Quote Originally Posted by WingedWolfPsion View Post
Actually, YES. Every time I have gone to a doctor, they do in fact want a blood or urine sample, often both. If I go to a doctor and tell him I have a stomach ache, he checks my white cell count, he doesn't just prescribe me something without looking for evidence of what's causing the problem. I do not think I would go to a doctor who treated an internal problem in that fashion!

"Anorexia" in snakes, 99% of the time, has a concrete cause. The first thing that should be done is to look for the cause. Once environment and prey preferences are addressed, it's time to look for signs of an illness. Parasitization and infection are two common causes. It's important to determine what's wrong so you can treat it properly and completely. I stand by that opinion.

These drugs are not harmless. They are toxic chemicals. Some individual animals have adverse reactions to them. It's rare, but it happens. In an animal already weakened by some underlying issue that has caused it to stop feeding for a year, it could do more harm than good if it is not the proper treatment.

Not BG's Doctor...BG better fire his behind. Then again..BG doesn't know your lifestyle...maybe your doctor knows something about you we don't and thinks you need the tests. That's a joke WWP...don't get offended. Doctors do not do every test they could when you see them...if yours does...he's robbing you or your insurance in BG's opinion.

BG does hear what you're saying, and he agrees to a point WWP, but an experienced Vet can usually prescribe meds without doing all the tests. If they don't work soon, then you can get more tests done without any harm to the snake.

Is it 100% best that you do tests....yes...BUT...it's better to give the snake meds while you're waiting for the tests if you're getting them done, then to wait for the tests and then medicate. This BG's opinion and BG "stands by it". In a perfect world is taking a bunch of tests the best thing to do....yes....but BG says that experience tells him it's not always needed.

Treating a Ball Python with Baytril and Fortaz is gonna knock out anything it has almost(BG knows "almost" is not always) all the time. Another drug that can be used it Amikacin. BG won't kill his Vet or Doc if they don't do a million tests. He'll trust their experience first to see if what they prescribe works. If it doesn't....then he'll kill them

"Anorexia" and a Ball Python not eating are not the same thing. Just because a Ball Python does not eat, doesn't mean it's "Anorexic". In this case the snake has not lost much weight, even though it's been a long time. BG does think it needs to be treated to be safe, even though it could just start eating tomorrow and be perfectly fine without treatment.