HELP. Sick Ball Python that has had two different Antibiotics

[Paradoxtal_Pythons]

I have a .1 Spotnose ball python

I purchased this one along with another female and both were sick. No way of returning them to seller...etc

The other died a few months back. This spot is still fighting. Roughly a month and a half ago I treated her with baytril for two weex. Then the vet. Gave me fortaz 7 injections.
Temps on the tstat are cranked up. Still no improvement and I don't know what to do.
What do you think, is there another antibiotic you recommend. And please I undersand the "You have to get a culture"
What I'm asking is does the snake have a chance of recovering after trying baytril & fortaz?

[KMG]

If you get the proper one it should work but the only way to do that is to figure out what you are dealing with.......which can only be done with a culture.

We can't guess and give you an answer.

Did the vet not do a culture?

[Albert Clark]

Definitely what KMG said is crucial. However, the other thing you have to realize is that reptiles harbor illnesses for long periods of time before it's apparent they are sick. Consequently they heal slowly as well but they usually need antibiotic therapies for 2 weeks and up to 30 days. Of course that will depend on the offending organism and having the right antibiotic for that organism. Make sure to keep the temps boosted a little and that the animal stays hydrated.

[bcr229]

Also not all RI's are caused by bacteria, many are viral. The antibiotics are given so that an opportunistic bacterial infection doesn't set in while the snake is fighting the viral infection.When the other snake died I would have had it necropsied, as there's a good chance that both snakes have the same illness.

[Paradoxtal_Pythons]

Thanks everyone. No they did not do a culture, but I didn't want to spend the money if other s "thru experience " no that 7 shots will not help if the illness If progressive cannot be cured.
The first snake died so quick unfortunately I didn't get the antibiotics to it. $335 on a culture, visit, and meds when I may be able to get someone else to care for her a buy another spotnose for that price. I live the snake and grew attached but others have said it may not recover.

[Stewart_Reptiles]

Thanks everyone. No they did not do a culture, but I didn't want to spend the money if other s "thru experience " no that 7 shots will not help if the illness If progressive cannot be cured.
The first snake died so quick unfortunately I didn't get the antibiotics to it. $335 on a culture, visit, and meds when I may be able to get someone else to care for her a buy another spotnose for that price. I live the snake and grew attached but others have said it may not recover.

Not getting a culture done was a huge mistake, EVERYTIME a RI is diagnosed a culture MUST be done, to identify the type of RI and prescribe the right anti-biotic, generally speaking the proper course is also to treat the animal for no less than 30 days.

Now it's back to square one by getting a culture.

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[Coluber42]

Another reason to get a culture is that antibiotics do have risks. They can weaken other beneficial bacteria (and science is only barely beginning to understand how many of those are important to humans, let alone reptiles). But also, every use of antibiotics can contribute to breeding resistant populations of bacteria. That's a big deal on an individual level as well as on a global level. That's why you should always finish the entire course of antibiotics even after you're feeling better - to maximize the chance that you kill off all the offenders, not just most of them.
We generally consider the risks worth it if they help an animal (or a person) fight off an infection or maybe prevent a secondary one. But it doesn't do anyone any favors to just administer antibiotics without knowing whether they have any chance of attacking the problem.

[Paradoxtal_Pythons]

[QUOTE=Deborah;2485497]Not getting a culture done was a huge mistake, EVERYTIME a RI is diagnosed a culture MUST be done, to identify the type of RI and prescribe the right anti-biotic, generally speaking the proper course is also to treat the animal for no less than 30 days.

Now it's back to square one by getting a culture.


So true second mistake is I was not experienced with dealing with it and everyone said baytril fortaz, and that's what my vet told me but it was only prescribed 7 shots.
I should of course chose an exotic vet second mistake

[KMG]

In my situation I believe the guy I bought my GTP from was in over his head but he knew enough to know to get rid of the snake before the RI showed itself. When I picked it up I heard a click every once in a while but I was told he was going to shed and having heard that click in some of my other snakes I didn't suspect much, especially since he had a pink belly as well. Well a few days after being with me the random click turned into a raspy breathing. I took him in immediately and was lucky to catch the RI as it just started to really develop. We did all the test and got X-Rays. His lungs were still fairly clear. Even with catching it that early I was still given a little over a month of injections. I gave injections every three day. During this time he did in fact shed so I really had no way of knowing at the time of purchase that I was getting a sick snake. But Im sure the previous owner knew, especially since he refused to take my call and was making his wife text me.

My GTP was lucky to be bought by a person that had done the research and took the proper actions to get him well. That was late in 2012 and he has done great ever since. The longer the infection gets to get a hold on the snake thee longer the treatment is going to take. With the proper care the snake can be made well but the proper action has to be taken and sooner is always better than later.