| T O P I C R E V I E W |
| MissCat |
Posted - 26/04/2010 : 13:21:22
Okay- Time to call in the big guns.
Have a vets appointment booked for 3.10 tomorrow with Richard @ Blake vets in bridgwater- before anyone flames me lol.
First thing first.
Seth, my late 09 male royal has been a bit off colour lately.
somewhere around the start of the month he went blue. when i picked him up he was hissing at me and was very stiff (i.e he was straightening hiself out in my hands and going stiff) he didn't strike at me but kept thrashing around and going stiff. I only picked him up as the rub he was in (and had only been in for a day)was getting far too humid and I needed to rehouse him so I could make more air holes. I have put that behaviour down to stress.
By the 9th he still hadn't shed and was still blue...well silver to be fair, it's almost like he'd had a bad shed, so bad that the skin hasn't come off at all.
He was mildly dehydrated so i gave him a powerade bath and the wrinkles went.
At that time i noticed he was very clicky and squeaky, its almost like his nostrils are blocked, though there is no mucus, he was breathing through his mouth a fair bit. (this was even before the bath)
unsure whether it was due to the impending/overdue shed OR if it could be an RI, (or both?) I messgaed someone asking for advice: their reply was:
quote:
my advice would be to bump up the temps 3degrees and mist daily for 4 days and see if he improves....if not then do the RI treatment
at this point, this was his set up: he had a water bowl big enough for him to submerge in, in an extra large exoterra faunarium with two damp moss filled hides (no other hides at all)and has newspaper as substrate. Heated on statted heatmat (under the faun) which reads as 32*c warm end and 24*c cool end on digital thermometers (which I have just tested to check that they are still accurate.)
his last weight was 372g empty which was a month ago.
I had not fed him for almost two weeks because of this...? He doesn't always eat when shedding and i was worried he'd suffocate as he's mostly breathing through his mouth (well, was then).
Anyway- I followed the advice and the breathing issues cleared up for a few days, i soon noticed that the skin over the nostrils was coming off a bit but not fully- now he can sort of breath but is still breathing through his mouth/gasping/puffing etc frequently. I don't think it's an R.I- could be...but i'll leave that for the vet to diagnose/ treat at this stage i think.
I dropped the humidity back again (stopping misting but leaving the moist hides- i was worried i would end up causing an RI if he didn't already have one
Saturday afternoon just gone, I looked in at him and he'd shed....well I say he'd shed but all that had come off was the skin under his chin.
Worst. Shed. Ever.
So I popped him in the bath for a little bit and his belly scales inflated till he looked like a balloon, then chunks started to fall off, but still leaving loads on.
The bits that remain look like they are glued to him, some bits- like around his neck look quite scabby- almost like the orangey impetigo scab- no weeping fluids though.
he also has a few tiny blisters- but only on the old skin and i am confident that these are the same blisters WLW pointed out recently, that they are fluid (oil?) filled due to the snake going from dry-wet-dry-wet.
ALSO...he's colouring is very muted now almost all the brown pigment is gone from the new skin. leaving only black. grey and a few yellow patches on his back.
And: I had some bark in the faun for him to rub on to help, but I think he's caught a few scales badly as they have bled slightly (another reason for vet visit, I want to make sure they dont get infected)
He did eat last week and is still very active, happy, calm etc no more of the stressy thrashing around etc.
I really really need some advice if anyone can help...?
I left it so long as i thought this was just going to be a case of a bad shed- easily sorted, but it's not >.<
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| 20 L A T E S T R E P L I E S (Newest First) |
| mischang |
Posted - 08/05/2010 : 22:16:33
did he give u puppy eyes lol bless him x x |
| spor |
Posted - 08/05/2010 : 01:02:11
good to hear he is on the mend. |
| MissCat |
Posted - 07/05/2010 : 22:36:03
Okay, another update.
He shed again last night, badly of course, but I took it as a sign that his body is trying to repair itself. His skin does look a hell of a lot better now. most of the scabbing on his body is gone, leaving some very raw looking patches, some patches remain on his neck however.
I did break the "keep him bone dry" rule today, as he looked very very miserable and crispy with flakes of skin falling off, practically scale by scale so gave him a quick bath (thought that would be preferable to leaving him in a damp environment for a while- i.e. a pillow case, as that would give bacteria perfect conditions to spread/grow/whatever they do)
No R.I sounds anymore, but still keeping up baytril and vicks, i'm going to keep up the vix, probably until tuesday at the very earliest but might continue until the full course of antibiotics has been used up.
He refused a feed last saturday, but I'm going to give it another shot tomorrow as it's been a while now and he's losing weight I think (not weighed him but it feels like he has lost a little)
Still using the cream by the way
Pics (sorry, not used imageshack before lol)
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| lee2308 |
Posted - 29/04/2010 : 11:13:06
I know its not local but you need to see polly at highcroft vets in bristol,you wont get no lame answers from her,she IS a specialist rep vet and also works for bristol zoo. |
| Blackecho |
Posted - 29/04/2010 : 06:57:22
Keep us updated Cat, I too was a little bemused by the vet's diagnosis. Fingers crossed for you. |
| spor |
Posted - 29/04/2010 : 00:49:31
thank goodness it was not just me. I did feel that some off the advice given by the vet seemed a bit strange. and was doubting their experience. But did not feel confident enough to say any thing.
good luck with it cat. |
| MissCat |
Posted - 28/04/2010 : 22:05:43
After a chat with several people on the dark side and a LONG conversation on the phone with one person in particular, the following is the advice I will be following, instead of the vets advice.
*Rub housing
*newspaper or kitchen roll substrate
*hot end at 92*f
*small water bowl big enough for him to drink from but not big enough for him to bathe in- in warm end of rub
*bathe the scab neck in 50% povidene iodine- then leave for 5 mins
*apply aloe vera cream + savlon
*cover with clingfilm to prevent him from rubbing it off- leave for 1 hour. Do this twice daily.
*use WLW's vicks method for R.I - continue this for 10 days AFTER symptoms clear up
*once per day, give the 0.1ml baytril (as well as topping it up to 1ml with water)
*MAY put a blob of ky jelly on eyecaps to help get them off
*wait for him to shed and aid where necessary (i.e where the scab neck is)
*May attempt to use damp tissue and small amount of handwash soap to soften and remove the remaining skin- but will probably leave it for now.
In reference to the scab neck...even though the vet was not bothered with his skin, I have been shown evidence, as well as given an extremely accurate description of a condition called scab neck (that's not the proper term for it though) I remain convinced that that is one thing that is wrong with him.
I did not take the decision to partially ignore the vets advice on a whim, it was after some very long and serious conversations with several, highly experienced and very trustworthy people.
I feel that the vets advice was not entirely appropriate, though I will take full responsibility if my actions result in the death of my snake, however I am confident that provided I carry out the "action plan" strictly and to the letter, he will make a full recovery.
Interesting fact for those who have not seen the dark side thread...someone else took their royal to teh same vets as me, had virtually the same outcome and got the same medication and it all cost £20 more than it cost me.
Also, the vet I saw is not a qualified REPTILE vet- if that makes as much difference to you as it has to me, considering I was informed that he was The "reptile specialist" by the receptionist.
If you have any questions about the diagnosis or my choice, please feel free to ask away. :) |
| Gingerpony |
Posted - 28/04/2010 : 14:05:47
very good prices! our 1st consults at work are £23.50 then there's any meds on top....
will check out your thread on the dark side MC, i'm also confused as to some of the advice the vet gave you  particularly in respect of this particular species.... |
| spor |
Posted - 28/04/2010 : 00:10:13
well good news. i think. hopefully all will clear up over the next few weeks. |
| mischang |
Posted - 27/04/2010 : 21:35:44
wat is the dark side ? |
| MissCat |
Posted - 27/04/2010 : 21:30:22
wonderful. If you are on teh dark side you should go read my thread there about this. I'm so confused and worried about him now :( |
| MissCat |
Posted - 27/04/2010 : 21:17:29
quote:
Originally posted by Blackecho
If the vet says he's healthy then what's the Baytril for?
No idea, he said it didn't look like an R.I but that the breathing was an issue *confused face* |
| mischang |
Posted - 27/04/2010 : 18:33:58
that cost is brillant good luck with it all although you dont feel much wiser at least you know its not that bad because he would of said a lot more ! still not nice but am thinking of you x |
| Blackecho |
Posted - 27/04/2010 : 18:18:19
If the vet says he's healthy then what's the Baytril for? |
| MissCat |
Posted - 27/04/2010 : 16:23:40
Okay, I'm back from the vets...not exactly much wiser...but anyways....
Long and short of it :
Vet says he's underweight (350g @ 10 months old feeding on jumbo mice every 5 days aside from the fact that he missed two feeds in january and another two feeds this month)
Said nothing about dehydration
Said belly scales are healthy
Said he's having a really bad shed and should bathe him daily in warm, plain water (i.e. not oil)
Advised me to move him to a larger vivarium and not a rub or faunarium
Advised me to ensure he gets fresh water daily (I do this anyway)
Advised me to up the temps by three degrees (this will make the hot end temp approx 37*c)
Said inside his mouth looked healthy
Said there was no mucus and no sign of retained shed in nostrils
Prescribed 10ml baytril oral 2.5% 100ml to be administered 0.1ml per day
Showed me how to administer the antibiotic
Drugs are to be given for the next 3-4 weeks- vet said hopefully he will have a healthy shed within this time.
Advised to feed as normal.
End total cost (for anyone who is interested):
Consultation fee: £17.57
Drugs: £6.05
VAT: £4.13
Total: £27.75
Overal I am happy, I just wish I could have had a little more insight into the skin issue as I am still worried about that...but the vet didn't seem too fussed
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| Blackecho |
Posted - 27/04/2010 : 16:02:18
Fingers crossed. |
| Kazerella |
Posted - 27/04/2010 : 15:15:07
Any news Cat? |
| MissCat |
Posted - 26/04/2010 : 22:34:05
I'll let you all know tomorrow what the vet says.
Thanks for the kind words and advice :D xx |
| mischang |
Posted - 26/04/2010 : 21:51:07
yes GP to every thing u said sorry am dyselxic hyro solution is a compound mixture of salt,sugars and rehydration mixes |
| MissCat |
Posted - 26/04/2010 : 21:45:04
Much like the use of frontline for mite treatment then? |
