Reptile & Amphibian Forums

O.K. here goes....I have to give my GTP some sort of antibiotic orally.So I did it for the first time today and Just hope I didn't screw up.I have a syringe with a long tube on the end and when I thought I had it all the way in his throat and injected the medication..I noticed a small bit come from his nostrils.Could the anatomicaly be right?I don't think the syring would be small enough to fit down his air pipe.I just hope I didn't fill his lungs with this liquid meds.But,if I did,could this cause any problems?...death?
Thanx again,
Mike

If it's coming out the nostrils, you've most likely gotten some in the trachea causing aspiration. You need to make sure that you place the tube well down the throat so that it's away from the tracheal opening in the floor of the mouth. Holding the snake upright to keep the head up improves the chances that the liquid will go down the throat instead of backing up into the mouth and ending up in the windpipe. The other thing is give small amounts at a time to avoid filling so much that it's spilling back into the mouth.
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From what I understand, the nostrils are not connected to the trachea, but serve as an air-passage only when the mouth is closed. The glottis, or trachea, is located at the front of the mouth just behind the tongue. When the mouth is closed the air blows from the glottis through the nostrils. A lot of the time the liquid in the mouth will be pushed through the nostrils with contractions of the jaw muscles or if the head is hanging down vertically. This happens quite often, even when snakes drink and is nothing to worry about. I think your snake will be fine.

Brandon Osborne

This is hands down the best pictorial I have seen, with directions as well. You might find this helpful. Good luck.

http://74.220.207.106/~moreliap/forums/showthread.php?t=10084

Hi,

Bradon is correct - coming out of the nostrils has nothing to do with getting it in the lungs. Snakes have a small tube at the base of their lower jaw whihc they cna actually extend outward (this is how they breate when eating) called the glottis. This is the only entracne to the lungs and it is next to impossible to adminsiter meds Po (by mouht) and end up with them in the lungs - there are reasons to want to do this intentioanlly (respitory infection lung wash) and it is difficult.

If you have a snake on meds I'd assume you got them form a vet - what does the vet say?

Ross
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