RI... Panicking

[mysticmoon]

Things sure have been crazy lately with my pets and I.

For those of you who didn't see my last post about losing a snake, here it is http://www.ssnakess.com/forums/gener...oss-snake.html

So today I noticed the dreaded popping sound coming from my Sinaloan milksnake, Max while I was cleaning tanks. No mucus, but definite popping. Upset, I washed my hands and moved to the next tank, my Rosy boa Athena. I'm not sure if I was being paranoid or not but I think I heard small popping noises from her too.

So naturally I'm freaked out and call the local reptile vet. I decide it would be best to bring in all my animals and have them evaluated because I'm tired of wondering which of them has it and which doesn't. I have 3 snakes, a bearded dragon and a leopard gecko. $85 per pet, no exceptions. That's a total of $425 which I definitely don't have right now.

I'm feeling pretty discouraged and seriously considering adopting out a few animals... I love them all to death but when something like this happens and I can't afford to make sure they're all healthy, it makes me think I probably shouldn't have so many.

Is there a medicine that I can buy to treat RI at home? Something that vets use? If anyone has knowledge or experience with this I would greatly appreciate it. Also, if anyone is interested in adopting/rescuing a Sinaloan milksnake, please let me know/pm me for more details.

[mysticmoon]

Here's a picture of Max, for those interested.

[albertagirl]

I wish I could help but all I can say is don't panic! I have a tendancy to panic only to realize later that things weren't as bad as I first thought. Hopefully that is the case here too, due to your recent experiences.
I know I've read some things about increasing temps slightly being helpful but definitely double check that before you do it. I have not actually dealt with this yet. Also, are either of your snakes anywhere near shed? I've had some very weird sounds and lots of sneezing and a little bit of mouth breathing from one of my snakes which then ended up being loose scales in her nostrils or something? Anyway, I was freaking out, but after she shed she was 100% fine.

[mysticmoon]

Originally Posted by albertagirl

I wish I could help but all I can say is don't panic! I have a tendancy to panic only to realize later that things weren't as bad as I first thought. Hopefully that is the case here too, due to your recent experiences.
I know I've read some things about increasing temps slightly being helpful but definitely double check that before you do it. I have not actually dealt with this yet. Also, are either of your snakes anywhere near shed? I've had some very weird sounds and lots of sneezing and a little bit of mouth breathing from one of my snakes which then ended up being loose scales in her nostrils or something? Anyway, I was freaking out, but after she shed she was 100% fine.

Thanks for your answer, I'm hoping it isn't that bad, but I've dealt with what I now know was RI before and I'm pretty sure that's what it is. Neither are close to shed, no blue eyes or darker skin.

[Albert Clark]

Wow, sorry about the issues mm! Before you do anything rash, really give it more thought. The first thing to do is get the most serious animal to the vet. Get that one evaluated and see what if anything you are dealing with. Noisy breathing can be suspicious but it's not a definite diagnosis of RI in and of itself. There are some things you can do to begin treatment before going to the exotic vet. First, deep clean the enclosures one by one. Place the animals on paper towels and raise the ambient temps by a few degrees. Don't overwhelm yourself, do one or two enclosures a day. There is no real medication to administer before you get a real confirmation from the vet and know which bacteria, fungus or pathogen you are dealing with. Deep cleaning and tossing old substrate then placing the animals on paper towels is therapeutic in itself. Keep us updated and stay in peace and not pieces.

[mysticmoon]

You're right Albert, I will get him to the vet. I lost my head for a minute there. I will get the tanks cleaned as well and keep this post updated. Thank you for your words of reason.

[Albert Clark]

NP. It's like the emergency plans in place that we as paramedics use when we have several patients and they have issues and potential issues. It's known as the "principles of triage" where the most serious patient gets evaluated and screened then treated first. There has to be some kind of order otherwise you can be overwhelmed. It's normal to be a little excited but you'll see that this will help "sort out " the real sick ones.

[albertagirl]

Originally Posted by Albert Clark

stay in peace and not pieces.

I love this! I will be quoting you in future.
This was what I was trying to say... without all the wise advice that Albert had with it. LoL

[Andy_G]

Unfortunately, as previously mentioned, the vet is your best option. Some R.I. are bacterial and require antibiotics, while others are viral and must run the course on their own. Insist that a C & S (culture and sensitivity) swab be done in order for proper treatment of the R.I. otherwise they may just prescribe a broad-spectrum antibiotic that is incorrect which can lead to treatment resistant bacterial infections and further complicate things. As Albert said, definitely make the switch over to paper towel, raise the temps a few degrees as well as the humidity until you can see the vet. Best of luck.

[mysticmoon]

Albert,
That makes a lot of sense, I will try to remember that in the future. Thank you everyone for your advice and encouraging words! I appreciate it so much.

UPDATE: Despite my worst expectations, there was only good news. The vet said Max is healthy. He did a culture swab and also a fecal sample that I brought with me. He pointed something out to me which makes a lot of sense in Max's case: Max really loves his water bowl. At the time I took Max out of his tank to discover the popping noise he had just been underwater and swimming about in his dish! He said it's quite likely he probably just had a bit of water in his throat or nose which made the "pop" noise I heard. I don't know why I didnt consider that before. As for my rosy, I'm quite sure it was just my paranoia kicking in after hearing Max "pop". I'm so relieved!

[Albert Clark]

@ mysticmoon: TERRIFIC! I am so glad everything worked out. Great job.

[EL Ziggy]

I'm glad everything worked out well for you Moon.

[macandchz]

dear mystic moon, so glad everything turned out for the best!

[daisymaisy]

So glad to hear things are well!