Thanks for posting the link on Tylan. I just wanted to add a little more information about it. Tylan, or tylosin, is a macrolide class antibiotic that is mainly effective against only gram positive bacteria. It has been used successfully to treat chronic RI in reptiles caused by bacteria of the genus Mycoplasma and possibly Streptococcus (rarely). Some people confuse Mycoplasma with bacteria of the genus Mycobacterium, which causes tuberculosis, but they are completely different. Tylosin will usually work well only if the causative organism of the RI is Mycoplasma, otherwise it will usually be ineffective in resolving most other types of infections in reptiles.

An important point is that many chronic RI infections in boids that are unresponsive to other antibiotics have been found to be caused by the Mycoplasma bacteria. So if you have boids that are having frequent RI’s, then tylosin may be a good choice. Frequent RI’s would also call for a review of any husbandry practices that may contribute to these reoccurring problems.

Another plus is that Tylosin is relatively non-toxic and has a wide margin of safety, and I have seen dosage recommendations running from 5 to 50 mg/kg body weight at 48 to 72 hours between dosages. In the 1980’s I used it at 25 mg/kg per day on burmese pythons with no toxic effects, however I would not suggest that dosage. I have not seen any formal clinical PK studies conducted with tylosin use in reptiles, but Ross, and later Jenkins, have looked at it informally. I would recommend that a vet check any boid showing advanced RI symptoms and determine if tylosin is the appropriate antibiotic of choice, as other classes of antibiotics will be more effective unless it is a Mycoplasma induced RI.

Kelly

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