Reptile & Amphibian Forums

A friend of mine who has bred snakes for years recomended the use of Tylan for a R.I. Any info on this subjuct would be greatly appreciated!

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 bacterial infections in reptiles.

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 definitely not suggest that dosage. I have not seen any formal clinical PK studies conducted with tylosin on reptiles, but Ross, and later Jenkins, has looked at it informally.

Most RI’s in boids are caused by gram negative bacteria species and these would require cephalosporin, fluoroquinolone, or aminoglycoside class antibiotics. I would recommend that a vet check any python for which antibiotic treatment is anticipated and determine if tylosin is the appropriate antibiotic of choice, as these other classes of antibiotics will be much more effective unless the RI is being caused by Mycoplasma.

Kelly