bad reaction to my snake's meds??? help!!!

[RebelArtt]

ok so my snake is sick. she is a 3 year old ball python and is 25 inches long. she has an upper respiratory infection, & a bad one at that. she is also in shed, which she tends to need help removing. i brought her to a vet and they gave her some meds to inject in her every 2 days. they also told me to give her warm baths 2 to 3 times a day for 15 minutes each bath.

i started out with the baths, which she very much enjoys, seeing as i give them to her and all my other pythons every 2 weeks as well as during their sheds. i started her medicine injections 2 days after her initial appointment, as the vet had directed me. they gave her the first shot in the office during the initial visit, to teach me how to give her the shot, & where to give it to her, and how much to give her. she had no reaction from this shot.
the 1st shot at my house, no reaction.
2 days later, the 2nd shot at my house, no immediate reaction.
i gave her a bath the day after her 2nd injection at home. i took her out of her bath to help massage her shed, and she didn't want to be touched anywhere on her neck from the base of her skull & about 5-6 inches down her body. i didn't have her in immediate light, she was shadowed, and i saw that she looked purple. i put her under the light and realized that the purple color was blood!!!! & it was free flowing directly under her skin!!!!
i started freaking out, because #1 i have NEVER had a sick snake, and i have 7, the oldest being 10, & #2 i had NO idea what was going on. i immediately stopped her medication, & 3 days later, the blood was gone, although she is still very sensitive in that area. i took her back to the vet & they said it was not a reaction to the medication, so they gave her another shot since i had skipped a few. low & behold the next day, the blood was back.

the medication they gave me for her is Ceftazidime. has anyone else had experience with this medication?!?!?!?!

[infernalis]

the medication they gave me for her is Ceftazidime. has anyone else had experience with this medication?!?!?!?!

I am familiar with that, it's a powerful antibiotic. It's supposed to be injected subcutaneously (just under the skin)


From what you are describing, you ruptured a blood vessel, you need to get to get back to the vet quickly, if it's not already too late.

[KORBIN5895]

I agree with infernalis. Sounds like you punctured a blood vessel.

On a side note what is the humidity in your snakes enclosure? Not trying to be rude or critical but :f you usually have to help her shed the humidity may need raised a bit. Good luck

[Wolfus_305]

oh no, that doesn't sound good. I would go back to the vet and explain everything you just told us. Good luck and I hope she gets better!

[RebelArtt]

From what you are describing, you ruptured a blood vessel, you need to get to get back to the vet quickly, if it's not already too late.

when the vet taught me how to administer the shot, she taught me to give her the shot near her rear end. and to make sure i wasn't in a vein or anything, she told me to pull back on the syringe a bit to make sure i wasn't taking in any blood or fluids. i administered the shot no where near where the blood was.

[Skumbo]

so they just said "oh its not from the shot" and sent you on your way? what did they think the blood was from?

[Wolfus_305]

so they just said "oh its not from the shot" and sent you on your way? what did they think the blood was from?

Mhmm, did they mention it at all or had it gone away by the time you got to the vet. I would suggest taking pictures and/or a video next time it happens and then getting to the vet ASAP (maybe even a new vet if this one doesn't think that this problem requires any attention) that way if the symptoms are gone you can at least show them the evidence and see if they can explain it. I don't want to worry you but it does sound like an urgent matter

[Skumbo]

Take this in an extremely "I AM NOT A VET" way, but it may be from the shots anyway, I understand subdermal bleeding in humans, not reptiles, but a small subdermal puncture could take a decent amoutn of time to "show" a lot of blood pooled up under the dermis.

It is possible a side effect (i know this happens to some human medications) could be lessening your snakes ability to coagulate blood, and so a small puncture could be worse than it should be. Either way, if the vet wasnt worried about this, they may have known what it was and thought it wasnt a big deal but forgot (?!) to tel you. who knows.

this is all speculation, just throwing ideas out there, don't trust me im some random guy on the internet

^ Just in case hehe

[insignia100]

It is unlikely that the bleeding is from the medication itself. While you may not have pulled back any blood when you aspirated before injecting, you may have actually pierced all the way through a vessel with the needle. Can you tell us exactly where the injections were given?

Our reptile professor says he likes to give IV meds by mouth rather than through injections. I don't know how effective this is as far as absorption, however.

I would second taking a video or some photos of the bleeding and show your vet.

[insignia100]

Take this in an extremely "I AM NOT A VET" way, but it may be from the shots anyway, I understand subdermal bleeding in humans, not reptiles, but a small subdermal puncture could take a decent amoutn of time to "show" a lot of blood pooled up under the dermis.

It is possible a side effect (i know this happens to some human medications) could be lessening your snakes ability to coagulate blood, and so a small puncture could be worse than it should be. Either way, if the vet wasnt worried about this, they may have known what it was and thought it wasnt a big deal but forgot (?!) to tel you. who knows.

this is all speculation, just throwing ideas out there, don't trust me im some random guy on the internet

^ Just in case hehe

Actually, you make a very good point. The OP said the blood was purple, which would indicate that it is NOT fresh blood. Still, these animals are so small that they don't have a whole lot of blood to spare. I don't know anything about coagulation disorders in snakes, but I guess that is a real possibility.

Oh, and I should probably add a disclaimer to my signature along those lines, since I shouldn't be taken seriously until I get the DVM behind my name and more experience.

[Wolfus_305]

I would second taking a video or some photos of the bleeding and show your vet.


Even posting some pictures here people might have more suggestions, but I would still go to a vet

[RebelArtt]

On a side note what is the humidity in your snakes enclosure? Not trying to be rude or critical but if you usually have to help her shed the humidity may need raised a bit. Good luck
the humidity & temps are normal & where they should be. her issue with shedding is that she refuses to move when she's in shed, so she doesn't naturally rub it off on her own.


oh no, that doesn't sound good. I would go back to the vet and explain everything you just told us. Good luck and I hope she gets better!
i did. read below for their response.

so they just said "oh its not from the shot" and sent you on your way? what did they think the blood was from?
yea pretty much. they told me it's not a reaction from the shot. they told me if i feel like bringing her in i can, but that they were really busy that day, so i could just monitor her if i didn't want to bring her in. i was taken aback because i was freaking out about it but they were blowing it off like nothing. the vet wasn't even the one relaying the messages. it was the receptionist, who kept going back & forth from desk to the back. which also alarmed me, because there was no way to know whether or not the messages were being relayed properly.



OH!!!! also, when i picked her up to massage her, her head was hanging lower then her body, & she opened her mouth as if to yawn & she had a clear slime out of her mouth, almost like snot. is that normal for a snake being treated for an RI?? like i said, i have never had a sick snake, & i have 7, the oldest being 10.

[RebelArtt]

Wolfus_305 = i will take a picture of her & post it to show where her injection site was, as well as the location of the blood. i had taken pictures at the time when i noticed it. unfortunately they were on my phone and i am a dog groomer & left my phone in my smock pocket & it is now dead. which i am kicking myself in the *** for that....

[Wolfus_305]

I honestly would go back to a different vet

Even if the problem is nothing to be concerned about the vet should take the time to explain that to you to calm you down and so you know that it is nothing to be seriously alarmed about

The symptoms do not sound normal to me (though I have never had a sick snake) and I would be concerned if the vet was relaying messages via the receptionist.... so did you not end up going? maybe they aren't understanding what you are describing?

Could you post some pictures?

[Skumbo]

I'd find another vet and go to them, or get a hold of the vet himself, delaying a day may be the difference between your snake recovering and not making it :(

Internal bleeding of any kind in any animal is not something to mess with!

[jaleely]

I would completely find a different vet. If there was even a possibility of a reaction from the first kind of medication, I would think they would try something else. The fact that it happened again just clearly says it is a reaction. The slime is from the RI...I'd find another vet for sure. I hope things work out!

[RebelArtt]

OK so this is a picture of my snake. she no longer has the blood, but her color is dulled & a few of her scales by her belly turned red. can't see it in the picture tho.
((sorry about the dirty look the paper towels. its actually very clean. she had some bedding from her tank stuck to her belly when i moved her.))

http://i1181.photobucket.com/albums/x421/RebelArtt/IMG_0500.jpg

[KORBIN5895]

Did you pull too hard on her shed? I can't see why she would be bleeding by her head. Can we get a better pic of the head area?

[Skumbo]

has it cleared up? i don't see any blood really..

[youngster]

Is it me or does that snake look constipated?

[Skumbo]

Is it me or does that snake look constipated?

I was wondering about the tail, looks.. odd, but I don't own a ball python

[alessia55]

Is it me or does that snake look constipated?

Yeah, the area by the vent looks very swollen

[shaunyboy]

belly scales turning red can be a sign of scepticemia in snakes

cheers shaun

[shaunyboy]

I was wondering about the tail, looks.. odd, but I don't own a ball python


its the way the pictures been taken,its a piece of paper towel thats making the tail look that way (the tails partly underneath the paper towel)

i thought the same when i first looked at the picture ;)

cheers shaun

[Skumbo]

its the way the pictures been taken,its a piece of paper towel thats making the tail look that way (the tails partly underneath the paper towel)

i thought the same when i first looked at the picture ;)

cheers shaun

ok good! Have you been in contact with a vet?

[shaunyboy]

ok good! Have you been in contact with a vet?

its not my snake or thread mate

merely pointing out its the way the pic's been taken,that gives the impression of a wierd looking tail or swollen vent

cheers shaun

[alessia55]

its the way the pictures been taken,its a piece of paper towel thats making the tail look that way (the tails partly underneath the paper towel)

i thought the same when i first looked at the picture ;)

cheers shaun

I keep looking it over and over... still don't think it's the paper towel covering part of the tail :confused:

[Skumbo]

its not my snake or thread mate

merely pointing out its the way the pic's been taken,that gives the impression of a wierd looking tail or swollen vent

cheers shaun

OH, well from the picture im not sure if thats the case then, unless you saw it without the weird looking tail, i still think something might be wrong then, as i dont see any paper there (though i know cameras can distort images pretty significantly)

[Gungirl]

I think something more is wrong- the vent, the shed, everything! There is clearly an issue near the vent. The tail is not hiding under paper towel. If you enlarge the picture you can not see any wrinkles in the paper towel. The snake is backed up big time.

Go see a better vet that knows what they are doing.

[Wolfus_305]

Hmm i see what you're talking about with the tail. it looks really odd to me. my bp's tail isn't like that. I would get that checked out too.

I really think that this snake needs to go to a good reptile vet ASAP to prevent further damage and to find out what is wrong and fix it.

Does anybody else see the pale, wrinkly skin near the head? is that old shed that didn't come off or just distortion from the picture?

[alessia55]

OP, where are you located?

[KORBIN5895]

Hmm i see what you're talking about with the tail. it looks really odd to me. my bp's tail isn't like that. I would get that checked out too.

I really think that this snake needs to go to a good reptile vet ASAP to prevent further damage and to find out what is wrong and fix it.

Does anybody else see the pale, wrinkly skin near the head? is that old shed that didn't come off or just distortion from the picture?

No something is up around the head. That's why I asked for a better head shot.

[jaleely]

Doesn't look like paper towel to me either. Looks like the snake is about to poo or that it is having trouble pooing and is backed up. Either way...looks like the area before the vent is enlarged for sure.

Hard to tell much else from the photo. Maybe some dehydration there...which would make sense if it has an RI and all the fluids in the body are going instead to making more mucus. All i can say is that there needs to be a different vet involved to get a second opinion. Good luck!

[RebelArtt]

I think something more is wrong- the vent, the shed, everything! There is clearly an issue near the vent. The tail is not hiding under paper towel. If you enlarge the picture you can not see any wrinkles in the paper towel. The snake is backed up big time. Go see a better vet that knows what they are doing.
Is it me or does that snake look constipated?
Yeah, the area by the vent looks very swollen
she is not constipated!!! she was starting to poop when i took this picture.


Did you pull too hard on her shed? I can't see why she would be bleeding by her head. Can we get a better pic of the head area?
no i barely touched her. & i wasn't anywhere near her head


has it cleared up? i don't see any blood really..
yes. it cleared up as soon as i stopped the medication


OP, where are you located?
new jersey


Does anybody else see the pale, wrinkly skin near the head? is that old shed that didn't come off or just distortion from the picture?
the pale wrinkly skin is part of her shed. she wont let me anywhere near her head since the whole issue started. which isn't like her. she is usually very head tame
.

[Wolfus_305]

Ok, please don't get too defensive everybody here is just trying to help as this is unusual.

I think that we can all agree that the best thing for your peace of mind and the snake's well-being is that it gets to another reptile vet asap.

Even if the symptom has stopped it would be good to know the cause considering I don't think that bleeding near the head is a reaction to medicine near the tail (but I am not a vet) I just think it is strange that the the symptom would appear so far from the injection site.

And that stuck on shed needs to come off, it is understandable that the snake would not like you touching near her head especially since that is where the bleeding has occurred. That is why I think it is best to go to a vet, get everything sorted out and maybe they can help you get the stuck shed off if you cannot do it yourself.

[Aaron_S]

1. Get to another vet.

2. Get your snake better.

3. 3 year old snake and 25 inches, HOLY do you ever feed it?!

[RebelArtt]

i'm not ffended. sorry, i'm just stressing & everything because i dont know what is wrong with her & no one else does. i had taken her back to my vet today & after checking her out, they have no idea what is wrong either. so i'm looking into finding a better vet this week.


1. Get to another vet.

2. Get your snake better.

3. 3 year old snake and 25 inches, HOLY do you ever feed it?!
yes. she eats 1-2 mice every 9 days. her and my one male are both 3 years old this spring & are both 25 inches. they're in a nice big tank, but oddly have stopped growing. their temp & humidity is all normal.

[Aaron_S]

Well when you get her better I recommend changing their meal plans. That's insufficient for proper growth. No wonder they have stopped growing. Learn your pets needs better.

Also, while she's healing I would switch her to her own enclosure. A rubbermaid tub works best. Easiest to monitor her in as well as all her stools and other fun stuff.

[Wolfus_305]

It's understandable to be stressed. I wouldn't delay on finding a better vet though. like I said if it happens again get pictures/video to show them.

My ball python eats large rats...

[RebelArtt]

she's in her own enclosure at the moment, & has stopped eating entirely since she's been sick. i managed to get her to eat a hopper 2 days ago. i've never been told that i was feeding them improperly. the reason they eat this way because they refuse to eat anything bigger then a muse & they wont eat more then 2. i've even tried rat pinkies with them. they refuse. & i've tried feeding them more frequently. they refuse that as well.

my 3 6 month olds are eating 2-3 hoppers every weekend, and my 4 ft & 3 ft are eating medium to large rats every week.

[KORBIN5895]

What is the humidity again?

[Wolfus_305]

i know it sounds rushed but I would try to get her to a vet TOMORROW.

Her RI won't be getting better without medication
If the medication (or something related to it) causes bleeding that needs to be fixed
The stuck shed needs to come off

[RebelArtt]

i have their temp at roughly 83 ((give or take a degree)) & the humidity is never lower then 60, and i raise it to around 65 when they are shedding.

[RebelArtt]

i managed to get her shed off today. she was brought back to the vet today because they wanted to see her. they apparently gave her another shot yesterday without informing me, but apparently they informed my boyfriend. she has been very immobile today. i am taking her to a new vet 1st thing in the morning

[Wolfus_305]

Good luck at the new vet and please keep us updated

[RandyRhoads]

What do you mean "free flowing blood"? Can you be more specific.....you literally see blood pumping, or you see ecchymosis from a bruise?

[Skumbo]

i managed to get her shed off today. she was brought back to the vet today because they wanted to see her. they apparently gave her another shot yesterday without informing me, but apparently they informed my boyfriend. she has been very immobile today. i am taking her to a new vet 1st thing in the morning

jeez, sounds like they are just trying things without really knowing what they're doing.. i hope the new vet knows what they're doing and can sort this out, the poor thing must be pissed at everyone right now :(

[RebelArtt]

she just had blood under her skin. the entire neck are that i marked on the picture had blood under her skin, top & sides of her neck, not her belly tho. if you touched the area, you could see the blood move. almost like if you put a little bit of red juice in a baggy, sealed it & gently dragged your finger over it. you would see it seperate, move, & thin out. thats the way i described it to the vet.

[RebelArtt]

yea, thats what i'm thinking. i was s furious about them giving her a shot without my permission. they said it was something to help her with her hydration, since she has shedding issues & has RI.

[KORBIN5895]

Could it be a blister? Is the blood red or purple?

[RebelArtt]

it looked purple #1 cuz her pattern is dark & #2 cuz there was so much of it. but when she would move, the blood would move as well, & in spots that it thinned out, it was red. & it happened within during her warm bath or shrotly after it when she was put back in her tub.

[Skumbo]

it looked purple #1 cuz her pattern is dark & #2 cuz there was so much of it. but when she would move, the blood would move as well, & in spots that it thinned out, it was red. & it happened within during her warm bath or shrotly after it when she was put back in her tub.

not much we can do, we're mostly curious. get her to a new vet ASAP.

I really hope this works out to not be anything life threatening or turns out it is something treatable.

[Will0W783]

You need to be giving injections in the FIRST third of the body, NOT near the tail end. Snakes have a renal portal system, so all blood and lymph fluid circulates through the front half of the body, then the kidneys, then the back half. Giving an injection in the tail end means that it will all be filtered out via the kidneys before it has a chance to get to the infected lungs.

You need to get a new vet..>ASAP. The one you are going to is likely not knowledgeable.

[shaunyboy]

I keep looking it over and over... still don't think it's the paper towel covering part of the tail :confused:

if its not the way the pictures been taken,then it is a very strange looking tail

cheers shaun

[RandyRhoads]

You need to be giving injections in the FIRST third of the body, NOT near the tail end. Snakes have a renal portal system, so all blood and lymph fluid circulates through the front half of the body, then the kidneys, then the back half. Giving an injection in the tail end means that it will all be filtered out via the kidneys before it has a chance to get to the infected lungs.

You need to get a new vet..>ASAP. The one you are going to is likely not knowledgeable.

Awesome advice, I had no idea about this and apparently neither did my previous vet.

[Wolfus_305]

Awesome advice, I had no idea about this

Mhmm I agree, I didn't know that. That's pretty cool!

Do you know if that is for survival reasons? like if a snake gets bit on the tail and it gets affected it will not spread as quickly or something?

[Will0W783]

Guys, that bloated tail looks to me like a sign of impaction/constipation. The animal is severely swollen near the cloaca. Either it's getting ready to take a massive poo, or perhaps the injection was given improperly and punctured the intestinal wall, causing an infection?

I'd like to hear an update from the OP- how is the snake doing? Any bowel movements? From now on, give injections in the first 1/3 of the body...NOT the tail end.

[Wolfus_305]

^^ Also, OP how did the vet visit (to the new vet) go this morning??

[Will0W783]

Wolfus, the renal portal system is not for survival, it's just a more primitive arterial/venous system.
Reptiles have a 3-chambered heart, instead of 4 chambers like we mammals do. Deoxygenated blood (that has gone through the body) flows in from either side (2 ventricles) and is reoxygenated. However, because there is only one atrium (exit chamber) in the heart, the deoxygenated blood from one side gets mixed in with the reoxygenated blood from the other side of the heart....thus their system is much less efficient.
To help cope with this less efficient system and the weaker heart muscles, the blood goes through the entire body once before going back to the heart. In mammals, blood is sent from the lower body up to the heart, to the upper body back to the heart, etc. Our blood will have gone through our entire body before flowing through the kidneys.

In a reptile, any blood caudal to the heart is on its way to the kidneys and any medicine given in an area caudal (tail) to the heart will be filtered out of the blood before it gets through the body.

[RandyRhoads]

In animals the blood exits through the atrium instead of the ventricles....?

[Wolfus_305]

Wow, that's really fascinating, I never knew any of that thanks for explaining it :)

[insignia100]

Wolfus, the renal portal system is not for survival, it's just a more primitive arterial/venous system.
Reptiles have a 3-chambered heart, instead of 4 chambers like we mammals do. Deoxygenated blood (that has gone through the body) flows in from either side (2 ventricles) and is reoxygenated. However, because there is only one atrium (exit chamber) in the heart, the deoxygenated blood from one side gets mixed in with the reoxygenated blood from the other side of the heart....thus their system is much less efficient.
To help cope with this less efficient system and the weaker heart muscles, the blood goes through the entire body once before going back to the heart. In mammals, blood is sent from the lower body up to the heart, to the upper body back to the heart, etc. Our blood will have gone through our entire body before flowing through the kidneys.

In a reptile, any blood caudal to the heart is on its way to the kidneys and any medicine given in an area caudal (tail) to the heart will be filtered out of the blood before it gets through the body.

You've got that reversed. The snake heart has 2 atria and a ventricle (like with architecture, the atrium is an "entrance hall"). The blood from the body flows from the body into the right atrium, or from the lungs into the left atrium. The atria pump the blood into the single ventricle and out to either the body or the lungs.

I'm really confused as to what you are trying to say regarding the difference in renal blood flow between snakes and mammals. In snakes, all the blood from the tail passes through the kidneys before returning to the heart. The kidney, like the liver (hepatic portal system) should have 3 main vessels associated with it: renal vein, renal artery, and renal portal vein. Blood from the head does not pass through the kidneys, and blood from the tail doesn't necessarily have to pass through the kidneys.

[RandyRhoads]

Thanks for clearing that up. I was so confused about blood entering ventricles and leaving through atria.

[insignia100]

Honestly, I couldn't keep it straight until they drilled it into us in anatomy lab.

[beardeds4life]

i two thought that it was bad that they were giving meds in the back but decided not to say anything because i have 0 snake experience

[Will0W783]

Haha, thanks Insignia- I get the atria/ventricles confused sometimes. I am not an expert on exactly how it works.

Here are a few links on renal portal system to clear it up- they can explain it FAR better than my half-correct attempt...lol.
Portal System (http://www.circulatory-system.com/portal-system/)

This is the best one I found Renal Portal System - Page 1 (http://www.petplace.com/reptiles/renal-portal-system/page1.aspx)

[Will0W783]

In animals, the movement of blood through the body is organized into a system of arteries, which carry blood away from the heart, and veins, which carry it to the heart. A portal system is really a subunit, of sorts, within the circulatory system. A "portal system" may be defined as a vein that has a network of capillaries at either end. (Capillaries are the smallest blood vessels.)

In reptiles, a renal (kidney) portal system exists. From the heart, blood moves through the aorta, the largest artery in the body. The paired kidney arteries branch out from the aorta and deliver blood to the kidneys. Within the kidney, the renal artery branches into tiny capillaries, which exchanges life-sustaining oxygen for waste products. (This pattern of blood flow is seen in mammals, amphibians, birds and reptiles.)

The renal portal system is a second route by which blood moves from the back half of the body through the kidneys before returning to the heart. This system is found in birds, amphibians, reptiles and fish.

So, the blood from the back half of the body moves through the kidneys before it goes back to the heart- and therefore drugs will be filtered out before they move through the front half of the body. But drugs given in the front half of the body have to go through the front part of the body, then the heart, then the kidneys last.

[RebelArtt]

You need to be giving injections in the FIRST third of the body, NOT near the tail end. Snakes have a renal portal system, so all blood and lymph fluid circulates through the front half of the body, then the kidneys, then the back half. Giving an injection in the tail end means that it will all be filtered out via the kidneys before it has a chance to get to the infected lungs.

You need to get a new vet..>ASAP. The one you are going to is likely not knowledgeable.
i did not know any of this stuff at the time. my new vet explained that all to me at our visit yesterday. it sucks the old vet ****ed me over like that, because i was recommended to them by about 10 different people.


if its not the way the pictures been taken,then it is a very strange looking tail

cheers shaun
Guys, that bloated tail looks to me like a sign of impaction/constipation. The animal is severely swollen near the cloaca. Either it's getting ready to take a massive poo, or perhaps the injection was given improperly and punctured the intestinal wall, causing an infection?

I'd like to hear an update from the OP- how is the snake doing? Any bowel movements? From now on, give injections in the first 1/3 of the body...NOT the tail end.
i covered this already. she was taking a poop when i took the picture. if you had read previously, you would have seen me say this. and yes, i do plan on giving injections only in the front end of the body.

^^ Also, OP how did the vet visit (to the new vet) go this morning??

i am very sorry to say that after our new vet visit last night, missy passed on. due to the apparent lack of knowledge of the old vet ((who came highly recommended)), the injection site in which they had me giving her meds doomed her from the very first injection they gave her, and ended up poisoning her system. the new vet however still had no explanation for the issue pertaining to the blood under the skin. he did know what i was talking about tho. he had seen it once before if another patients snake, but not large of an area as i explained to him.

[Will0W783]

Oh no, I'm so sorry for your loss!! My condolences- it sucks to lose a pet.
Sorry I missed the thing about the poop; it was a long thread to read through. My bad.

[RebelArtt]

thanks. yea it was a rough day yesterday. i've never had a sick snake, much less lost one. the vet told me there was nothing i could have done. he said whether i had given her shots or not, she was being poisoned from the very 1st injection that the vet gave her and that her passing was inevitable. he told me that yes, i poisoned her more by continuing them, but had i not, she would have suffered a much more slower death, in which she would have completely given up eating and could have possibly starved to death before passing from the poison.

it was hard coming home to the rest of my snakes and handling them, but not my missy. i can't handle losing pets. i handle it worse then losing people, because i connect with animals on a much deeper emotional & spiritual level than i do with humans. hell i hand fed wild wolves at 4 years old, slept with a mountain lion, and wrestled with fighting pit bulls until they knew i was dominant. my boyfriend could not understand why i cried my eyes out over a snake. he told me "its just a snake. there's plenty more in this world." so i told him "you're just a man. there's plenty more men in the world too. but there's only one of you, just as there was only 1 of missy."
he finally got the picture & aplologized.

[Swany]

So sorry to read this pal. My Condolencies.

[alessia55]

RIP Missy... you did your best -hugs-

[Wolfus_305]

Awww I'm so sorry for your loss. You did everything you could do and everybody here tried to help too. I'm very sorry

[Will0W783]

RebelArtt, if it makes you feel any better, I had a bad experience with the first reptile vet I used. This vet claimed to be skilled in treating reptiles, and I had good luck when my ball python got an eye infection (this was my first snake and I had had him only a year at the time). Two years later, my fiance bought a gorgeous diamond/jungle intergrade female yearling. Intrigue was an awesome little snake with pretty patterns and a great personality. She came down with a respiratory infection, and we took her to the vet- he prescribed Baytril. Now Intrigue showed no neurological effects before I took her. The vet gave the first injection (an entire mL of solution), and I thought the volume was awfully high for such a little snake. He said he diluted it properly for her weight. Less than 12 hours after that first injection, she was corkscrewing her whole body up, writhing around and gaping her mouth. I called the vet's emergency line and told them what was happening. He said it had to be pneumonia and that I should give the second shot. I was terribly afraid to but my fiance insisted....she was dead 4 hours later.
I know that the vet had to have mistaken the dose or overdosed her- it looked like a horrible way to die and I was heartbroken and sick over it. I never went back to that vet.

Fortunately, I have an awesome reptile vet now that travels the country for conferences on reptile care. He has kept many snakes over the years and is even an avid field herper.

It can be absolutely devastating to lose a pet, and I know it can be even harder when it was a medical mistake that hastened the demise. But you couldn't have known- you trusted your veterinarian and the blame lies with him/her. I'm so sorry you had to experience this, but don't let it scare you away from keeping reptiles and continuing the search for a great reptile vet.

One good home reference I highly recommend is a book called "What's Wrong With My Snake?" by Dr. John Rossi, DVM. It provides descriptions of common reptile health problems, what you can do at home and when to call a vet, as well as common medicines, the illnesses they treat and dose/weight charts. It's a priceless reference to have around!

[alessia55]

One good home reference I highly recommend is a book called "What's Wrong With My Snake?" by Dr. John Rossi, DVM. It provides descriptions of common reptile health problems, what you can do at home and when to call a vet, as well as common medicines, the illnesses they treat and dose/weight charts. It's a priceless reference to have around!

I highly recommend this book too! I think it's from 1955? but it's fantastic. I have an old copy at my place that I bought used from a library :p But it's really great.

[Skumbo]

Looking past the emotional side of this (that really sucks.. :( ) Is there any way you can file anything against the vet? Did they charge you to basically kill your pet? I know from working in a health profession that if you don't have the knowledge it is malpractice to even try to do something, whether it works out or not. I know that reptiles aren't exactly protected the same way that humans are, and im not exactly knowledgeable of the law-related terms, but couldn't you have your "new" vet testify that this is what caused your pet to die, and that the first vet is to blame. You could probably claim emotional damages. Go into it not wanting personal gain, but to "prevent this from happening to other helpless animals" and i guarantee somebody will pick you up on that as a case. Call an LIDA (lawyer in defense of animals) lawyer and get talk to some people, lawyers usually dont charge you anything unless the case goes in your favor, in which you usually also sue for court costs.

In a country where a fat woman tried to sue Mcdonalds actually made it into the court system, just exposing him as a fraud could dissuade his apparently stellar reputation.

[Will0W783]

I am pretty sure you can file a small claim against the vet. He/she instructed you to inject improperly, and you can have your current vet cite that and write up paperwork documenting it.

[jaleely]

I'm so sorry hun. I dread the day when one of mine goes. I would look into taking them to small claims court.

[millertime89]

I'm really sorry for your loss. Its never easy losing a pet. Just dedicate yourself to improving the care of your other snakes (if possible) and never forget Missy.