I have an adult male ball python that has a respiratory infection. I went to feed him about three days ago, and he refused food, which he has never done before. He began to wheeze and make clicking sounds when I picked him up. This is my first time dealing with a respiratory infection in a snake, so I Googled the symptoms to double-check; RI.

Normally, I would immediately have him seen by a vet. However, I have been out of a job for a few months now. I start my new job on Monday, but I won't see a paycheck for another two weeks.

So I scoured Google for things I can do at home to treat him until I can get him to the vet, and this is what I came up with.

1) "Steaming" him for 10 minutes twice a day with boiling water, a few drops of tea tree oil, peppermint oil, and lavender oil.

The original "recipe" called for Vick's rub and eucalyptus oil, but I wasn't comfortable using Vick's for my snake, and I didn't have any eucalyptus oil. Tea tree oil has antibacterial properties, and both peppermint oil and lavender oil have antibacterial, antifungal, and antiviral properties. I figured this combination would at least help relieve some of his symptoms, since I don't know what kind of RI this is.

Source: http://bamboozoo.weebly.com/snake--r...ry-remedy.html

2) I am all too aware that he probably needs antibiotics, and not just homeopathic treatment if he is to get well. So I did some more research of "snake-safe" anti-biotics and I found this website:
http://www.cobraman.net/16801.html

I saw that Clindamycin was listed, but for the treatment of anaerobic organisms. I happened to have some Clindamycin leftover from an old prescription, and I know that in humans, Clindamycin is used to treat serious infections (I know that snakes aren't humans, please don't jump down my throat for that statement.) so I decided it was worth a shot. I broke open a capsule, and mixed a tiny amount of the powder with water and administered it to my snake orally with a syringe.

This morning, there was a significant difference in the amount of noise coming from his lungs. He is not wheezing or clicking nearly as bad as he was yesterday.

I repeated the treatment this morning, and will steam him again for ten minutes later on this evening.

Any thoughts on this treatment? Any suggestions of other things I can do to treat him?

I know it's not ideal, and trust me, if I could he would be taken to a veterinary hospital immediately. And if he isn't better by the time that first check comes in, he will be taken to a vet. But for now I'm doing all I can do.