Reptile & Amphibian Forums

I took my oldest BP in for a RI today which came on from nowhere as far as I can tell. He was eating fine and temps have been a little cool but nothing drastic. Today I had him out and he was blowing bubles like a little kid on a spring day, poor guy. I sat at the only Vet who will see snakes in my area (still an hours drive away) for 2 hours to be told my snake has RI from malnutrition! He said it is because I do not givew him vitamins. Now everything on the planet I have ever read says it is not necessary to give snakes bitamins because they get everything they need form the prey you feed them. Who's right?

I think it is more likely from stress of trying to get him switched to f/t, or my recently unsteady temps which never drop the hot side lower than 83 degrees at night be are struggling to hit 88 by 1pm, or perhaps the week of super high humidity from that cypress mulch.

OH! Before I forget...
He also told me mulch and bedding of any kind is bad for reptiles. They should only be kept on paper to avoid RI!!!!

Either I am crazy or I need to drive really super far for a new Vet!

I have to inject him 5 times, 1x every 3 days because he doesn't believe in oral meds for snakes. Did this for my rat snake so the deed is no problem for me but I never hear anyone else having to do this.

This is the same Vet who probed the same snake that was sold to me as a male and the Vet still stands by his probing that the snake is female at 4 scales. I haven't taken him back to Carl Aiken for him to check the snake himself but he was 9 million percent positive it is a male and is willing to correct it if he is wrong. I will be taking him to Carl when he is better at the next Cheswick show.

What are the chances of this spreading my other snakes ekpt in the same stack; stack of cages not cages? He told me next to none but at this point I am double checking everything.

Then he told me that BPs are the worst snakes as pets! He said he force feeds more of them than not and most don't make it as pets!!!!

There has to be another Vet in the Pittsburgh area. Can anyone reccommend one to me?

I am sorry to come off as a crazed b*tch here but I have a killer headache from smelling the worst smelling 8723636647 pound dog in my life in that office. He needed a bath about 15 years ago I think. Not the Vet's fault but its killing my head for sure.

Hey,

Been through the same experience. Find a herp-friendly vet. I luckily enough have Dr. John Rossi as my vet (major herp expert- many published articles), but even he misses things sometimes. The injections are no problem and the best way to administer antibiotics- but the B-vitamin thing- been through that with another vet- they DON'T need it. Hope others can shed some light on your other concerns.

Steve & Laurie Harrison
J-ville, FL

It is rather unfortunate that many vets don't know squat about reptiles. Check with your local herp society to see if there is anyone near you that can recommend a more suitable vet. Anyway - vitamins are rarely necessary for a balls that are feeding normally - if he has been on fast for like 2 years then yeah. RIs can come about from just about anything - not eating - dehydration too cold too drafty mouth sores substrate stuck in mouth etc. etc. Crank up your heat and humidity until you can get him to a qualified vet (did he give the snake any meds?). The rest of your snakes should be fine - be sure to wash you hands real good, between snakes and nothing should be passed. If you want to be on the safe side - you can move him to a quarantine area - but from what Ive heard RIs aren't really contageous but it also depends on how he got it.

Anyway - I hope this helps!
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Tosha

"Nihil facimus sed id bene facimus"

7.33.0 Ball Python (Harry and Fluffy and gang)
1.0.0 Angolan Python (Anakin Skywalker)
0.0.1 Green Tree Python (Verdi - yeah I know but my kids love the book)
0.2.0 Feline (Pippen and Pandora)
0.0.1 Desert Tortoise (Pope John Paul aka JP )
2.2.1 Fish (1,2,3,4)
0.0.2 frogs rescued from pool skimmer

It says Gentocin/Vit Injections. Combined antbiotic and vitamins he told me. I have his temps at 80-90 through the gradient which I did before we left and will keep them up there on the whole stack until he is better. The injections did clear up my rat snake last winter by the 3rd injection so I do have to give the Vet that much credit. I hope it goes the same for Maynard as this is a absolute sweetiepie snake. Everyone loves this guy too death!

I didn't think many vets used Gentocin as a first choice anymore.

As with all Aminoglycosides it can have negative side effects, most notably kidney damage.

My vet usually gives Aamikacin, still an Aminoglycoside, but supposedly safer in my understanding.

The other option is Baytril.

And I also do prefer injectables personally.

TomChambers

ARAV

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Sam
Gecko Den
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