Respiratory Infections

Someone asked me on Friday about Respiratory Infections.

Have I gotten them in the collection?

Yes.

Have I lost any animals to it?

No.

How was it treated?

Well... Over the course of my experiences, I have been issued Baytril and also Ceftazidime.
More recently, my local vet, Dr. Tom Greek, has been giving me the latter drug.

It is every three days, subdermally with a needle, and amount dependent on the weight of the animal.

Enrofloxacin (also known as Baytril) was also subdermally, but was also given orally as well, depending on the situation.

Have you ever given a snake a shot?

It is NOT fun, especially if you are doing it for the first time.

Sub-dermal means below the dermis, which is a thick layer of scales and skin for the Ball Python and most Reptiles. Piercing thru that layer is rather hard, and sometimes there is the possibility of piercing too far down beyond the skin into the muscle tissue.

On top of getting the right layer, one must also have the animal still and not struggling, lest you put the needle in the wrong place and have to pierce twice or three times.

It is a challenge, which is why my Vet gave oral Baytril for a while.

The effectiveness is less than that of a shot, however, so it is one of those things that is either a pain and effective, or convenient and less effective.

Ceftazidime (also called FORTAZ) has become more popular over the years in terms of effectiveness due to its potency. This is important to note that if given too much, you can kill your animal.

Both Baytril and Fortaz are meant to treat bacterial diseases. Read more here.

As I always stress, TAKE YOUR REPTILES TO A QUALIFIED REPTILE VETERINARY SPECIALIST.

Remember that even when you do this, some animals will pass no matter what you do, as I remember the loss of my beloved Enchi female.

So there you go.

To avoid RI, keep your animals clean with good husbandry, keep strange animals away (quarantine), and be vigilant. If you notice anything wrong with your snake or any animal, for that matter, do the responsible thing and take them in to a qualified Veterinarian.

You are the one that is responsible for taking care of them.

Do the right thing.

Have a great day, my friends!