Reptile & Amphibian Forums

I took my 20 pound albino burm to a "experienced" reptile vet 2 weeks ago. He told us that she had a bacterial infection. He made it sound like he knew what he was doing. He prescribed Baytril to be injected in the amount of 4.2cc's every 48 hours. We did as we were told. She passed on today. After being very upset, I did some additonal research on Baytril and reptiles. Baytril has only been tested officially on cats and dogs and there is no dosage scale for reptiles. Please beware what you are getting from the vets.

>Baytril has only been tested officially on cats and dogs and there is no dosage scale for reptiles. Please beware what you are getting from the vets.

I'm sorry for your loss and know this is a difficult time for you. Using drugs that have not gone through formal testing in a particular species is common in animals. Baytril is widely used in reptiles. Here's a link that discusses drugs given to reptiles and provides Baytril dosing info - http://www.vin.com/VINDBPub/SearchPB/Proceedings/PR05000/PR00341.htm My guess is that few, if any, of the drugs on that page have gone through official drug trials on reptiles. Drug trials are expensive and there isn't sufficient financial motivation for drug companies to do so.

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I've been keeping snakes for many years, from my experience Baytril has been used for treating upper respitory infections in snakes, for the last ten years at least. I myself have successfully treat several pythons with this drug, incuding a burmese. You did not mention what the symptoms were, I am more inclined to believe that it was simply too little too late.

3 days prior to us taking our snake to the vet we noticed she was breathing loudly. She had not been off feed and her poop looked normal. Nothing had changed in her cage. Her temps and humidity were the same as always. Her loud breathing was what prompted us to take her to the vet. I called the vet today to advise him of her death and his response was if you would like I can perform an autopsy at your expense to see if I misdiagnosed her.
I am glad that you have not had a problem with Baytril and I am glad that you have been treating your reptiles with it for years.

On second thought maybe I just didn't go to the right Reptile vet. You are right it probably was not the Baytril.
Please excuse my frustration.

Misdiagnosis, or perhaps the illness had been going on for longer then you suspected? An infection like that is serious but doesn't kill overnite, for her to die the next day, the vet should have been able to warn you if her condition was that bad.
I would get a necropsy done but by another vet.

I've got to agree with the other posters. I had a vet use Baytril on a rescued boa that had an infection, and the snake is alive and well today (2 years later).

>>I took my 20 pound albino burm to a "experienced" reptile vet 2 weeks ago. He told us that she had a bacterial infection. He made it sound like he knew what he was doing. He prescribed Baytril to be injected in the amount of 4.2cc's every 48 hours. We did as we were told. She passed on today. After being very upset, I did some additonal research on Baytril and reptiles. Baytril has only been tested officially on cats and dogs and there is no dosage scale for reptiles. Please beware what you are getting from the vets.