Reptile & Amphibian Forums

No affiance too any one but I would like too only hear from people that have experience with this. My 5' alligator that I got a month ago has two infections fungal and bacterial on cuts that he got from a Nile he was housed with, the vet gave me antibiotics that have too be given every day (pill) I'm the kind of keeper that doesn't like stressing my alligators out from handling in fact I have been told that I get more stress then the animal probable does and two weeks of this is going too be stressful for both of us,the fact that he's sick and will not eat means I have too fiscally open his moth and be certain that the pill is down my question is has any one ever dealt with any thing like this and what was the outcome, I'm just hoping the stress isn't too much for him.This is the first time dealing with health issues with any of my gators and yes its stressing me out. thanks

I was also told too keep him out of water for some time for the fact that he's not basking, this I haven't don yet in hopes that he would start on his own but its been two days and no such luck, the vet couldn't tell me much on how I would administer the pill but I told him not too worry about that part but I was wondering how long I should keep him out of water and should I put him in the water manually for a bit every day ,but theirs that stress factor again with handling him by puting him in and out every day, so should I do it every day or every other day, sorry for the long ?? but like I said in my last post I get very stressed if I think my animals are geting stressed at all, the fact that he's not in great health doesnt help him deil with stress all that good.So any experience with this would be great.THANKS

The exactly is the pill? If you can show us photos the the health issues, as well as some pictures and information regarding the enclosure, temps, etc .. This info will help and im sure we can offer you some help.

I dont get how you are giving this animal a pill, how are you doing this and being sure the pill is swallowed? I have only used injectable medications which I dont think worked well

I have also used some form of iodine solution (I forget the exact word it was called though), potassium permanganate soakings, etc ..

For most battle wounds, I will sometimes just use some tripple antibiotic cream and try to keep the animal dry, this can be administered pretty easily without stress to you or the animal, broom stick with q-tips tapped on one end.

I would assume your vet asked that you keep the animal out of water so that the wounds can dry out a bit, you need to be sure you dont dehydrate the animal.

Maybe you might try a very shallow water level, the tripple antibiotic, you could also allow shallow water during the day and drain the water out at night ... you want your animal to drownd if its very weak in very bad shape, but it still requires drinking water.

Betadine was the word I was looking for!

Also, I ment you dont want your animal to drownd (type-o), I had a crocodile that was in VERY bad shape but it hung on (barely) for months and months, it hung on so long that I thought for sure it would survive, but then one day it just had enough and ended up drownding in about 1 inch of water

Thanks for the response. The enclosure is perfect he's my 3rd gator there all within the same size. He's not extremely week he still puts up a fight but his apatite is gone, the vet took a skin scrape sample so I already know his problem, prier too the vet visit I administered iodine solution on the wounds but it just spread the infection was already present so that option was useless. The way I give him the pill is by getting a holed of him and getting behind him with my legs around him just too secure him I gently tap on the top jaw the same time I also slightly pull on his lower jaw ones its open I put the pill that's in a small peace of wet meat in his moth I let it shut I stay on him for a few seconds and open his moth again too check if its still there I use the end of a fishing net that has a plastic coating on it so not too harm him if he decides too shut his moth and I pressed too push it past the water barer flap this all takes less then a min I do this by my self I find that its easer then having some one in the way but some one is always present just in case.I wouldn't advise any one too try this unless they have experience and the skill yes I do think its also a skill not something just any one can learn.