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RI and Shed Issues

sarcare

sarcare

New member
So today has been kind of a crappy day. Lately, I've been worried about Circ, my creamsicle snake, and when I checked on him this morning he was SO limp and had a big lump under his chin (has always gone down after handling). I rushed him to the vet, who looked at him and said he was sure it was a RI, he did a CBC swab and a culture and sensitivity test (I'm still not sure, since I was kind of upset and didn't quite understand what he was saying) but said that because he is SO weak he wanted to get him started on meds. He gave me a bag full of syringes to inject poor circ with every 72 hours.

Poor Circ is SO lethargic that he didn't seem to react when stuck with the needle or examined, but because he was almost ready to shed his old skin was torn when they held him down for the swab. So now poor, sick Circ has bits of skin hanging off every where.

The vet said to bump the heat up, and I've heard to keep them dry, but what can I do to help with the shed? I don't know that soaking him is a good idea, is there something I can do to help him?
 
Please, any advice would be appreciated! I'm really worried about him, and I don't want this sheding issue to complicate his recovery. So any tips on treating a RI and a bad shed would be appreciated!
 
I would say use Nanci's shedding advice to help get all of that old skin off, and then pop him right into a nice, dry environment. Try using a heat lamp to keep it dry, or one of those ceramic heat emitters if you have one. Are you doing Baytril injections, or Amokacin (sp?)?
 
I think I would wait ... the bad shed isn't gonna kill him ... but the RI, well I think that is far more important than a bad shed. Let him get back to healthy before stressing over some hanging skin .. if it's broken and hanging its WAY better than to tight and constricting.

that's the best I have ... I hope he gets better fast!!
 
I would leave the skin as well until his meds are over. He needs to be as stress free a posible and bugging him with extra handling probably isn't all that worth for now. Good luck and so sorry this sucks!
 
See, this is why I'm torn. On one hand I just want to leave him be and let him get better, but on the other hand he's going to be on these meds for a long time so I don't want him to have aditional complications. The vet said to soak him for 20 min and it would come off, but I'm still not sure. Maybe I'll wait and see if he works any of the shed off on his own and then soak him before the next shot.

Robbie, I don't remember which med it was, I'll have to look, but I don't think it was either one. The vet said he would consider changing the meds once the gram stain comes back, depending on what they find. I'm just all to peices about him, and worrying whether this has spread to the rest of my snakes. The vet reccomended I sequester him, but he's been in a rack with my other snakes for months, so chances of them not having this seem slim.

Anyone have thoughts on the comunicability factor?
 
I understand your pain. I have a sick pair right now.

Its probably Amakacin, that's what mine are on (injections every 72 hours as well), in addition to penicillin (injections twice a day).

I would also say leave the shed. Or try to get it off once, and whatever doesn't come off, leave.

As for communicability....I'd be a little worried, just keep a close eye on everyone else. That's what I've been doing in my collection since the two sick guys got sicker. And of course, strict quarantine/hygiene procedures will help (but I'm sure you're already doing that).

Good luck, hope your guy gets better faster than my two have (been dealing with this for over 2 months, this is their second round of antibiotics).
 
Yeah, when I get home I'm cleaning out everyone's tanks, and I've already increased the heat for the snakes still in the rack. Some theraputic heat will be good. I think I'll leave him alone, he's had a very stressful day today.

Hallie, I can't imagine having two snakes this sick, and two rounds of antibiotics--I hope that circ responds to the drugs fast. He is such a sad snake right now.
 
I would be on the look out for sickness with the rest of the herd and be soooo careful about washing after you treat your sick one. I hope no one else comes down with this, but unfortunately RI's spread easily.
 
He's in the other room now, and his heat is WAY up, so hopefully this will help. I'm going to give all the other tubs a good scrubing and put everyone on paper towels to make sure they are as clean as they can be.

Pet illnesses are SO scary, I hope he pulls through.

If my other snakes show symptoms of the same thing, will the vet need to do a gram stain culture on ALL of them? It was over 200$ for circ at the vet today with all the tests. Not that I begruge him that, but if I could avoid 6 other 100$ bacteria labs I'd prefer not to have to spend that. Any thoughts?
 
hmm...most vets will dispense the medication after just one positive bacteria test as the odds of an RI in your brood not being from the same bacteria isn't that great. I would ask for the medication only should symptoms arise in anyone else.
 
I have some good news on Circ to report, last night he managed to shed an almost completly. I didn't pull him out to check, but the shed looks like it just has the few tears that were in it before, but a complete head and tail at least. He also came out to poo all over the paper towels he is on. (speaking of which, I moved all of my snakes to paper towels and 2/5 pooed on them within hours)

I don't plan on getting him out for the next two days until his next shot, and then I'll try to feed him the next day. I don't want the stress of the shot to make him regurge.
 
sarcare said:
I have some good news on Circ to report, last night he managed to shed an almost completly. I didn't pull him out to check, but the shed looks like it just has the few tears that were in it before, but a complete head and tail at least. He also came out to poo all over the paper towels he is on. (speaking of which, I moved all of my snakes to paper towels and 2/5 pooed on them within hours)

I don't plan on getting him out for the next two days until his next shot, and then I'll try to feed him the next day. I don't want the stress of the shot to make him regurge.
Click to expand...

Woohoo! I'm glad he's doing better for you. But I'd be a bit wary about feeding him during treatment. You don't really know how the meds work, so unless the vet says it's okay, I'd wait the full 72 hours after giving the last shot, depending on how many more shots you have to give.
 
The vet said to try to feed him--I'd be really wary of just not feeding him during the whole med cycle that's 9 doses, each spread apart by 3 days. That is a long time to not feed my sick snake, and further weaken him.

Today is the first shot I'll be giving him at home, I'm a bit nervous, but I really hope it will help. The vet walked me through how to inject him, but I've never given ANYTHING a shot before. Does anyone have any aditional tips on giving a snake a shot?
 
Good News/Bad News

So the good news is that Circ is not NEARLY as limp and weak as he was before, he is demonstrating some EXCELLENT muscle tone.

The bad news is that as a result I had a REALLY hard time with the meds. I'm not sure he got any of the anti-biotic, or kept any of it under his skin. The plunger didn't work so well, I pressed down as hard as I could once I got the needle in, but it still looks like there is drug in the thing that I couldn't get into the snake. I'm tempted to call and see if I can get some oral antibiotics, because this is WAY harder then it seemed in the vets office. (I think he was extra weak then because he was cold, and had just had a probe stuck down his throat!)

Any thoughts?
 
So I just got off the phone from the vet, though the culture is not back yet, they said he had a white blood count of 14000, and that was unusually high indicating there is an infection. Of course, now the vet is leaving town for a week, arg this is so frustrating and I'm ready to start crying because I just feel like I can't do anything right, and no one cares.

The vet tech said that RIs were not that contagious, unless the snakes had had contact with one another (though I think I could have caused it to spread through not washing my hands in between holding snakes, and not cleaning my feeding bins enough). I'm still worried about them.
 
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Well, oral isn't exactly easy, either! Can you ask the vet if you can come in one more time for another shot demonstration, or does the vet have a vet tech that can give the shots? Or do you have a friend that can restrain him for you?

So you've got him isolated, now, and you are following isolation procedures- all you can do is watch the other guys like a hawk, and if they get sick, you will catch it way earlier!

Will someone be able to give you the results of the culture, and any new meds if indicated, while your vet is gone?
 
Yes to both--the Vet tech said I could come in on Monday and they'd show me how to give him the shot again. I may just take them up on it. And they said that they'll call me when the culture comes back, the vet practice has more then one vet, and I think a couple work with reptiles.

I just keep wondering why I didn't catch it sooner, and every time I see my other snakes I think "is that a symptom?" The vet said if they lay with their heads on the side of the tank, but what if they lay with their head on top of a loop of themselves? The vet said if they are more lethargic then usual, but they are digesting for the next couple of days!

Sorry for freaking out--I'm not good with sick pets--it is a good thing I don't have kids or work with sick people!
 
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