My vet who I trust fully is over an hour and a half away: well worth it though to find someone that knows what they're doing!
On the topic of RIs when left untreated they can be fatal (if caught early some can get well with nebulized F10: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pJCnPfuqaBM - start at 2:50 - 5:30) . But I've had three snakes come to me with RIs and each needed antibiotics: a culture is absolutely recommended also so the vet knows exactly what medication to prescribe.