesnt own reptiles was blown away at the cost.

Fast forward another two months and he has made a turn for the worse. His scales along the side opposite of the first problem and surgery are colorless and a chunk of skin the size of a dime was peeling off to reveal the muscle below. Another patch of skin is hardened and he is very puffy all around. He has been on paper towels in a sterile bin this entire time.

We are unable to go back to the vet, as much as we want to, between Cecil's earlier visits and one of our goats having quadruplets, our emergency funds have been utterly drained.

We were lucky enough to be given two rounds of tylan and a topical ointment to attempt one last stand against the infection we thought we'd defeated. If he doesnt really and heal up, we will be forced to find someone who can and wants to take on a sick snake, or euthanize.

He is still active, hungry and very strong. He eats like a monster (and is also on a moderate diet for being slightly overweight). He also is most likely female but snakes dont really care about that.

I am posting in hopes that one of the knowledgeable folks here will have seen this and will have some kind of answer for us.

Thank you for reading my wall of text, here are some photos to help with any online diagnosis you may be able to provide.

https://ibb.co/Fw9LsWX
https://ibb.co/MPN87M7
https://ibb.co/6mbdj7r
https://ibb.co/tY3tHNF

The original (healed) incision and the initial infection site
https://ibb.co/YN3q2W2
https://ibb.co/wySj84h

[Bogertophis]

Unfortunately the cost of medical care isn't based on the cost of whatever animal needs help...a $5 rat, a $10 snake or a $500 dog, it matters not at all. You're
paying for the education, skills, medical care & "over-head" (including the staff, building & utilities) of the vet whose help you seek.

It's encouraging that he/she is still "active, hungry and very strong" but I don't know what to tell you...seems to be a very resistant infection. Was
there lab work done to identify the culprit you're dealing with? Poor snake...

[Cheesenugget]

What you need is a vet. I did not look at the photos because no one here is qualified to give you any medical advice. Even a vet over the internet can't do so without a proper physical exam and diagnostic work.

Sorry, we had been through that before. When I adopted my $50 shelter dog, who knew 3 months later she would tear her ACL and requires a $2500 knee surgery, and then another $3000 for the other knee years later. My first and last reptile adoption was a free bearded dragon supposedly from a real herp rescue, who failed to provide her with vet care prior to my adoption, so I only had a month with her before I had to put her down (And $800 in vet bills). At the end of the day, you just have to tell yourself when faced with these challenges, yea it is expensive and almost unfair that someone's negligence and mistakes is costing you, but it is more unfair to the animal if you do nothing, right?

Try to work out a payment plan with your vet. Apply for Care Credit.

I have heard about that burned snake you are talking about. I hope for the best in whatever decision you make for that snake.

[bcr229]

Was he given injected Baytril recently as one of the antibiotics? Those look almost like the reactions you can get at the injection sites from it. If that's the case they will heal, it just takes a while.

[Bogertophis]

Was he given injected Baytril recently as one of the antibiotics? Those look almost like the reactions you can get at the injection sites from it. If that's the case they will heal, it just takes a while.

I'm glad you chimed in on that...it's not something I've seen first-hand but I was thinking there was at least one of the commonly used antibiotics that can do local tissue
damage- I stopped short of asking what drugs were used as I wasn't sure which one has caused similar issues.

[cecilbaldwin]

Unfortunately the cost of medical care isn't based on the cost of whatever animal needs help...a $5 rat, a $10 snake or a $500 dog, it matters not at all. You're
paying for the education, skills, medical care & "over-head" (including the staff, building & utilities) of the vet whose help you seek.

It's encouraging that he/she is still "active, hungry and very strong" but I don't know what to tell you...seems to be a very resistant infection. Was
there lab work done to identify the culprit you're dealing with? Poor snake...

I'm definitely not saying the cost of the animal is indicative of the vet care costs, I was trying to say my friends and family think I'm an idiot for spending that much 1) on a snake and 2) on a snake I spent $10 on. Trust me, I work rescue for reptiles and birds, a free animal is almost always a more expensive one.

As for vet diagnostics, the initial visits didnt show anything abnormal about the infection so we didnt run any tests on WHAT the infection was since blood tests were showing raised white blood cell count. When we went on the antibiotics it all cleared up relatively quickly and the vet was really happy with it.

If I can cut food costs and go without heat for a little longer (we live in Wisconsin and it's already below freezing most of the time) I want to bring him in for one more consult with the vet after the tylan is through next week. I've just been smacked with almost 3k of vet costs in under two months and I make under 25k a year so its pretty substantial


And for the record I am not asking for vet or medical advice to heal my pet without a vet! I'm asking if anyone here has seen this and if anyone knows what it is. Its stumped our vet (clearly) and all our reptile friends have no idea. Our other two ball pythons and three hognose snakes are fine with no weird anything.

The closest any of us can guess is that it has something to do with his previous care, is something genetic, or has just been under the surface this entire time and is only now showing.

[cecilbaldwin]

Was he given injected Baytril recently as one of the antibiotics? Those look almost like the reactions you can get at the injection sites from it. If that's the case they will heal, it just takes a while.

Baytril was the first injection we used, up closer to the head though and not near the major areas. That does however explain the two patches of pale scales up that way when the rest of the infection is localized on the last quarter of his body. I didnt know baytril could do that!

I'm guessing the reaction wouldn't be too far from the injection site?

[Bogertophis]

I'm definitely not saying the cost of the animal is indicative of the vet care costs, I was trying to say my friends and family think I'm an idiot for spending that much 1) on a snake and 2) on a snake I spent $10 on. Trust me, I work rescue for reptiles and birds, a free animal is almost always a more expensive one...

I do understand...I've gotten those looks before, lol. Before I ever got into snakes I had pet rats, with no problems the first time around, but when I bought a new pair some years later, they were sick from the get-go & the vet seemed pretty surprised to have rat patients, not to mention he couldn't cure them- both died despite of treatments.

I also understand budgets & sympathize, but to me, it's no different than kids- bills just happen when they happen. You have to give a lot of thought when adopting- maybe your vet can take payments? It's really your decision though, I haven't dealt with any similar case to go by.

[Bogertophis]

...I'm guessing the reaction wouldn't be too far from the injection site?

I would think so, or at the very least, on the same side of the body (assuming it may have migrated some). If this latest peeling wound isn't increasing or spreading, I'd try to stay optimistic, but truly, there's no telling with all that this BP has been thru. Antibiotic injections, while necessary, aren't without risks...I would keep asking & researching...it might not only be Baytril that can cause such side effects...or it may be because it was used in combination? All I know is
that over many years, snakes & drugs don't mix very well; yes, sometimes you have to use them, but always I try to minimize & concentrate on natural ways.

[bcr229]

I'm guessing the reaction wouldn't be too far from the injection site?

The reaction would be at the injection sites. If your snake has problems along the rest of it's body then those are due to something else.