Howard

[DVirginiana]

Aspirating those places and seeing what's in there is what I would normally expect a vet to do... Is your vet a reptile specialist? I know they aren't always available, but a lot of times non-reptile specialists really don't know what they're doing in treating reptiles.

In my experience blisters don't normally slough off all at once; they usually will dry up with the 'shell' of the blister remaining, leaving time for new skin to form underneath.

[BoiseBallz]

I really wish that I could explain it, but I can't, because I don't necessarily agree with what your vet told you. If it were me, I would pop an Angiocath in there, aspirate, send for Gram stain and culture and sensitivities (aerobic, anaerobic, and fungal). I would then flush and aspirate to resolution with saline x 2, then I would flush and aspirate to resolution with either dilute F10sc or dilute Betadine followed by one final saline flush. I would then open at least a small window to allow continued drainage, and apply silver sulfadiazine. Or, after aspirating and sending samples, and depending on the appearance of the tissues and possibly the Gram stain results, unroof the bullae, lavage the underlying tissue with antiseptic, and apply silver sulfadiazine. I would try to more appropriately direct parental antibiotics to the Gram stain and eventually culture and sensitivities. If not already performed, I would dose with an intramuscular injection of vitamin B complex and continue aggressive tube feeding. That's just my opinion, but what I've outlined isn't necessarily cheap, and unfortunately financial considerations do play a role in decision making. Also, there's a fair chance that what I described would require anesthesia (depends on how cooperative the snake is without it), and many vets, justifiably, wouldn't feel comfortable trying. Sometimes we are simply hamstrung by the options that are available to us. You can't force your vet to do something they aren't comfortable with, and it's not reasonable to continue to throw tons of money at a problem.

Regardless of what happens, I applaud you for your caring and all that you've done for the little guy. It's obvious that you are doing everything that you can.

I really hope he recovers. I'm rooting for Howard.

[anicatgirl]

I too was wondering how he was doing. Lots of us have been thinking of him. I don't think that it necessarily looks worse. The affected area does not look any bigger IMO. I have to agree with BoiseBallz on all fronts. I am still pulling for him and wouldn't give up yet. He's a handsome boy.

[kinley]

Okay. Thanks guys. You're all too kind, really. It's great having somewhere to go where people can talk to you about the problems you're experiencing with your pet. Thank you so much for rooting for him. My vet isn't a reptile specialist, but he does treat reptiles also. There isn't a specialist anywhere near me until the zoo, which is about 95 miles from me (I live in the boondocks). Do you think I should take him there to get a specialists opinion??



I'm so proud of the little trooper he is. He's such a tough guy.



He is, at this very moment, taking a nice long drink. I need to get some more water in there, the heat lamp evaporates it all so fast! But that's okay, it helps the humidity stay nice and high

[Foxton]

Poor little guy, must be so uncomfortable with all that fluid build up. That's really got to be addressed and not just sat on considering how far it's progressed from the photos a month ago.

[DVirginiana]

Hm... Ideally a specialist opinion would be best, but it sounds like that might be kind of unrealistic for you. On the frog forum I'm on, there are several vets that will do phone/email consultations for people (usually free of charge) who can't make it to a herp specialist, and then people usually take that info and recommendations to their regular vet. I don't know if there's a similar option for snakes though... Anyone on here know of any services like that that would apply here?

If you can convince your vet to aspirate some fluid and do a culture that might be the way to go... Even a typical small animal vet will have the equipment and knowhow to do that. Just tell him you're worried that the antibiotic isn't targeting whatever the problem is.

However, I realize that this sort of thing can get pretty pricey, and considering the circumstances no one would judge you if you had to make the decision to euthanize (though I'm still holding out hope he can recover!)

Is it just me or does that large blister look like it's deflating a bit and starting to crinkle up near the front? It's good that he's still actively seeking out water at any rate.

[kinley]

Is it just me or does that large blister look like it's deflating a bit and starting to crinkle up near the front? It's good that he's still actively seeking out water at any rate.

It does look like it from the picture. But really, the fluid doesn't fill the whole blister. So when he's at an angle, it all sinks to one end and the other looks empty. :/ I thought the same thing when I walked in and saw that.

[Fidget]

This is a terrible dilemma and a tough situation all around. Please don't take this as a criticism of your care - I think you've done wonderfully for Howard. But IMO, if you can't get him to a herp specialist and get him appropriate diagnosis and treatment, I doubt he's going to make a spontaneous recovery. This is a very underweight little guy with very few reserves for fighting whatever process is taking over his body, and as Foxton pointed out, he's worsened since those pictures posted on 5/30. I mean no disrespect for your decisions. I just want to encourage you to consider his quality of life, and to remember that bps are pretty undemonstrative about their feelings. That said, I hope I'm eating those words in a week because he's bounced back. Glad you're keeping the updates coming and doing what you can for him.

[kinley]

This is a terrible dilemma and a tough situation all around. Please don't take this as a criticism of your care - I think you've done wonderfully for Howard. But IMO, if you can't get him to a herp specialist and get him appropriate diagnosis and treatment, I doubt he's going to make a spontaneous recovery. This is a very underweight little guy with very few reserves for fighting whatever process is taking over his body, and as Foxton pointed out, he's worsened since those pictures posted on 5/30. I mean no disrespect for your decisions. I just want to encourage you to consider his quality of life, and to remember that bps are pretty undemonstrative about their feelings. That said, I hope I'm eating those words in a week because he's bounced back. Glad you're keeping the updates coming and doing what you can for him.

No problem!!! No, I understand. Really. Thank you for being so honest and blunt about it like that. I will try my best to get him to the specialist at the zoo within the next day or hopefully by this weekend. Like I said, it's really far away, so gas is going to be expensive as all get out. I really wish I had all the money in the world for this little guy. He's the biggest trooper ball python that has ever lived... To me at least ha.

Again, thank you for your bluntness. I really appreciate it.

[lorrainesmom]

I wonder if cold laser treatment would be an option for Howard. It does wonders for mammals, heals injuries quite a bit faster, ect. I don't know if it has ever been tried on reptiles; but it's non-invasive, so I doubt it could make things worse, and could help, I would think. It's worth looking into.