Reptile & Amphibian Forums

I know it is that time of the year when every one starts seeing more post about URI as they seem to pop up much more in the winter. However, I am having some issues I have been treating with ceftazidime as well as amikacin for over 3 full treatments now. I have talked to my vet who is a reptile specialist and asked if we need to do a culture or what needs to done because we are "treating the symptoms" but the results do not seem to be improving. My vet swears up and down that every time she has done a culture that it has come back with only the normal fungus that should be present, and from talking to her I would say that she is not comfortable doing a culture. (if she doesn't feel like she knows what she is doing why bother paying her to do it.)

Her recommendation is to kill one and send it in. I personally don't like this idea because how do you chose who to kill... some say take the weakest as they are the worst of anyways; however, I have gotten up in the morning to find out that the one I thought would die that night made it through another day and one I though was ok is dead as a door nail... Personally I don't like killing any of my animals, with the exception of my rats(which I really do not like killing but know I need to as part of process) Not to mention my animals are worth something to me and to kill my investment really T's me.

I am assuming that most responses will say get another vet, which I am looking into but I am sure some of the larger breeder have faced some of they type of stuff and am wondering where do I start to go from here. Also I know a lot of people use Bytril however my vet will not give me any because she believe it has to be given daily and is to hard on these animals.

Also she said she wanted to test the corpse for IBD. I haven't done a lot of reading on IBD but I thought that is very life threating to boa's however balls tend to be able to be carriers but it normally doesn't affect them?
If I am wrong on this feel free to let me know. This is just want I have thought.

Matt

Sounds to me like you might need another vet. How long are these 3 rounds of antibiotics that she has set you up with? Is she doing a culture from just the mouth or is she doing a trachea culture? Before you kill anything you might want to get in touch with Dr. Stahl www.seavs.com and send at least one of your snakes to him for diagnosis and treatment. And IBD kills pythons quick and boas are the asymptomatic carriers. Good luck.
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Tosha
JET Pythons
The Blog
nihil facimus sed id bene facimus

As Tosha said above, your information about IBD is backward. Boas can be long-term carriers of the disease while it is a very fast killer in Balls (2-3 months post exposure). If there is a test available now I would highly recommend it.
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Lincoln, NE
0.1 Pastel, 1.0 Pastel het Pied, 0.1 Pied, 0.1 Cinn, 1.0 Black Pewter, 1.0 Woma (hidden gene?), 0.1 Yellowbelly
2.0 Normals, 1.0 Thayeri, 0.1 Thayeri X Alterna, 0.1 crazy cat, 1.0 husband

ok here we go on uri first to make a recovery u need to clean water dish everyday cause the infection just keeps transporting itself back to the snake after every drink also clean cage at least every third day which helps alot in killing infection.and your vet needs to swab the TRACHEA this is what dictates the best choice for antibiotic treatment.also increase the heat in cage this also helps ive fought off this numerous times and had success.My vet is a close personal friend who has been the vet for the la and ny zoo for 32 yrs and he told me this for my collection in florida.and also make sure there is no blood in the mouth this give bacterial infections.if u need more help we are here.
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spider m
pastel f
pastel m
high c albino m
het for albino m
het for albino f
cini f
rodent breeding setup
and still growing

Lets go under the assumption that you vet in fact knows what she is doing:
If your vet has all but ruled out a heavy bacterial load that is causing these RI's, I would think that viral would be the next logical step to test for? Any new acquisitions come into your collection recently that may be the "carrier"?
Seeing as how you have an animal ready for a necropsy...
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www.strictlyballs.ca

nothing new, I have my temps up 80 cold side 90 hot side humidity is up and I gone through 3 treatments- 5 shots 3 days apart.

I am meeting with another vet next week.

Matt

From everything I've ever read, a "treatment" is ten injections, three days apart (taking 30 days).
When I had an animal with an RI, I had those temps pumped up to 100 degrees, as they live their everyday lives at 92-95 in my house. The higher the difference between their "norm" and the increase in temperatures during an RI the better, as you're forcing their immune systems to step it up and work harder.
Good luck and keep us updated.
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www.strictlyballs.ca

Thank you for your post I do not get online as much as I would like too so I figure it would be best to contact you by e-mail. You had mentioned that turning up your heat was key which I have already done, however, 100 degrees sounds a little excessive, at what point do you worry about cooking your animals in the sake to save them? I am not trying to sound harsh it is just I have never heard anyone recommend this high of temps for these animals.

Thanks
matt