Persistent RI. any ideas?

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Steve64

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Hi All

I got a 2yo Rough Scaled Python about six weeks ago and after letting it settle in for about three days the first time i got it out heard that dreaded clicking as it breathed. Vapourized it straight away for 20 mins. using a 1/500 mix of F10 and made a vets appointment. Next day it was doing the open mouth breathing thing and actually 'spat' a lump of phlegm out (that was impressive to see, it flew about 30cm) Vet put it on a course of Fortum which reduced the amount of phlegm and quietened the clicking a bit. Obviously not 100% the vet suggested a course of Baytril next. We have just finished that now and haven't seen any phlegm for over a week but the clicking is still there. All this time we have been vaporizing every second day after injecting the antibiotic. He is very 'lazy' and hardly moves around the viv much day or night, this worried me because it meant he probably wasn't drinking. Gave him a couple of baths which did result in at least one good drink. The vet wants me to continue to vap. and 'wait and see' how he goes. When handling him to put in the vap. tub he makes some terrible sounds, high pitched squeal almost a squelch (particularly if his head is lower than the body) and i sometimes feel a jolt through his body as these noises come out.

I'm starting to think the RI is a secondary problem to something else. Any suggestions? Just give it a bit longer or back to the vets. We have raised the viv. temps. slightly 35c hot spot and 25c at cool end with no night time drop. Is there anything else i can be doing?

Thanks for reading.
 
Has it been virus tested? Sunshine virus and others can cause RIs?


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Have you tried nebulizing the snake in a closed tub using 1:250 F10 ?

F10 SC Veterinary Disinfectant is very powerful and is only to be used in a 1:250 ratio (F10 SC:Water) MAXIMUM.

An examination by a good REPTILE vet sounds like a very good move , so you will know exactly what you are dealing with.
 
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My Darwin presented with a severe RI about 2 weeks before he died. He had only refused 1 meal and I put that down to coming into winter. I was very confused about it till the autopsy revealed he had lymphoma, and the ri was related to his body starting to shut down. Hope it’s not that for you! Mine was between 3 and 4 yrs old.
 
The treatment sound like a bit of a "shot gun" approach. You could do pathology tests to isolate the undesirable organisms and see if they are sensitive to the drugs offered. It is desirable not to use drugs just for the sake of it. In the old day the treatment for RI was to raise temperature to say 32 ( no cool end because sick snakes sometimes don't thermoregulate), remove the water bowl (to reduce humidity), In bad cases use antibiotic. I wonder if nebulising raises humidity . Is the F10 necessary- My understanding is that is primarily a viraside. I the plan to neuc the cage and hope everything but the snake dies? With that much intervention it may be worth considering euthanasing the snake as often the result is only short term.
 
Have you tried nebulizing the snake in a closed tub using 1:250 F10 ?
Using 1:500 F10 in a vaporizer for 20 mins a day, today he seems less "clicky" and a bit more active fingers crossed we've turned a corner.

Has it been virus tested? Sunshine virus and others can cause RIs?
Vet hasn't done any testing yet but if I have to go back i'll definitely be asking if he thinks that is the next step. Since posting I have read that some parasite infections can also result in an RI.

He moved around last night and went to the toilet (1's and 2's) also did a few yawns and no sign of phlegm, will keep up the F10 in the vaporizer for a few weeks, really hoping he's on the mend.
 
Since posting I have read that some parasite infections can also result in an RI.

RI is often a symptom of other problems, many of them less dramatic than SV or parasites so I wouldn't be jumping to too many conclusions and anticipating the worst just yet.
Odds are very high that this snake was already infected before you purchased and as such that the cause of the problem, temp, stress, draughts etc was also eliminated at that time.
 
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