New Ball seems sick - advice needed

[citysnakes]

Originally Posted by mykee

Dude! Seriously?..

my thoughts exactly...

and i would also never recommend wasting money on the products pictured in this thread.

[shaunyboy]

Originally Posted by Will0W783

Yes Nix was designed to kill human lice, but it does kill snake mites very effectively, smells nice and is relatively non-toxic to the snakes. It is also a heck of a lot cheaper than PAM. I understand if you're leery of it, but I will continue to use it when the need arises (God willing it won't again, but you never know).

the point i was trying to make was provent a mite has been designed for snakes so should have had the appropriate testing done on it.when they test human products snakes dont come into the equasion.this is only my humble opinion but there must be plenty products that cause no problems for humans but might for a reptile.for peace of mind i prefer to use the safest form available imo something designed for the job in hand.i'm not trying to be cheeky but i do not see the relavance in it smelling nice or the cost for that matter.if it has not been tested for snakes im curious as to how anyone would know how toxic it can be towards them long term.i do not doubt you when you say it works but i get more peace of mind using prevent a mite.
cheers shaun

[Will0W783]

There isn't any relevance really to it smelling nice. I am not trying to be cheeky either, but it's the only stuff I will use because I've seen myself how effective it is and how safe it is for the snakes. PAM you can only spray in the enclosure and you have to make sure it's dry before you put the snake back in. The Nix you just spray right on the snake and within an hour you'll see dead mites fall off the snake.
If you google it there is a paper on it that a well-known breeder wrote. He used it for over 20 years in his collection and never had a bad reaction to it. He also prophylactically treated snakes that he took to shows- he would treat them as soon as he got them home just in case- often several times a year, and never had problems.

I know it wasn't made for reptiles, but I just like how quickly it works and how easy it is to buy, mix up, use and keep on hand. I have personally never used PAM, but I did research on it and chose Nix over it because of ease of use and effectiveness at killing eggs.

[infernalis]

One way to look at it is also like this, My vet has administered drugs to my snakes before that were specifically designed for dogs...

Worm meds, pain meds etc....

The vet also prescribed Silvadine cream, this is a human antibiotic.

NIX and common mite treatments all contain the same active ingredients.

[mykee]

Nix:
1. Cheap (one $12 bottle will treat 100+ snakes if diluted properly). That's 12 cents a treatment.
2. Easy to find: any drugstore.
3. Very easy to use: spray everything.
4. Kills all three stages of mites.
5. Won't harm the users respiratory system like PAM.

[infernalis]

Excellent point Mykee....

The warnings on PAM have always concerned me.

[Aaron_S]

Originally Posted by shaunyboy

i'm with citysnakes on this.prevent-a-mite was develped for snakes.the stuff your using willow was not.from what i gather this nix stuff is designed to kill human lice ? (please correct me if i'm wrong) i'd rather use something that was designed for use on reptiles.ive never seen your product before infernalis,but it is designed for reptiles.
cheers shaun

You know if we use this way of thinking then I wouldn't be using rubbermaids as enclosures or paper towels as substrate. Let's not forget my flower pot hide boxes. None of these were designed for reptiles but work better or as well as any reptile specific product. In fact, I don't think there's anything I own except my thermostat that was invented purely for the use of reptiles!

[mykee]

In fact, I don't think there's anything I own except my thermostat that was invented purely for the use of reptiles!

You forgot rats Sir. Rats were invented for exclusive use as snake food.

[infernalis]

and Lizard food

[mykee]

...and lizard food.

[Will0W783]

A lot of products may not have been invented just for reptiles, but work very well for them. I think it's really just a personal choice in the end. I like Nix, and I know a lot of people who do, but I also know a lot of people who swear by pest strips and Provent-a-mite. I just personally prefer the least toxic stuff I can use.

[Aaron_S]

Originally Posted by mykee

You forgot rats Sir. Rats were invented for exclusive use as snake food.

They are bred for snake (and lizard) food but doesn't mean they were "invented" for such means

[Will0W783]

I think Mykee was making a joke....
I think we were all kidding around. But in all seriousness, there are a lot of products out there that will treat mites, but as far as I know Nix is the only one that will kill eggs that haven't hatched yet.

[citysnakes]

guys, no matter what chemical you decide to use just be careful with it and follow directions because all chemicals have potential side effects and can be dangerous to you and your animals if misused.

[shaunyboy]

Originally Posted by Aaron_S

You know if we use this way of thinking then I wouldn't be using rubbermaids as enclosures or paper towels as substrate. Let's not forget my flower pot hide boxes. None of these were designed for reptiles but work better or as well as any reptile specific product. In fact, I don't think there's anything I own except my thermostat that was invented purely for the use of reptiles!

aaron your an intelligent guy,so i'm left here wondering why you would think i would apply the same concerns to something as simple as hides,rubbermaids,etc as i do towards chemicals that can effect my snakes.all i was giving was my own personal view on what i use and why i chose to use it.the subject matter was chemicals used to kill mites,not vivarium furnishings.i have no problem adapting safe objects to furnish your tanks but surely chemicals are a whole different and more complicated matter.
cheers shaun