Vote for BP.Net for the 2013 Forum of the Year! Click here for more info.

» Site Navigation

» Home
 > FAQ

» Online Users: 3,089

0 members and 3,089 guests
No Members online
Most users ever online was 6,337, 01-24-2020 at 04:30 AM.

» Today's Birthdays

None

» Stats

Members: 75,031
Threads: 248,489
Posts: 2,568,442
Top Poster: JLC (31,651)
Welcome to our newest member, isismomma
Page 1 of 2 12 LastLast
Results 1 to 10 of 13
  1. #1
    Registered User
    Join Date
    04-02-2020
    Posts
    3
    Thanks
    0
    Thanked 0 Times in 0 Posts

    Home treatment of various ailments?

    Hey guys. I do not plan to treat any of my reptiles myself for any serious issues. But I am curious. I used to live next to an animal research hospital that came highly recommended from many people. But they still were lacking in care and knowledge for reptiles. It seems like the more experienced breeders in the hobby are far more qualified to diagnose and treat issues often times. I have heard a lot of stories from people who have sought out vet care and end up with a $300 bill and a dead reptile. Is it just a better option to treat illnesses at home under the guidance of an experienced keeper? Can you do things like fecals yourself and have them sent to a lab to be evaluated? Have any of you purchased non-vet prescribed antibiotics or other medicines for your reptiles?

  2. #2
    bcr229's Avatar
    Join Date
    03-18-2013
    Location
    Eastern WV Panhandle
    Posts
    9,494
    Thanks
    2,888
    Thanked 9,842 Times in 4,771 Posts
    Images: 34
    Vets who see reptiles are usually exotics specialists; mine doesn't even see in dogs, cats, livestock, etc. in his practice. I would expect a research facility to be even more specialized for just dogs, or just horses, or cattle, or whatever so unless their research specifically involved reptiles I wouldn't take one there for treatment.

    Home treatments should only involve alleviating symptoms and making the animal more comfortable until a vet can see it.
    Last edited by bcr229; 04-09-2020 at 08:52 AM.

  3. The Following 6 Users Say Thank You to bcr229 For This Useful Post:

    Craiga 01453 (04-09-2020),dr del (04-09-2020),GoingPostal (04-09-2020),jmcrook (04-09-2020),Stewart_Reptiles (04-09-2020),vivi (04-09-2020)

  4. #3
    BPnet Senior Member GoingPostal's Avatar
    Join Date
    08-09-2009
    Location
    MN
    Posts
    1,343
    Thanks
    3,865
    Thanked 1,666 Times in 723 Posts
    It's important with any animal to find a qualified vet you trust and can build a relationship with before an emergency if possible. Talk to other people with reptiles, herp societies, rescues, ask for recommendations. Not all vets are created equal, some will treat animals they know nothing about, some are working with knowledge from 30 years ago, some have their own reptiles and keep up with current practices. I live in a pretty rural area and after about a dozen phone calls was able to find several vets I would trust with a reptile within a 5-6 hour drive but it took some effort on my part. Also keep your hopes realistic, if a reptile needs a vet, it's often a serious issue that may not be curable or has a poor recovery rate. The reptile vets I have visited have been reasonably priced but when you get into surgeries it can get expensive fast, like any pet. There's only minor health issues you would be able to deal with at home.

    2.0 Python brongersmai
    1.1 Python breitensteini
    1.0 Python curtus
    1.0.1 Python regius
    1.0 Acrantophis dumerili
    1.0 Boa constrictor
    0.1 Heterodon nasiscus nasiscus
    0.0.1 Pantherophis guttatus

  5. #4
    BPnet Veteran
    Join Date
    01-18-2018
    Posts
    649
    Thanks
    34
    Thanked 802 Times in 393 Posts
    Experienced keepers 'treating' their reptiles go into it blind: It is like trying to untie a small knot in a big ball of yarn. You might get it right the first try without issues or most likely, you end up with more knots.

    I adopted my first bearded dragon from who was the head reptile keeper at the local prominent zoo. She was also an active member of the herp society as well as breeding her own animals. The lizard was in her care for several weeks until I adopted her. Within 2 weeks and going to my exotic vet for what was intended a regular check up, the lab results came back with fungus inside her organs (Yellow fungus in beardies are difficult to treat and fatal, extremely slow and painful death). The vet also palate her belly and felt a mass, which upon necropsy, found to be a ruptured egg that had been sitting there who knows how long. Needless to say, she was put to sleep so her suffering can finally end.

    Treating a sick animal is more than addressing the symptoms. If you can't get to the root of the problem, you either exacerbate the symptoms or another different symptom may or may not relate to this can arise. To understand how sick a reptile is, especially some will eat until the day they die, a complete blood panel will clear a lot of questions and streamline to what the most possible cause could be. Can't do that if you are not a vet. In addition, you are paying for their experience, they might see what you did not, and they can consult with other vets, like mine did, to confirm diagnosis.

    And yes, it sucks paying $500 for a dead pet. Truly, I know because I spent $800 on that beardie who I loved dearly for the 3 weeks we had together. I wished in all my heart the poor girl would be given a second chance after years of neglect, and she is blind as a bat. I also wished after spending years, money and effort, I could have prolonged my 17 year old cat's life whose liver suddenly started to fail after he started to do better with his kidney disease. But I never blamed the vet for it. It may be a bill at the end because they are not a charity. But I believe most vets truly do try that best, and will consult for help, if needed. Call the vet office and confirm years of experience in treating your reptile before you set the appointment. This way, you are going to the right place for help.

    Lastly, do not use antibiotics sparingly. Reptiles are not dogs or cats. This applies mostly to lizards, especially insect eaters, and they naturally maintain a parasite load that is kept down by their immune system. Healthy, not stressed lizard = stronger immune system less issues with parasites. By destroying the parasites, you mess up their gut flora which in turn can make the animal more sick and unwilling to eat. Captive bred specimens have less of this problem than wild caught ones. You only need to rid of the parasites when issues arise and the vet prescribe the correct dosage.

  6. The Following User Says Thank You to Cheesenugget For This Useful Post:

    Kamryn (04-22-2020)

  7. #5
    Bogertophis's Avatar
    Join Date
    04-28-2018
    Location
    USA
    Posts
    20,183
    Thanks
    28,082
    Thanked 19,739 Times in 11,797 Posts

    Re: Home treatment of various ailments?

    Quote Originally Posted by _mockingbird_ View Post
    Hey guys. I do not plan to treat any of my reptiles myself for any serious issues. But I am curious. I used to live next to an animal research hospital that came highly recommended from many people. But they still were lacking in care and knowledge for reptiles. It seems like the more experienced breeders in the hobby are far more qualified to diagnose and treat issues often times. I have heard a lot of stories from people who have sought out vet care and end up with a $300 bill and a dead reptile. Is it just a better option to treat illnesses at home under the guidance of an experienced keeper? Can you do things like fecals yourself and have them sent to a lab to be evaluated? Have any of you purchased non-vet prescribed antibiotics or other medicines for your reptiles?
    I wouldn't say that experienced breeders/keepers in herps are "more qualified" to diagnose & treat issues, but I wouldn't discount experience their either. I always think of the vetas a team-player to get help & answers from. There ARE some "old-school" vets (& doctors of all kinds) around who prefer to be "put on a pedestal" to dispense answers without questions, but they aren't the ones I choose, either for my pets or for myself.

    One of the MOST important things to diagnose & treat sick snakes (reptiles) is close & accurate observations...& that's where the skills gained in long-term husbandry is KEY to success, & your vet does NOT have the time to see everything that you or I might have, or to know what is "normal" for that animal. Snakes are among the MOST stoic of all patients- think about it, they can't hear or vocalize- so the more YOU can tell your vet, the better the diagnosis. The more EVIDENCE you can supply (feces, etc) the better.

    I've kept lots of snakes for decades & bred some, though not ever with a commercial intent, & have on occasion used Flagyl or Panacur successfully; for minor wounds you can use some topicals safely, like Vetericyn, or Betadine or very sparingly, the non-pain relief version of Neosporin ointment. Generally, antibiotics without lab work are an exercise in futility & more harm than good (even if you could buy them, which generally isn't legal). How are your math skills? Dosing for reptiles is pretty critical...they don't weigh much & they are far more sensitive (in a bad way) to some things than you might think. This is why many vets who see "regular pets" don't want to get into seeing reptiles-medications they use routinely can kill reptiles and it's a matter of safety for your pets. You need very accurate weights too, to calculate dosages, as well as reliable information as to what is safe & effective. You can LEARN to do your own fecals with some training & a microscope, but you'll still probably miss some things that the vet won't.

    There is a lot of variation in vets: some are more "heavy-handed" using multiple medications at once or in succession, & I will just add that in my experience (not so much personal, but from many stories shared in forums), that tends to have a poor outcome. Reptile bodies are more delicate & don't metabolize medications
    as expected sometimes. You always have to worry about "side-effects", & in medicine (whether for humans or pets) it's "First, do no harm."
    Last edited by Bogertophis; 04-09-2020 at 12:47 PM.
    Rudeness is the weak man's imitation of strength.
    Eric Hoffer (1902 - 1983)

  8. The Following 2 Users Say Thank You to Bogertophis For This Useful Post:

    bcr229 (04-09-2020),vivi (04-09-2020)

  9. #6
    Bogertophis's Avatar
    Join Date
    04-28-2018
    Location
    USA
    Posts
    20,183
    Thanks
    28,082
    Thanked 19,739 Times in 11,797 Posts
    As an example, if you have a wild-caught snake that needs de-worming, some less-experienced vets (or keepers!) are inclined to dose heavily to "get the job done", but that can KILL the snake, if worms suddenly die off & plug vital internal functions...whereas smaller & repeated doses may be safer & effective, just slower. There's more to herp medicine than you think. These are delicate patients.
    Rudeness is the weak man's imitation of strength.
    Eric Hoffer (1902 - 1983)

  10. The Following User Says Thank You to Bogertophis For This Useful Post:

    vivi (04-09-2020)

  11. #7
    BPnet Senior Member Skyrivers's Avatar
    Join Date
    01-15-2018
    Posts
    2,789
    Thanks
    183
    Thanked 2,135 Times in 1,197 Posts

    Re: Home treatment of various ailments?

    Quote Originally Posted by _mockingbird_ View Post
    Hey guys. I do not plan to treat any of my reptiles myself for any serious issues. But I am curious. I used to live next to an animal research hospital that came highly recommended from many people. But they still were lacking in care and knowledge for reptiles. It seems like the more experienced breeders in the hobby are far more qualified to diagnose and treat issues often times. I have heard a lot of stories from people who have sought out vet care and end up with a $300 bill and a dead reptile. Is it just a better option to treat illnesses at home under the guidance of an experienced keeper? Can you do things like fecals yourself and have them sent to a lab to be evaluated? Have any of you purchased non-vet prescribed antibiotics or other medicines for your reptiles?
    If you wish to treat them yourself then spend the 7 years in vet school as well as a lifetime of education or re-education ,as understanding is grown, to get educated and purchase all the medical equipment and lab equipment to do so properly.... or.... Pay an experienced vet who did all that that is qualified in reptiles. If you ask a breeder that has been doing this a while, I have friends that are long time breeders, they (my friends) all have a vet in their area that they can recommend or know of and were happy to share the information. All of a sudden $300 doesn't seam so bad.

    Also, A good experienced herps vet will have more experience than you to care for them.
    Last edited by Skyrivers; 04-09-2020 at 01:01 PM.

  12. #8
    BPnet Senior Member Skyrivers's Avatar
    Join Date
    01-15-2018
    Posts
    2,789
    Thanks
    183
    Thanked 2,135 Times in 1,197 Posts

    Re: Home treatment of various ailments?

    Quote Originally Posted by GoingPostal View Post
    It's important with any animal to find a qualified vet you trust and can build a relationship with before an emergency if possible. Talk to other people with reptiles, herp societies, rescues, ask for recommendations. Not all vets are created equal, some will treat animals they know nothing about, some are working with knowledge from 30 years ago, some have their own reptiles and keep up with current practices. I live in a pretty rural area and after about a dozen phone calls was able to find several vets I would trust with a reptile within a 5-6 hour drive but it took some effort on my part. Also keep your hopes realistic, if a reptile needs a vet, it's often a serious issue that may not be curable or has a poor recovery rate. The reptile vets I have visited have been reasonably priced but when you get into surgeries it can get expensive fast, like any pet. There's only minor health issues you would be able to deal with at home.
    I spent nearly $1500 on an albino corn over a year ago to get a rib removed that healed incorrectly after being injured at a show. Most would have done nothing or put her down. She is not high-end genetics by any means. Her monetary value might be $100. She was totally worth it though.

  13. The Following 2 Users Say Thank You to Skyrivers For This Useful Post:

    Bogertophis (04-09-2020),GoingPostal (04-09-2020)

  14. #9
    Banned
    Join Date
    01-27-2017
    Location
    MA, USA
    Posts
    10,560
    Thanks
    14,297
    Thanked 11,072 Times in 5,330 Posts
    I have no hands on experience treating sick snakes (knock on wood). Up until recently I had never had a snake pass in my care. I've been pretty lucky so far. However I have two vets (one really local, one more of a drive) that I've spoken too and I have confidence in both.
    Just like most things, planning ahead is of utmost importance.


    I also am sitting here waiting for someone to share some kind of asinine home treatment....

    FRIENDLY REMINDER: Please always cross reference information before putting it into affect. And make sure you're learning from reputable sources.

  15. The Following User Says Thank You to Craiga 01453 For This Useful Post:

    Bogertophis (04-09-2020)

  16. #10
    Bogertophis's Avatar
    Join Date
    04-28-2018
    Location
    USA
    Posts
    20,183
    Thanks
    28,082
    Thanked 19,739 Times in 11,797 Posts

    Re: Home treatment of various ailments?

    Quote Originally Posted by Craiga 01453 View Post
    ...I also am sitting here waiting for someone to share some kind of asinine home treatment....

    FRIENDLY REMINDER: Please always cross reference information before putting it into affect. And make sure you're learning from reputable sources.
    Like the one that starts with a "V"?
    Rudeness is the weak man's imitation of strength.
    Eric Hoffer (1902 - 1983)

  17. The Following User Says Thank You to Bogertophis For This Useful Post:

    Craiga 01453 (04-09-2020)

Page 1 of 2 12 LastLast

Posting Permissions

  • You may not post new threads
  • You may not post replies
  • You may not post attachments
  • You may not edit your posts
  •  
Powered by vBadvanced CMPS v4.2.1