Reptile & Amphibian Forums

Recently there have been some data produced that showed using HBC (Hyperimmune bovine colostrum) may be promising in the treatment of Cryptosporidiosis in reptiles. It has been used with some apparent success in Savannah Monitors and some Pythons.

I have an aquaintance who has an infected White-lipped Python. I have aquired a quantity of HBC, and if this snake isn't too far gone, I'm going to attempt treatment and se what comes out of it.

I'll do an initial stomach lavage and get a baseline count, then treat at one week intervals followed by a follow-up lavage. I'll post whatever I find here.

I'm not sure how much good I'm going to do with this one, it's pretty emaciated already, but doesn't yet have the classic stomach swelling that usually closely preceeds death, and it still has the strength to bite, but appears much more lethargic and depressed than normal.

Here goes:
208g. Male White Lipped Python presented with anorexia of undetermined duration. This snake is emaciated and dehydrated and presented with dysecdysis. Microscopic examination of sample obtained by cloacal wash (fecal sample was not available)revealed only a few Strongyloid larvae and embryonated Strongyloid eggs, one Oxyurid egg and one Taenia egg. Acid fast staining and microscopic examination of the cloacal wash sample then revealed a very heavy load of Cyclosporidium serpentis Oocycsts.

Treatment was begun with Hyperimmune Bovine Colostrum administered by stomach tube.

Contents:
1,000mg HBC suspended in 15ml pedialyte
1 oz Hill's A/D
.5 oz Jump-start brand dietary supplement

I will dose this animal again in 4 days, then after 7 days I will follow up with a stomach lavage to determine if the numbers of Cyclosporidium Oocysts are decreasing.

Just a thought . . . can you subcu fluids? The biggest trick to surviving crypto is to keep the animal hydrated. I have limited experience with crypto in reptiles but know well of it in mammals. There is no real cure. The animal goes through a cycle of infestation and then gets better if it doesn't die from dehydration. They still have crypto and can spread it to other animals but they won't present with any symptoms. The only snakes I've seen it in were wild caught.
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Yes, I can give subcutaneous fluids, and I will probably do that with the next treatment if the snake is showing any signs at all of improvement. I didn't want to stress the animal any more than I needed to by giving injections and stomach tube, so I decided to try to hydrate with the stomach tube also as well as try to get electrolyte levels back up.

Some other studies that I've seen recently showed dramatic lowering of the levels of concentration of Crypto in snakes with treatment using Hyperimmune Bovine Colostrum. One study indicated a near elimination of the bacteria, or at least to levels that you would normally find in just about anything. Cryptosporidium is usually there in small, controlled numbers but only becomes a problem in immunodepressed animals. A normally functioning immune system easily keeps it under control. One of the issues with mammals, such as calves is that they get their "starter" compliment of antibodies from the colostrum in the milk when they nurse for the first time or two. It contains very high levels of Immunoglobulins as well as active antibodies against many different pathogens, including cryptosporidium. So, the thought is that maybe these active antibodies will serve to reduce the numbers of bacteria in the snakes system, plus help stimulate it's immune system.

As you said, the problem is to keep the animal hydrated, as well as keeping electrolytes up.

Second treatment to day. No improvement in the condition of this snake to this point. I think it was possibly already too far gone when treatment was started. If it hangs in until this weekend, I'll give SC fluids.

Well, I went in today to give the snake some SC fluids because it was so badly dehydrated and it died before I got there. I think that's a big part of the problem with Crypto. Before anyone realizes there's a problem, that is, by the time the animal is really exhibiting symptoms, the disease is already fairly advanced. I think it can probably be treated if it's somehow caught before the snake (or whatever) gets to the point of regurgitating everything it eats, or at least by the time it regurgitates it's second meal. Unfortunately, regurgitation is usually the first symptom noticed. This snake was way past that point and had not eaten at all for an undetermined amount of time.

Well, it was worth a try. I'm sure this pet store will get another one with Crypto in at some point because the guy likes to order snakes off the "specials" page of the list from these "pet brokers". Anytime you can order a 4 ft. White-lipped Python from one of these places for $60.00 that should be a red flag. Maybe I can catch the next one early enough.

that's too bad . . . it would be interesting to know if this treatment is effective . . .

why I suggested SC fluids was because of the effect of crypto on the gut of the animal . . . in mammals they give IV fluid and bypass the gut . . . So, if SC fluids work in reptiles the same way, it might give a chance for the other treatment to work through the system otherwise . . .

just throwing out thoughts . . .

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You are exactly right. I think that supportive therapy might be as important with Crypto as anything else because of the degree of dehydration/loss of electrolytes. It may be that if the supportive therapy is strong enough to keep the animal nourished and hydrated sufficiently, the Crypto may even begin to limit itself and then the animal's immune system could get it under control. Crypro seems to affect immunodepressed animals much more quickly and profoundly, such as animals that are stressed from capture or some other husbandry related factor. The thought is that since antimicrobials don't seem to have much of an effect on Crypto, then maybe the HBC could boost the immune system. The problem with severely debilitated, dehydrated, and weakened snakes is that anything you do to them is stressful. You have to use a stomach tube to get the medication delivered. That's a lot of stress on the animal. I was really hoping that I could get the animal hydrated and nourished with a cocktail of Pedialyte, vitamin supplements and Hill's A/D via stomach tube, then soak him to try to get some fluid absorbed through the skin without the additional stress of sticking him. Then if he regained some strength, start alternating tubings with SC fluids.