Hi All.
Please do not take offence at what I am about to say now, as that is the last thing I want or need as I am only trying to help, having dealt with sick reptiles for many years.
Please, all of you that have posted here, try to make a point of reading other peoples posts asking questions as the answers can then usually be found to problems that you might one day stumble upon yourselves, and in that way your knowledge of the situation will be at hand if required and you could perhaps help others too.
The information I am about to give you has been placed on these forums so many times, and in fact as recent as the last couple of days.
When a snake goes down with an RI, unless it came to you that way or is carrying a virus that has broken out due to stress, then you all need to look to your husbandry as no amount of antibiotics will cure your snake until you get it surroundings correct. A gradient of temperatures with in that species range from the recommended cool through to the hot end with at least two hides, one at the cool end and one at the hot end and if room one in the middle. Some snakes are allergic to some substrates, aspen being a well known one for causing RI'S, so if in doubt there, please use newspaper in order to see if it makes an difference.
Now to the antibiotics. These are good in that they kill off very nasty bacteria that makes us all ill, but in doing so they do a complete wipe out, and that means that they also kill off the good guys, in other words the good bacteria that our bodies rely on to keep us healthy, and that means our
"gut flora" too, and without that we no longer have hunger pangs and so don't wish to eat. Just can't be bothered with it. The answer to this problem is that we need to now regain our gut flora as that is what makes tummies rumble and sends hunger messages to the brain. This comes in the form of probiotics which I am sure you have all heard of.
A long standing exotics Vet here in the UK owns Vetark, and that company makes
"Reptoboost" and it is just what your snakes require to give their entire bodies a boost after having been poorly. At the same time it has the much required and needed probiotics to replace the removed gut flora and give your snakes back their appetite. Please see below.
Kind Regards,
Mo.
REPTOBOOST is a probiotic combination of bacteria, enzymes, electrolytes and vitamins. Its high palatability means it can be added to the drinking water making its use simple for all species of reptiles. It is also ideal for use by stomach tube in rehydrating reptiles which have become dehydrated.
REPTOBOOST contains:
· Lactobacillus with Streptococcus faecium which live for a short time in the gut, helping to stabilise the pH.
· Yeasts to provide a source of amino acids and vitamins.
· lipase, amylase, protease and cellulase.
· electrolytes to aid in maintaining adequate levels in reptiles with diarrhoea which lose electrolytes
and maltodextrins for sustained energy
It is only necessary for probiotics to live a short time to establish the right conditions. By their combined action the ingredients of AVIPRO help to create and maintain slightly acidic conditions in the gut to provide the correct background for the reptiles own flora to re-stabilise.
The electrolytes and dextrose incorporated into REPTOBOOST also contribute in a major way.
A very important aspect is the use by the veterinary surgeon in reptiles which are under treatment with antibacterials where the normal flora may be unbalanced and a bloom of inappropriate bacteria may occur causing perhaps haemorrhagic enteritis.
For support of stressed reptiles use 4g (one scoop) per 100ml of drinking water.