Okay,
My snake potentially has a bacterial infection in it's gut. My vet suggested giving my snake injectable Baytril solution orally. She said she has seen no problem with Baytril absorbtion through the GI tract.
My feeling is that antibiotics MUST be administered intravenously, otherwise the drug will not work properly. The Merck Veterinary Manual states that all intravenous drugs should be administered intravenously in snakes. So, it is my inclination to believe that my vet is trying to BS her way to another $100 bucks outa me to see if orally injected antibiotics works in snakes.
The problem is, my snake is so small, that intravenous injection is close to impossible without a skilled veni-puncturist. I mean I could hit the tail vein on a mouse any day with a light box, but a snake, you can't even see where the vein is with a light box (unless I'm mistaken).
So can someone clear this up for me? Would it be wise to give IV-batryl orally? Anyone try this with any results? How would batryl be given IV in small snakes?
I believe I got so fuming mad I felt smoke rising from my ears when I read that line in the vet manual.
-13mur 6