Yafe - Albino Carpet Progression Thread

[Bogertophis]

Maybe that clear drop is leftover from him taking a drink of water? (don't assume the worst)

[dakski]

Maybe that clear drop is leftover from him taking a drink of water? (don't assume the worst)

Unfortunately, he bumped into my finger, and it was gooey, not runny like water. Not an expert, but it didn't seem like water to me. Also, his head had been vertical against the corner of the tank for about ten minutes before I took him out. Water probably would have run down his chin by then.

Not trying to burst your bubble, but it is what it is.

[Bogertophis]

Oh, OK then...you had a lot more clues than you let on. Too bad...

[dakski]

Oh, OK then...you had a lot more clues than you let on. Too bad...

Yeah. This really sucks. Believe me, I am not looking for negatives. However, there clearly are quite a few at this point. I also am not in a position where I can let my guard down. I not only have Yafe's well being to worry about and have to be due diligent there, but I have other animals, reptile and mammal, that live here as well. I can't afford not be careful and cautious.

[SunshineWalker]

Hi Guys!

Thanks everyone for all the love and support. It's so hard to see this little animal cont. to be sick. Poor guy. I don't know WHAT he has or how bad, but there's something wrong with him for sure. I hope it's just a really stinky URI that needs some more or stronger meds. The last time we had been out at the vet, she had suggested doing a little feed for him. I'm not sure if she meant injection or like a little syringe... but maybe she can do that for him if she feels it's clinically appropriate.

Lots of love to all of you for keeping us grounded. xoxo

[dakski]

A positive update.

I spoke with Yafe's breeder tonight. It was a very positive experience and he set me at ease on a lot of issues that have been brought up here, as well as had some good ideas.

First, they run a pretty tight ship and they test for pretty much everything under the sun (including Nido - Zina10).

Secondly, he agreed that the RI should have been significantly better by now. He recommended asking the vet for a different antibiotic that a bordetella RI is sensitive too (which he offered to pay for). I have already emailed the vet and expect to pick up another antibiotic Monday afternoon. This saves the stress of transporting Yafe hours in the car, an exam, etc. I am very confident that we are dealing with an aggressive RI and not some crazy virus, etc.

It was a good communication and I feel that he has both Yafe's interests at heart and mine as well.

I'll keep everyone in the loop on what is prescribed and how it goes.

[richardhind1972]

That's some great news , really glad he's up for getting yafe sorted and all better

Sent from my TA-1024 using Tapatalk

[dakski]

That's some great news , really glad he's up for getting yafe sorted and all better

Sent from my TA-1024 using Tapatalk

We are both up for doing what can be done.

[Bogertophis]

... The last time we had been out at the vet, she had suggested doing a little feed for him. I'm not sure if she meant injection or like a little syringe... but maybe she can do that for him if she feels it's clinically appropriate....

I suspect she meant tube-feeding him so he has some energy to fight back with...it's something I have plenty of experience with & posted about extensively in another
thread here. It's truly helped many snakes I've crossed paths with over the years, & it's not that hard. The first time I ever tried it was only with a short paragraph of
instructions that the vet sent me home with. Keep in mind that the BEST place to do this is AT HOME...because once you tube-feed a snake, the liquid you just put in
comes out rather easily if you don't keep your snake calm & laying flat or with head slightly above his body. If you have the vet do this, I could pretty much guarantee
that he will have lost his lunch by the time you get him home...you don't want to do that.

Of course, if Yafe shows ANY signs of appetite you should first try offering him small prey that is easily digestible, like mouse fuzzies or rat pinks. But with the congestion
of an RI, he cannot smell his food very well, so a tube-feed might be the only way to get food into him. If you have reptile vitamins you can easily add them to the
"snake shake", or whatever else your vet suggests. Just remember that a snake's immune system needs food to function just as ours does: when we're in the hospital
& too sick to eat, do you really think we'd recover or get our appetite back without the energy received via an I.V.? Nope...so while we cannot do I.V.'s on snakes, a
little* tube-feeding (*always a smaller amount than what a normal meal would be) can really help get your snake well. Maybe it's time to learn?

[dakski]

I saw my reptile vet this afternoon and picked up a nebulizer, baytril and sterile water for the nebulizer, and metacam.


I was able to go in the middle of the day and it was less than 2 hours each way, and the car was a stable 78F - much to my chagrin, so I took Yafe.


He was in his hide today with his head down and seemed better. When we get to the vet, he was flicking his tongue. I couldn't believe it. The vet says sometimes it can take a few extra days for the last dose of antibiotics to kick in and for his immune system to fight back.


He was still popping, but barely, and infrequently.


She prescribed the metacam to calm down the irritated respiratory system and prescribed a low dose.


She prescribed the baytril via nebulizer to kill any residual bacteria in his respiratory system, as she feels, at least now, he is doing well enough, that injections and/or oral medication is not necessarily the best route.

The vet felt the prognosis was good despite the bumpy road. She, overall, sees vast improvement and expects a full recovery.

He got his oral dose of Metacam today, which he did not like at all. It tastes like honey, not rodent (it’s actually flavored for rodents), and he was not pleased. However, he was very compliant and did well.

He also had his first nebulizer treatment of Baytril today as well.

I don’t know what to say. The past 10-14 days he was regressing. Today, he seems noticeably better, if not better than he’s been since I’ve had him. I don’t know what to think. I was almost in tears coming home from the vet I was so happy. It’s also been an incredible emotional roller coaster. My nervous system is at a loss.

Let’s keep hoping for the best and I’ll keep everyone in the loop.


One other thing. I bought Yafe from StarPythons. I will write a review when this ordeal is over. It appears the shipping delay caused this infection and over the past week, as things seemed to worsen, Philip, the owner of StarPythons, has been Johnny on the Spot! He’s been emailing regularly, sharing thoughts and ideas and encouragement, and offering to help in any way he can even before I asked. He’s been really great. Even going as far as listing what viruses they test for, what antibiotics he’s used in similar situations, and giving financial support as well and taking ownership of Yafe’s health, despite it likely having little to do with him.

As you can see from earlier posts, we did get off on the wrong foot. I was combative in the beginning and blamed him for Yafe’s RI. He responded accordingly. However, once cooler heads prevailed, it was evident we both wanted what was best for Yafe.

I have kept in touch with him through this entire process and with things looking up and his dedication and attention over the past week, I wanted to make sure I was not painting him or StarPythons in a bad light. I don’t think that is fair at this point.

Again, very optimistic about Yafe’s future now and I’ll continue to update.