The use of metronidazole (Flagyl) for enteric bacterial infections in snakes has decreased over the years due to the development of much more effective antibiotics that have far fewer side effects and much wider spectrums of anti-bacterial activity. However, flagyl is still the drug of choice for flagellate protozoans as well as Entamoeba infections in reptiles. Flagyl alone has bactericidal activity against only a select few anaerobic bacterial species and is therefore only going to be effective in cases of enteric bacterial infections where these species are the causative agents. In most cases of enteric bacterial infections, it is therefore, when indicated by susceptibility testing, commonly combined with another cephalosporin or fluoroquinolone class antibiotic to significantly broaden the antibacterial spectrum of the therapy.



While Flagyl should not typically be given with food, in cases where administration is difficult, it can be given with a meal. However, when dosing Flagyl within a food item, it should be the smallest food item that you can get the snake to eat. Not only will this provide for only a slight decrease in bioavailability of the drug, the smaller food item will greatly decrease the possibility of regurgitation, if that is an issue. Due to its limited spectrum of antibacterial activity, it typically will not cause a major disruption of the indigenous intestinal flora.



Kelly

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