I hope some of you long term keepers can share insights and experiences on this topic. Over the years of keeping p. breitensteini I have experienced respiratory infections primarily from wild-collected individuals, but once from a suspected captive bred animal. My recent experience is with a rescued adult that was treated by another rescuer (Rob Carmichael) with Amikacin and symptoms disappeared, this was before I acquired him. This past season I had this animal housed with another for breeding and ran into a problem with a poorly placed sensor/temperature probe that allowed the cage temperatures to fall below minimum levels with normal readings displayed (Note to others: check cage temps with temp gun also!).
Both male and female developed symptoms of respiratory infection and were started on a course of subcutaneous injections of Amikacin. The female was gravid at the time of treatment and she subsequently deposited 17 eggs of which 7 remain viable (first clutch for her). She has since responded well enough to treatments and is almost clear of signs of any bacteria. The male however seemed to have worsened after treatment and my vet and I decided that the male was developing some resistance to the Amikacin. I have since completed a course of subcutaneous injections with Fortaz in hopes of beating this. This male exhibits odd behavior in thrusting its body sideways like it is bucking a rival male; however is in the cage alone. The throat flares out in attempts to exhale through its nares which seem to be perpetually clogged.
During this time temps are kept at roughly 85F in the cage and the animal is soaked for up to one hour three times a week with a large basin to drink/soak in at will. My question to the other long-term keepers is regarding a theory I have about the sedentary nature of the former P. curtus group leading to long-term respiratory troubles. The second lung is more or less an air sac if I remember some of my reptilian anatomy and has less vascularization that the primary lung. Do you think this may require different treatment methods that simple injectible anti-biotics? I am not looking for real answers since I continue to address this problem under the supervision of a very talented herp vet, but I thought to pose this dilemma for the benefit of other keepers to get an informative exchange of info. Later.
