I'm not sure how to help...I need advice from experienced keepers please.

[Swayback]

I typed out a full explanation ladt night but it vanished when I published it...
Please forgive the lack of details, I'll add later I just don't have time right now...

The short of it is this, the local mom n pop pet shop has recently had several bps dumped on him, his husbandys poor, 6 snakes in one 40g tank, all have shed stuck on them...etc...I know he has a real soft spot for snakes...
i looked close and found obvious symptoms of RI!

i can't afford to send em to the vet...I going to guess he can't or won't either...

Im really not satisfied to just write these snakes off, I fear without help they're goners!

I have access to get meds, and can talk to several vets but they're not exotic vets by any means, I can't ask these folks to examine 6 animals for free...but I'm sure they can run a culture for me and advise and prescribe proper meds, I don't just wanna blindly shoot baytril! It's over used and possibly improper.

Im well aware a vet visit is the best thing to do...but I just don't think that's going to be possible...

My plan is to try to get a culture, and the proper prescription, as well as help return the snakes to proper care, but there's not room for a proper quarantine...

I know most of guys are very "by the book" and that's great, as breeders you should be and I very much respect that, and I'm sure this is a situation that many would turn their nose up at, but I'm going to try to help theses animals as best I can!
any advice is appriciated, I can handle critism, but please don't be too harsh...
I just want to help the snakes before it's too late for them!
thank you very much

[ElliotNess]

Very admirable. 16qt sterilite bins x 6 is around 15.00.. That can serve as a semi quarantine. Get locking lids and drill holes.
Aspen bedding is 2.87 cents at walmart and will handle all 6 bins. From there you can use whatever is available for heat or get a 6in wide heat strip x 3 feet and you can place them on that. There is lots of ways you can go about it. Gotta get creative. 20 bucks will get you a QT setup.

Start working it from there.

[Swayback]

He has more than enough glass aquariums, I feel like the plastic bins are a better option tho.
Proper heat concerns me the most, I'll start googling now to try and find some the dimensions you suggested, do you possibly have a link that might help me?
Thanks for the response! I had envisioned a Q setup similar, glad I'm on the right track!

[ElliotNess]

If he has plenty of glass then run individual 10 gallon tanks with a 75w light on it until you can get something situated. A bowl of water under the light will increase humidity. Thats a start.

[Swayback]

Well I just got home from talking to him about the whole thing, he says satardays are crazy but it's when I'm free to help.

I really think the guy was clueless they were sick and I know he's clueless on how to handle the situation...he seems quite willing to let me help, that's great news!
Im not sure how much he's goin to be willing to spend to get them all heated properly, I'm going to go find a heat mat or heat tape strip like Elliotness suggested, that seems the like the way to go.

Ive never bought this stuff before so any suggestions on a brand would be excellent! I think 3'x8"-10" should do it.
I need to educate myself on it anyway...

I'm gunna go some more homework on RI, and try and find this heat tape.

I welcome more advice, I see quite a few views on this thread, if you think you can help or have anything to say, please post, I don't have nearly the experience many of you have!
If your more comfortable PMing me, that's great too! I know there's many members here that don't condone this type of self treatment...and for good reason...

[alan12013]

You can find lots of info by researching RI treatment actually so it's good you're doing that. The most generic advice I can think of would be to bump up the heat a bit once you get them into tubs and hope that it's early stages. What symptoms are you seeing?

[Swayback]

You can find lots of info by researching RI treatment actually so it's good you're doing that. The most generic advice I can think of would be to bump up the heat a bit once you get them into tubs and hope that it's early stages. What symptoms are you seeing?

Learned long ago...don't join a forum and ask questions the search feature could answer!
Tons of great info out there on RI.
Not much on self treatment tho...I know it's frowned upon here too, but I'm afraid we're out of options!

I first noticed one snake act very odd, puffing up defensive as a approached the glass.
A different snake was clicking when I held her, I popped her mouth open and her teeth were lines with bubbles, I alerted the owner and we examined her, he said she might have a lil cold...

We pulled the other large snake out next, the defensive snake, I fear she's gravid!
I pinned her head and she pulled free, as she recoiled, she managed to sent a gob of mucus flying that was as big as a hulled walnut!
She was wheezing by then, her mouth exam revealed copious amounts of clear bubbly mucus in her mouth.

Im not sure how advanced these symptoms are, but I'm guessing it's not a new infection!
From the outside, they looked rough but no visible signs of RI, no mouth or nose bubbles visible from the outside, elevated head...etc...
The snakes just look roughed up like most pet shop balls...

They are all about to receive a full exam!

I wonder if it's worth my time to try to find a vet willing to help?!?
Some proper guidance sure wouldn't hurt!
Im afraid this is going to be a real uphill battle without vet guidance...especially sorting out and administering med dosage...
Im headed out the door now! Wish us luck!

[Swayback]

Well they are all under QT!
Oral inspection was actually somewhat relieving, it seems all tge snake do have it, but I suspected as much.
The good news is that it's not as advanced as I had first thought!
They all have some mucus bubbles, and 2 of them have white mouths but only somewhat white, not dead looking.
None of them produced any discharge at all! Which I thought was very good!
They all still have plenty of strength left too! HA!

I sure hope elevated temps and QT are enough to knock it out, it turns out the vet community is not eager to help...not without ample cash anyway...
Its fruasterating to have the info you need withheld, I meet with a local breeder that houses hundreds of snakes, they do all their own vet work, they seemed happy to help until I let it slip that I'm rescuing normals, not vetting a collection of morphs, their only advice after that was to "call dr vader in WV,that's what we do" any dismissed me and walked off...😭

Im afraid that without more guidance, my only hope maybe blindly administering antibiotics, I really don't want to...for soo many reasons...

I know RI is life threatening in snakes, but unclear how deadly...
Assuming my husbandry is good, and the snakes aren't in too bad of shape, can they recover without antibiotics? I know it's possible but how likely is it?
and 2, if they do beat it, will their symptoms and the illness be "cured", and all signs vanish?
assuming its bacterial, I see no reason why the answer shouldn't be "yes"

Thanks