help again

[joannarea]

It has been awhile, and actually my previous problems with heat and humidity have been resolved. Not before my BP got an upper respitory infection, trip to the vet and 3 shots and he has been doing well, eating again and seemingly doing fine. I had him treated for parasites at the same time. Tonight I hear him rasping again. The vet tried a mild form of medication since it was 1st time treating him, thought we had it beat. I know when he hisses, but can they take on a raspy sound that I think is a uri?

And, my kids had their great dane spayed, about the 3rd day home it started throwing up, and into the 5th day (vet in between) it had bloody diareha. They almost lost it. The vet thought it was a really bad flu, and every 4 legged animal in the house went on preventative.

To see what they were fighting, the doctor did a culture. The dog is fine now. The vet says the culture showed a very bad salmanila, the kind they baned turtles for having. He said it is a reptile salmania. I didn't talk to him, so I don't know if I got chosen bits of information from my kids. I am calling the vet (he isn't mine) Monday to ask about it. In the mean time I am dropping off samples to my vet to check.

Is there such a specific samanila? I clean my cages weekly, and with every dropping, so I am puzzled, unless the BP had it before I bought him. And about 6 weeks ago I bought a corn snake.

Anyhow, what is a good disenfectant against this to clean aquaiums? I have been using anti-bacterial soap, but not wanting to harm the snakes, I haven't used lysol or pinesol or any of those.

Help guys. My snakes are now villains. Strange part, their animals have little contact with mine, especially the snakes. And never the cages. I wash between handling the snakes and after I finish. I know this is corny, but I sometimes loose my head I guess and will give Chocolate a little kiss on his head, and I have stopped my dog from sneaking a lick or two at times. We aren't sick. I am very frustrated.

Thanks in advance. Oh, is there a soap bathe a snake in that helps this and cleanliness in general??

[JLC]

I'm just guessing here.....but I would think that if a dog were going to get salmonella from one of your snakes, it would not come from the cage itself...unless the dog is licking the inside of the cage. Normal cleaning should be fine. Washing hands immediately after handling reptiles is the best defense against salmonella.


That being said...while it IS possible for someone to get it from snakes, it is exceedingly rare and not something I've ever heard of happening to anyone I know or know of.

[Riktasi]

If it's salmonella, here's a good read: http://www.anapsid.org/salm3.html
Try chlorhexadine gluconate to clean your cages and surroundings, too.

[Alice]

Please keep us updated. I've never heard of salmonella being passed from a snake to a dog or cat, but if it can, we all need to know.


IMHO, you also need to get a second vet opinion if possible. Many of us have heard on this forum or experienced vets ourselves who are not experts in reptiles. Did the same vet treat your snakes that spayed your kids' great dane? Could he/she be grasping for easy answers?

BTW, glad the dane is OK now and I hope your BP doesn't have another URI.

[Alice]

If it's salmonella, here's a good read: http://www.anapsid.org/salm3.html
Try chlorhexadine gluconate to clean your cages and surroundings, too.

Sorry for going off topic, but Ritasi, I really like you avatar. It is absolutely amazing! Did you do it or did you have someone design it for you?

[lord jackel]

It has been awhile, and actually my previous problems with heat and humidity have been resolved. Not before my BP got an upper respitory infection, trip to the vet and 3 shots and he has been doing well, eating again and seemingly doing fine. I had him treated for parasites at the same time. Tonight I hear him rasping again. The vet tried a mild form of medication since it was 1st time treating him, thought we had it beat. I know when he hisses, but can they take on a raspy sound that I think is a uri?

And, my kids had their great dane spayed, about the 3rd day home it started throwing up, and into the 5th day (vet in between) it had bloody diareha. They almost lost it. The vet thought it was a really bad flu, and every 4 legged animal in the house went on preventative.

To see what they were fighting, the doctor did a culture. The dog is fine now. The vet says the culture showed a very bad salmanila, the kind they baned turtles for having. He said it is a reptile salmania. I didn't talk to him, so I don't know if I got chosen bits of information from my kids. I am calling the vet (he isn't mine) Monday to ask about it. In the mean time I am dropping off samples to my vet to check.

Is there such a specific samanila? I clean my cages weekly, and with every dropping, so I am puzzled, unless the BP had it before I bought him. And about 6 weeks ago I bought a corn snake.

Anyhow, what is a good disenfectant against this to clean aquaiums? I have been using anti-bacterial soap, but not wanting to harm the snakes, I haven't used lysol or pinesol or any of those.

Help guys. My snakes are now villains. Strange part, their animals have little contact with mine, especially the snakes. And never the cages. I wash between handling the snakes and after I finish. I know this is corny, but I sometimes loose my head I guess and will give Chocolate a little kiss on his head, and I have stopped my dog from sneaking a lick or two at times. We aren't sick. I am very frustrated.

Thanks in advance. Oh, is there a soap bathe a snake in that helps this and cleanliness in general??

Just a little background there are at least 3 unique strains of Salmanila commonly found in reptiles...these are typically different then the "common" form found in domestic animals. Science is finding that specific species of animals have specific forms of salmanila...hence being able to say it is a reptile version of the bug.

30% of dogs also carry salmanila and this increases when they get an infection (like from being spayed).

I would ask the Vet for the serotype the dog has...just to verify it truly is a reptile common type. (because there are over 2200 serotypes of salmanila)

Since your snake had an RI it is possible that if anyone handled the snake (which would have had more secretions due to the RI) then touched the dog (or outside of the tank, or other items the dog could have come in contact with) it could have been transmitted this way.

Keep us posted.

[lord jackel]

Just a little background there are at least 3 unique strains of Salmanila commonly found in reptiles...

Opps...typo I left off the 2 above...there are over 23 unique strains of Salmanila found in reptiles. At least that have been identified (and this study is a few years old so this may have increased) and it should be noted that reptiles can carry more than one type.

[joannarea]

You are all so great. I just can't say enough. I will read the site provided about this. And look into the cleaner, it has to be a good thing in any case. What about something to bathe the snakes in just for cleanliness?

I keep my cages clean enough I'd eat out of them..theritically speaking. My snakes are soaked atleast every 2 weeks. And have clean water/bath bowls daily.

So the thought of them having something that nearly killed another family pet really hit me hard.

In the past few months my fahter was buried and I couldn't get there, my move to Indiana is cancelled for health reasons...my dangerious ex is still there. No one had seen him in over a year..he has been in prison for assulting 2 cops. Wish they had shot him!! Cause now I can't move home, and I am still away from my grandchildren which is hard. Then this with the BP and Corn snake, I was a mess.

You have really given me hope. The vet for the dog is not my vet, mine is reptile and general. She is really good. I have an appointment Monday afternoon to check Chocolates UI, and a wellness on the corn (Spot), and check both for the samnollia (bad spell).

The vet doing the dog, I took my dog to once, but when he couldn't do reptiles, I changed. He may be okay for dogs, but I am glad I changed.

Not to down him, but I wasn't impressed, and when the dog got sick, I was suspicous about the surgery. But she is fine now, and I will call him Monday about what he told my daughter-in-law.

I will keep you all posted. And Thanks So Much, Your all GREAT!!!

[Ginevive]

I know that animals can get salmonella from contact with wild herps; the dog could have attacked/eaten a frog or something like that.. just something to shoot out there.

[joannarea]

I know one thing for sure, what a lousy past 4 days, but there are silver linings too.

I called my kids vet Monday. They still are not sure what nearly killed the Dane, but it is viral, and his guess is a form of gastritis. Which has nothing to do with any type salmanilla. Mater of fact, I said I was concerned because Vikki said she was told it was salmanilla, specific to reptiles, and being a snake owner, I am in kind of a panic. He was puzzled, he asked what he had said that gave her that idea. What he told her was that whatever made the Dane sick definately was not bacterial, nothing like salminilla or a related illnesses. I gave the phone to my son to hear it from the vet, and they both knew.

It was just so hard to see the dog sick and fading that it was tramitizing. With the vet not knowing what was the cause, and stating that if the small dogs got it they would definately die, that straws were being grabed. The test to find out what it was cost 180.00, and it told us nothing except what it wasn't.

Anyhow, I still had to take my corn in for a wellness check, so I went to my vet, told her the story. She said Snakes rarely carry salmanilla, only if housed in dirty situations and she knows mine aren't. She said she seriously doubted that my snakes had it, but she did a direct look, which was to check each of their stools under a microscope for any parasite, or bacteria not reconized, if found, then cultured and sent to define. Mine came up clean.

With clean bills of health I headed for MY doctor appointment. I descreatly took my snakes into the office in their carry bags. But I got asked, then told no they had to go to the car. I had my corn and BP with me. I twisted and sealed the bags, cracked the windows and went back in. Maybe 30 minutes. My BP is fine, but the corn escaped.

I tore my car apart, I mean trunk, back seat out and panels that could be removed were, checked any small area I could get to or in or see in. I repeated it twice, once after dark when I thought he might come out. No luck, no Spot.

I stopped by the pet store and boo-hoo-on her shoulder. I looked at the other clutch mates from Spots group and felt like buying another one. The store keeper went to another cage.

She came back with the most beaytiful butterfly albino corn!!! 2/3 grown, not a baby, but so unique. It was just as sweet to handle as Spot was. She had $60.00 on it, said she'd discount it for me considering my lost Spot.

I got it home, called the vet, I still had Spots parasite medication, and wanted to get this ones weight and the increase on medication and give it to it.

They said come right out. She examined the snake for mites, mouth rot and body okay. Sexed it, Pookie, is male. Gave me the medication to feed his supper, then feed him. Yesterday for Spot was $60!! $$ getting low, I hoped not anymore then that for this one. I was waiting to pay when she came out on her way home, and said..what are you doing?? You woe nothing for today, I am sorry for your loss of Spot.

What a blessing. So silver linings. And I still hold hope that Spot will crawl out from the seat while I am driving and say Hi Mom, and I will really be blessed.

Thanks for all you help and support with the crisis period. I was about to go crazy with anymore bad things. Your all more then words can say!!!!!

Joannarea