View Full Version : Bubbly mouth
I purchased a beautiful ball python on March 8th from a reptile expo I attended. Before buying her I inspected around her mouth and for mites and she looked healthy. I also had her checked by the vet a few days after purchasing her.
So I've had her for almost a month now and have had a few meals in her, which she has pooped out already but she has refused for the past 2 weeks, which is ok too.
I've been letting her settle in so I haven't disturbed her much lately.
However today I opened her cage to get her out for some pictures and noticed she looked like she was about to shed. That's fine but upon closer inspection she had bubbles coming out of her mouth and she would slowly open and close her mouth with a little bit of squeak. Just great. Also you'll see that there's a dark rusty color smeared around the edge of her mouth. Now I don't know if that's dried blood or if it's stained from the reptibark because I lightly misted in there a few days ago on the reptibark. I really don't want to try rubbing around her mouth or her head right now.
Just a few notes on the enclosure. Hot spot is under tank heater that sits around 90-95 Fahrenheit that is plugged into a thermostat. Cool side is 70-73. Both are monitored by thermometer probes. She's in a plastic tub with many many ventilation holes at the top and a water dish large enough to soak herself.
I'm thinking respiratory infection but I could be wrong. I'm going to call the vet as soon as they open tomorrow to try to get her in. Right now if there's anything I can do for her please let me know or if you have any other information. Thanks all. This really ruined my day.
reptiledude987
04-05-15, 03:09 PM
Whats the humidity level in her tub?
The gauge on the thermometer that reads humidity says 60%. It's one of those cheap ones though so I'm not sure how accurate it is. I looked at her again and she's breathes really fast in out of her mouth with bubbles coming out. I really hope she makes it through the night so I can get her some help.
SnoopySnake
04-05-15, 03:23 PM
The gauge on the thermometer that reads humidity says 60%. It's one of those cheap ones though so I'm not sure how accurate it is. I looked at her again and she's breathes really fast in out of her mouth with bubbles coming out. I really hope she makes it through the night so I can get her some help.
If you're talking about the analog ones I would highly recommend going digital... The analog ones are notoriously inaccurate so your humidity quite possibly could be too high or too low. That could be the problem...Good luck, hope she gets better!
Thank you. Yes I need to do that. I'm wondering if I should remove all the bedding out of her enclosure and place papertowels down or put her in a different enclosure for the night. I really don't want to stress her out.
Here is a picture of the enclosure.
Sublimeballs
04-05-15, 06:13 PM
Sounds like RI to me. Your cold side is nearing on 10 degrees to cold.
Sounds like RI to me. Your cold side is nearing on 10 degrees to cold.
Her cold side is about the same temperature that my apartment stays at throughout the year. I often find her on the cool side but that may because it's the only other hide when she wants to get away from the warm side. Do you know of any ways I could up the heat on the cool side in a plastic bin?
Chris72
04-06-15, 03:20 PM
Yup we like to keep cool side at 82-84.
Sounds like R.I.
See a vet, get a culture (gram +\-), then an Rx. (Fortaz, Baytril, etc)
Bump the temps, keep humidity high and see a vet.
See a vet, get a culture (gram +\-), then an Rx. (Fortaz, Baytril, etc)
You mean....Get an Rx ONLY IF THE CULTURE SUPPORTS IT. Right? ;)
Update: Seeing a vet tomorrow afternoon. She's still bubbling away. I hate to see her like this. Thanks for the input everyone.
Ballchris
04-07-15, 12:48 AM
as far as the cool side you could do another heat mat and set it for the cool side temps, iv never done this but it may help i have read on other forums that some do this for there bins and of course get another t stat.
Chris72
04-07-15, 03:26 PM
You mean....Get an Rx ONLY IF THE CULTURE SUPPORTS IT. Right? ;)
Well of course. Less drugs are always better. ;)
Brian from bhb does a vapor protocol that's very popular in Europe.
Wounding if anyone has tried that?
millertime89
04-07-15, 03:38 PM
Well of course. Less drugs are always better. ;)
Brian from bhb does a vapor protocol that's very popular in Europe.
Wounding if anyone has tried that?
Yes. If you're seeing bubbling at the mouth it probably won't be effective. It only works for RIs caught really early. Once you see the bubbles it's probably too late for that. I've tried it before when I saw bubbles on my old dwarf burm's mouth/nose and it helped for a little bit but it didn't actually get rid of the RI, just reduced the symptoms.
Aaron_S
04-07-15, 04:06 PM
Yes. If you're seeing bubbling at the mouth it probably won't be effective. It only works for RIs caught really early. Once you see the bubbles it's probably too late for that. I've tried it before when I saw bubbles on my old dwarf burm's mouth/nose and it helped for a little bit but it didn't actually get rid of the RI, just reduced the symptoms.
The other problem is figuring out if the RI is viral or bacterial. If it's viral it would only suppress the symptoms as you mentioned.
millertime89
04-07-15, 04:32 PM
The other problem is figuring out if the RI is viral or bacterial. If it's viral it would only suppress the symptoms as you mentioned.
Excellent point, the solution that you mix in the water is F10 which is an antibacterial chemical. Furthermore in my discussion with vets, every one that I've spoken with feels that it would also be an irritant and could potentially make the situation worse.
Chris72
04-07-15, 06:49 PM
Excellent point, the solution that you mix in the water is F10 which is an antibacterial chemical. Furthermore in my discussion with vets, every one that I've spoken with feels that it would also be an irritant and could potentially make the situation worse.
Have never understood why anyone would throw away valuable treatment time, and possibly the life of the animal, messing around with half baked ideas that are known to be harmful. (Why...to save a vet visit?) :no:
Have never understood why anyone would throw away valuable treatment time, and possibly the life of the animal, messing around with half baked ideas that are known to be harmful. (Why...to save a vet visit?) :no:
Trust me....people will do anything to "save" a visit to vet/doctor/whatever.
With the advent of Google, everyone is a freaking internet physician. I hear the same thing from a vet friend of mine.
It seems that half of my encounters with patients are trying to undo what they have diagnosed themselves with on WebMD or Google or even worse, Dr. Oz.....
Update: Took her to the vet and of course she was diagnosed with an upper respiratory infection. They looked in her mouth...the kicker? Clean and healthy pink color. I noticed bubbles coming from the sides of the mouth too. She yawns A LOT. I'll include a picture of what I noticed about her jaw as well, but it's not always wonky looking. I still hear popping noises sometimes especially when she's stress breathing while being handled. She is also in blue. She was given a shot of baytril/enroflox. I go back on Friday so I will definitely inquire about a swab and having a gram +\- stain done, that seems to make the most sense before administering antibiotics. Now that I see all this input about antibiotics, not so sure about the type of treatment she was given today. We will see. I cleaned out her enclosure and put in new hides and a water dish as well as another heat source to bump up the heat. Does anyone have any other suggestions about what can be done about RI's besides antibiotics, as I see that it's not the best course of action after all? Thanks for the input everyone. I really appreciate it. On the other hand she has steadily gained weight since I've been keeping her.
Jrich....the antibiotics *may* be the right course...if the RI is from a bacterial source. But you won't know that for sure without a culture/gram stain. If it is viral, all of the Baytril on the planet won't fix it. That's not to say that often times "empirical treatment" isn't done...meaning "hey, your throat hurts, it's red, it might be strep, let's just treat it w Amoxil and see if you get better"....that happens all the time (it's just not good medicine, IMO).
In this case, your pythons bubbling secretions could very well be a bacterial process...your vet may have seen this a 1000 times and is very confident in rendering this treatment...however, if you don't see a clinical response in 48-72 hours, is it because the wrong antibiotic was chosen for the bacteria in question, or....perhaps, there was no bacteria at all and it was a virus that no matter what you do, you just have to give supportive care and let it run its course....?
shaunyboy
04-08-15, 06:27 AM
Excellent point, the solution that you mix in the water is F10 which is an antibacterial chemical. Furthermore in my discussion with vets, every one that I've spoken with feels that it would also be an irritant and could potentially make the situation worse.
i had a Jag that kept getting RI symptoms...
we did a tracheal wash and found no viral or bacterial infection
we did key hole surgery and the lung was in perfect shape and a colour..
we took swabs from the lung during surgery,that showed nothing after being cultured
but there were small blobs of water in appearing in the lung..
i had great vet at the time Romain Pizza,who is now the vet at Edinburgh Zoo,he travels the world collecting creatures for the zoo now,and was a reptile keeper himself...
regarding the small drops of water appearing,he said what was going on with the jags lung,was similar to a human with something like Cystic Fibrosis...
F10 in a nebuliser dilluted at 250:1,twice a day for 15 minutes,kept the condition at bay for the most part..
the snake only lived another 4 or 5 years,but symptom free 90% of that time
to the op
please don't worry,as it was not a respiratory infection that killed my Jag,it was an on going lung problem
get your vet to identify the type of infection and what treatment is best for said infection..
F10 in a nebuliser only helps with certain types of infection mate
cheers shaun
Shaun...wow...very interesting case (really sucks though being one of your snakes)....this is a perfect example of "not everything needs an antibiotic"....man, thanks for posting this.
It also underscores the need for thorough investigation and not just shrugging things off as "same old stuff". That's where a good clinician comes in handy :)
Took her to the vet a few days ago for another shot of antibiotics. She still bubbles a small amount. However she finally shed and is much more active and even ate a meal last night. Things are looking up but I shouldn't speak too soon.
Albert Clark
04-14-15, 03:59 PM
Wow, sorry to hear and see your snake in this condition! First, you are right to place him on paper towels now and when you get back from the vet with your diagnosis and treatments. That is too much reptibark in that small enclosure you only need a handful in there and spread it around on top of the paper towels. I would add some holes in the sides of that tub. To increase the temps on the cool side I would get a che (ceramic heat emitter) and place it a few inches over the cool side in a clamp lamp. 75 watt che should be sufficient. Good work and he should heal up soon.
hey albert, i think you've got some great points, but (and not trying to nit pick), but your reason for the edit....that high humidity *causes* RI, is not accurate. while is certainly favors growth of certain pathogens, by itself humidity is not pathogenic. if a respiratory bacteria or respiratory virus may be present, and environmental factors are favorable for that particular organism (high humidity, high temps, whatever) then growth is promoted. i think that may be what you meant...?
Albert Clark
04-14-15, 06:04 PM
hey albert, i think you've got some great points, but (and not trying to nit pick), but your reason for the edit....that high humidity *causes* RI, is not accurate. while is certainly favors growth of certain pathogens, by itself humidity is not pathogenic. if a respiratory bacteria or respiratory virus may be present, and environmental factors are favorable for that particular organism (high humidity, high temps, whatever) then growth is promoted. i think that may be what you meant...?
Trust me on this one: High humidity for prolonged periods in enclosed spaces like that small tub is a contributing cause for ri in ball pythons. Maybe if he had more ventilation especially cross ventilation, it would have helped to decrease the irritation to the respiratory tract. However the end result would be the same. :blink:
Contributing...yes. I would agree with that....That's perfectly logical and speaks to my point. But to say the humidity causes the RI is like your mom saying "don't go outside in the rain without your coat or you'll catch a cold"...the theory of spontaneous generation has long since been set aside.
Now, if you're talking about an inflammatory process that's not infectious, you could be very correct. Lots of environmental crap can cause inflammation. The problem arises when one tries to treat environmental issues with antibiotics....Shaun's post above is a great example of this. His vet is a stud to go to these lengths.
Albert Clark
04-16-15, 06:50 AM
Ok. I see your points. We can agree to disagree. I think adequate ventilation is needed in the op enclosure especially cross ventilation to help prevent reinfection. Also he should double check and improve his temp delivery to both the cool side and the warm side.
Aaron_S
04-16-15, 09:00 AM
Ok. I see your points. We can agree to disagree....
This is science. There is no other way. You can say or believe what you want but it doesn't mean you're right.
It's akin to calling the sky green when in fact it's blue.
Anyway, I think Matt was trying to say that humidity isn't a cause of RIs. They don't help if bacteria or a virus is present but they won't be the sole cause of an RI.
In that case all of mine will have an RI every shed cycle as I jump up the humidity to 100%.
Albert Clark
04-17-15, 04:31 PM
This is science. There is no other way. You can say or believe what you want but it doesn't mean you're right.
It's akin to calling the sky green when in fact it's blue.
Anyway, I think Matt was trying to say that humidity isn't a cause of RIs. They don't help if bacteria or a virus is present but they won't be the sole cause of an RI.
In that case all of mine will have an RI every shed cycle as I jump up the humidity to 100%.
There is science and then there is junk science! I don't know what you mean about the sky being green and you can make all the poor analogies that you want. You believe what you want and I will do the same. I never said humidity was a cause of RIs. The OP was about "HIGH HUMIDITY". That is what I said is a cause of RIs was "HIGH HUMIDITY" in enclosed spaces for "extended" periods of time associated with poor or inadequate ventilation. It's the "HIGH HUMIDITY" for extended periods of time that creates the medium for infection. It's the "HIGH HUMIDITY" for extended periods of time in enclosed spaces with poor ventilation that is the cause.
:blink::blink::blink:
There is science and then there is junk science!(And what you are dispensing brother, is basically junk). I never said humidity was a cause of RIs (Actually you did...quoting form your edit: High humidity is a cause of ri in ball pythons!. The OP was about "HIGH HUMIDITY". That is what I said is a cause of RIs was "HIGH HUMIDITY" in enclosed spaces for "extended" periods of time associated with poor or inadequate ventilation. It's the "HIGH HUMIDITY" for extended periods of time that creates the medium for infection. It's the "HIGH HUMIDITY" for extended periods of time in enclosed spaces with poor ventilation that is the cause.
:blink::blink::blink:
And you're correct, Just because I said said it, doesn't make it right. Do some research, understand microbiology. Yes, high humidity can promote propagation of certain species of bacteria, viruses, or fungi....but so can arid environments. If you do not have the organism, you don't have infection dude. It's as simple as that. What you do to facilitate growth of said organism is the variable.
Albert Clark
04-18-15, 06:07 AM
First of all Mr. MDT, get it right! If you are going to quote me then quote me correctly! I never said humidity causes RIs, it was always "HIGH" humidity. Like I said before "HIGH" humidity is a cause of RIs. Especially when accompanied by enclosed spaces and poor or inadequate ventilation! I don't need you to attack my credibility or use my mother as a piece of your inappropriate analogies! You don't know me and you certainly need to learn how to respect people who don't agree with you. Research is my middle name sir! I am not your" DUDE" and I am not your pet. I am very well versed in all of the sciences thank you! I am done with this thread and your inabilities. Have a fantastic day!!! :blink::blink::blink::blink::blink::blink::pissedo ff:
just copied and pasted directly from your edit (to be fair, as posted above, it does say "high humidity")....not attacking your credibility. and it wasn't not "your" mom....it was a "generic" mom (crap, let's say it was my mom....geez...she'd still be wrong).
albert, you clearly have a lot of history w reptiles, and i've learned some stuff from your posts. that's what this forum is for, learning from each other.... i'm not trying to disrespect you. what i was trying to do is explain the germ theory of infection (because it seems to be escaping)...apparently that was a mistake.
back to the O.P. i think this boils down to good vet evaluation AND making sure your husbandry for the species in question is spot on (again, refer to Shuan's post, prob the most informative one on this thread). best of luck to you.
First of all Mr. MDT, get it right! If you are going to quote me then quote me correctly! I never said humidity causes RIs, it was always "HIGH" humidity. Like I said before "HIGH" humidity is a cause of RIs. Especially when accompanied by enclosed spaces and poor or inadequate ventilation! I don't need you to attack my credibility or use my mother as a piece of your inappropriate analogies! You don't know me and you certainly need to learn how to respect people who don't agree with you. Research is my middle name sir! I am not your" DUDE" and I am not your pet. I am very well versed in all of the sciences thank you! I am done with this thread and your inabilities. Have a fantastic day!!! :blink::blink::blink::blink::blink::blink::pissedo ff:
So many exclamation points dude!! MDT was quite respectful and calm, while you seem incredibly overexcited and unable to have a simple conversation where people might possibly have varying points to contribute. Oh wait...I mean... various points to contribute!!!!!
Albert, you had it partially right, but then got all bent out of shape when someone corrected you a bit. Sorry, but no, humidity does not cause RI, nor does high humidity. You had it right though when you qualified it by saying that high humidity when coupled with the lack of ventilation in an enclosed space can contribute to it, but again that is not because of the humidity. The poor ventilation and enclosure space is the cause of the problem you speak of, not the humidity itself. That was the point MDT was trying to make clear I think. You can have a very high humidity enclosure with out worry about RI, as long as you have it set up properly. However, you put that same humidity in a small empty enclosed space with limited ventilation and you get problems. Not just the possibility of viruses and bacteria that MDT mentioned, but also with fungal blooms where the spoors are then constantly being breathed in.
Part of the problem here too is that RI is a broad catch-all that people use to refer to just about any lung problem. While bacterial would be similar to what we think of simply as a cold, the viral kind would be closer to pneumonia, and the lack of ventilation kind more like dealing with air pollution. All different causes and illnesses, but because its reptiles they seem to all get put together.
Update. After a few rounds of baytril injections Cersei's bubbling seemed to be at minimum and she has been eating well enough. I have since moved her to a 20 gallon tank with a screen top and aspen bedding. Warm side has heating pad set to 92 on a thermostat and there's a 50watt heat bulb set above her warm hide all monitored by another thermometer, cool side 78-82 depending on the time of day. Humidity stays around 70%. She spends most of her time on the warm side. However just a few days ago she was bubbling away again. Here's some pictures I snapped of her in her travel cage. She pressed her snout right up against the side, which allowed a little of an inside view. Sometimes when she flicks her tongue out there looks like there's something on it and she can't seem to flick out it out fully. Anyone have any ideas, thoughts, suggestions?
Here is another picture. She keeps her mouth like this at times
Aaron_S
05-24-15, 06:53 AM
A vet visit? What did they say?
Sounds like either your snake has a bacterium that may be resistant or partially resistant to quinolones (of which Baytril is), or your snake has a virus. Back to Aaron's question...vet visit? Culture results?
Albert Clark
05-24-15, 08:45 AM
Wow, sorry to hear that your bp is still in the throws of this resistant RI. The tongue not flicking normally is bc the RI is still active and secretions can cause the tines (fork)to stick together. The secretions are usually mucoid and thick. Depending on the culture results or the tracheal swab/ wash she may have to remain on a longer course of treatment. The other possibility is a new prescription for a different medication. Just make sure to keep your husbandry double and triple checked and make sure you keep the enclosure spotless. Good luck.
A vet visit? What did they say?
When I took her to the vet last month they said she had an RI but couldn't pinpoint a specific type. They gave her 5 injections of baytril over the course of a week and a half. I had another vet in the same clinic take a look at her as well to see if they noticed something the first one didn't. I asked for a swab but they told me that the baytril should clear it up...well....ok. There are quite a few vet clinics in my area but this is the only one that will see reptiles. I'm sure they have good intentions but I'm not sure about the level of expertise with snakes and I don't want to ask to seem rude. Since they're closed tomorrow I will call Tuesday and be more adamant about a culture being done since the injections only temporarily subsided the bubbling. Other than her bubbling she will still eat and seems to be inquisitive.
Albert Clark
05-24-15, 09:29 AM
Jrich, the normal duration for a Baytril course of treatment is 10 days for uncomplicated issues. If she only had 5 injections then she is only half way through the course of treatment. You did say she has had the bubbling temporarily subside and that she is feeding. Of course it could be a resistant RI but let the Baytril run its course. Remember, reptiles heal slowly and their metabolic rates are even slower. In the wild they at least move more and travel distances to find mates which they cant do as captives. So, their metabolic rates are even slower as captives. Baytril for complicated or resistant RI can be for 14 days or longer. But we have to see what the results of further tests reveal. :) I have a female albino bp that was very ill at one time about 3 years ago so I can relate very openly to your situation.
Aaron_S
05-24-15, 09:54 AM
Insist on a culture. No ifs, ands or buts. Why keep giving something that may not be working and you end with a dead snake?
Baytril for complicated or resistant RI can be for 14 days or longer. But we have to see what the results of further tests reveal. :) I have a female albino bp that was very ill at one time about 3 years ago so I can relate very openly to your situation.
if a vet gives an antibiotic for a partially resistant or "complicated" RI, they should go back to school and take pharmacology over again.
you give the medicine that WORKS on the identified bacterium. if "complicated" you give a polydrug regimen. If nothing grew out YOU DON'T NEED ANTIBIOTICS PERIOD.
Sorry it took so long for an update but after waiting forever for the results of a culture that was taken from Cersei's lung I received results today. It's Providencia rettgeri. I will admit I know very little about this type of gram negative bacteria but I have a feeling it's not going to go well from here. I did not have her for very long after she became ill so I have no idea if she became ill on my watch or if she was already ill to begin with but that doesn't matter now.
The veterinarian who went over the results with me told me they had ordered the corresponding antibiotic for this bacteria but I have already forgotten the name but it's yet another series of injections. Cersei has refused to eat for awhile now and she has grown thin and it's pretty disheartening. She still might be sore from the culture. She still comes out to wander around her cage late at night like she's looking for food though. If anyone has any input about this type of bacterial infection or advice it would be much appreciated!
so the good news....your vet did a culture and is tailoring antibiotic therapy appropriately. P. rettgeri is a pretty widespread bug. Causes a lot of stomach stuff in people. It's found terrestrially and aquatically. Zosyn (piperacillin-tazobactam) is something we use in humans for the run of the mill infection.
the bad news...it does seem to be resistant to a lot of antibiotics (it sounds like your vet did a sensitivity on the culture as well, so he/she will know what abx will actually work.)
Interstingly, P. rettgeri is usually reisistant to the quinolones....so the old knee-jerk action of "just give Baytril" won't work. Just pissing in the wind. This is exactly why you gotta isolate an organism....for appropriate therapy (which may or may not include antibiotics).
I'm hoping for good things for your snake Jrich!! Keep us updated!
Albert Clark
06-17-15, 08:42 PM
I looked up the Provedencia rettgeri and it seems to be a very complicated group of bacteria that infect humans as well as animals. There is a breakdown of the various offending organisms / bacterium. Apparently the specific Provedencia rettgeri needs to be identified and then the appropriate treatment can be instituted. It seems like once that is done the prognosis is good and the duration of treatment seems to be days as opposed to weeks and or months of treatment. So, best of luck and I really think she can beat this. Remember to ask the vet about replacing her gut levels of good bacteria that the antibiotics kill off. Like a acidophilus or probiotic that will help with her appetite. Good luck. She reminds me of my 2010 albino female who was very sick about 2 years ago and almost died. Today she is alive and well and just laid 5 eggs two weeks ago! Best Wishes!
Thanks everyone. She's getting shots of ceftazidime/tazicef every 3 days for about 2 weeks since P. rettgeri is sensitive to this antibiotic. So far she has had two injections and I have cleaned her closure entirely, laid paper towels down, bumped up the heat, got rid of her hides and water dish and replaced them with homemade temporary cardboard hides and plastic water dish for soaking. I even moved her into my bedroom where it is warmer and quieter.
However I offer a mouse every 2 to 3 days and she shows absolutely no interest. She's down to 216 grams when she should probably be double that since she is an October hatchling. I hate seeing her so thin when she's suppose to be nice and plump. She remains active and alert however. Any tips to entice her to eat?
Albert Clark
06-22-15, 03:07 PM
Sure, don't offer a mouse every 2 or 3 days. Try something smaller like a fuzzy mouse or maybe a rat pup every 5 to 7 days. But don't be disheartened bc most snakes lose their appetites while on medications especially antibiotics. Let the vet know and see if he has any recommendations. IMO, if she doesn't take a fuzzy mouse or rat pup in the next two weeks it may be time to tube feed her. Less stressful on the snake than assist or force feedings. Tube feedings are very easy and a great way to get nutrition into a non feeding snake. She would need to get weighed and the amount of slurry calculated.
Alright it's been a bit now. She went through a round of shots (every 3 days for about 2 weeks). The vet and I noticed she had some hard lumps on the business end of things and he thought she may be constipated, the last time she ate was in May but I do realize snakes can hold onto meals for awhile. Over the weekend I have been giving her warm soaks in the tub and massaging the little lumps as suggested by the vet to get her to finally poop.
As for the bubbling, I just finished soaking her and she kept yawning and she snotted from her nostrils some. Sigh. The shots are not expensive but it seems like nothing is working and she's down to 200grams. I offer a hot fuzzy every few days at night but she ignores it. She still appears to be active during the wee hours because I will wake up to her knocking stuff over in her tank as she slithers around. I really don't know what to do.
Remember that mucus is a symptom, not indicative of a specific problem (think snot from allergies vs snot from pneumonia. Both have lots of secretions, but different mechanisms...snot is snot...doesn't matter if head or chest, it's all mucus)...I have seen clinically many times where the "congestion" will lag behind the "cure". Meaning that the infection (whatever it was, in this case P. rettgeri) may be treated and the clearing of secretions will take some more time. If your snake is active, hopefully that's a good sign. Typically in humans, we repeat the culture to see if the causative organism is still present, or if it has been eradicated. Keep us updated.
Albert Clark
07-05-15, 03:04 PM
Did she have a defecation (bowel movement) yet? How are the lumps looking? Are they larger, smaller? Does the vet feel that tube feeding is a option at this point? Oxbow makes a great product called "critical carnivore care". Flukers also has a great product called " repta boost". Both powder supplements that are mixed with water and given via gavage ( tube) feeding.
Thanks for the helpful info MDT. I will keep monitoring her closely. I just jumped to the conclusion that because she still is secreting mucus from her mouth/nose that she still must be sick and that nothing is working but that gives me some hope. She also can't seem to fully flick her tongue out either.
Albert, she hasn't had one yet but her last one was in early June. The lumps can't be seen but can definitely be felt. There's 2 small lumps I've been trying to massage and they feel softer towards the end of the bath but she still won't poop. If she doesn't eat this week I'm going to ask the vet if they are able to do that. I'm not sure how much longer I should wait to ask for a tube feeding either. I know snakes can go months and months without eating and be fine but she's sickly and very thin. I will keep both of those products in mind if it comes down to a tube feeding. Thanks for the helpful information!
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