RI treatment question.

[ewaldrep]

Moonlight has developed an RI and I just wanted to get some feedback on what to expect. I have taken her to the vet and he gave her a shot of antibiotics there and sent me home with three pre-measured needles for doses every three days. I have just given her the second shot (holding a snake and giving it a shot is hard as hell lol) but I don't see any improvement thus far. Usually, with humans at least, there is a sharp improvement after 24 hours of taking antibiotics, so is this normal with snakes or a sign that she might need different antibiotics? Right now she is taking Fortraz?

I think she developed the RI because I was keeping her in a glass aquarium and had to fight the temps and humidity. I first noticed the popping sounds after the maintainence guys left the heat off in my appartment and I came home to a cold apartment, grr. Not sure of course if it was already setting in before that though. I have since made her a nice tub enclosure with a UTH bumped up to 94, a CHE over the other side keeping the ambient around 83 right now.

The vet told me to call him when I give her the last shot to check in on her but that is Monday and I was just hoping to get some feedback. Thanks. Hope everyone had a happy Thanksgiving!
Eddie

[RestlessRobie]

I have never dealt with an RI but I know when I was healing a burn on a rescue we had it took forever the Vet explained it to me this way. Reptile have very slow metabolisms and take a lot longer to heal and show signs of improvement so I would hold off until Monday and see what the Vet has to say. Maybe someone with some RI experience will chime in but I thought I would at least give my history with reptiles and healing.

[satomi325]

Was a culture taken to target what sort of antibiotics is needed to treat the infection? There are many forms of RI and different types of bacterial RIs specifically. Some antibiotics won't work for certain types.

With my experience with 2 RI rescues, it took a few weeks to notice a significant improvement. Snake metabolism is slower than humans so their reaction to drugs are slower. I take my snakes to a vet school hospital and they gave me 2 months worth of treatment.

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[ewaldrep]

Thanks, no culture was taken but I thought I would ask him about one if it looks like it isn't healing up. I'm glad to hear that it may just be a slow metabolism that I'm observing and not necessarily a lack of efficacy.

[ewaldrep]

I forgot to ask, should I feed her while she is being treated or should I hold off until after it clears up? She is usually a very good eater, live mice anyways, but I'm not sure if she could use the food as energy to fight the infection or if it would use energy to digest that should be directed towards healing? Thanks.

[satomi325]

I forgot to ask, should I feed her while she is being treated or should I hold off until after it clears up? She is usually a very good eater, live mice anyways, but I'm not sure if she could use the food as energy to fight the infection or if it would use energy to digest that should be directed towards healing? Thanks.

Keep offering food if she's still taking them. If she gets worse, she will probably go off feed. So keeping fat reserves up is important.

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[kitedemon]

Absolutely keep feeding if she will take it.

Reptiles in general have very slow metabolisms three doses are unlikely to have any effect at all. The last set of antibiotics I gave to a snake for RI (one of many rescues) was given over 6 weeks every 3 days there was a marked improvement after the first 25 days. In my experience this is quite typical. It is unfortunate that he guessed at which antibiotic would work a culture is much more efficient. Sadly after antibiotics have been given cultures are inconclusive until months after the last dose. It sounds as if your vet is extrapolating from treating cats.

[ewaldrep]

Thanks, I was hoping it would be a quick treatment but it sounds like I may be into it for a while. The vet is actually the reptile vet for this area. Nobody else sees them around here so I was hoping that it would be a smooth treatment :/