Garter snake sick from giving birth?

[Bothriechis schlegelii]

What do you all think about this: Guide to Home Treatment of Snake Respiratory Infection - *BambooZoo

[ConcinusMan]

I think this treatment probably relieves symptoms and nothing more. garters do not typically have runny nose, bubbles, etc. But opening the mouth will often reveal very pale flesh inside the mouth (grey or white when it should be pink) and usually a thick sticky coating (mucous) that pretty much clogs the nasal cavity. You van see the sticky crap especially when you are opening the mouth . I cannot recommend the treatment although plain water or F10 SC Veterinary Disinfectant | Same Day Shipping

..in a nebulizer/fogger machine can and sometimes does clear up R.I.'s. What the snake really needs is #1 correct the environment that contributed to the illness. #2 they need to get "the upper hand" which usually involves antibiotics especially if it has progressed to mouth gaping. The F10 can help by killing the bacteria that lines the respiratory tract. If conditions are corrected and the snake is otherwise healthy his immune system can possibly overcome the infection with just a little help from the F10. But do not mistake a BP with bubbles and a runny nose for the same thing garters get.

Baytril is good because it does not kill directly. It also doesn't kill beneficial gut bacteria. What it does is, prevents a wide range of bacteria from reproducing at a normal rate. Time and the snakes own immune system takes care of the rest. It just provides the needed boost so the snakes immune system can get ahead, "upper hand" etc.

There is absolutely nothing in this treatment in the link you provided that can help with killing the "bugs". It can only help relieve symptoms by breaking up mucus. Makes the snake feel better but until the immune system overcomes the bactera's reproduction rate, the infection will persist.

I highly recommend Baytril suspension. Once mixed/made up it only keeps for perhaps 20 days at 42 F. Give 0.05 ml per 100 grams of snake weight daily by mouth for at least 14 days. After 20 days in the fridge DO NOT USE IT as it will only create resistant bacteria if not used at proper dosage and potency. DO NOT administer any antibiotics without proper guidance and knowledge of what you're dealing with. You will likely only make things worse. I wish I had better news but I remain pessimistic that your snake will get over this without something to kill massive numbers of the bacteria. Keep her warm day and night for now. 85-90 F. and make sure the air isn't very dry. Misting, hot shower vapors, humidifier can help keep mucus loose.

[ConcinusMan]

HA! I suspected as much. Just found out that the main active ingredient in F10 that makes it work so well is Chlorhexidine. Already been using it for about a decade as an antiseptic not a disinfectant. use Chlorhexidine on your arm pits when you shower and the result is your pits never stink even without deodorant. great for feet too. rub it on and leave it. Wear clean socks and before you know it the odor is gone from even stinky old sneakers.

The antimicrobial effects penetrate deep into the skin and persist much longer than any other common antiseptic such as iso alcohol, iodine, or H2o2 all with less toxicity and damage to healthy tissue. Walk into any hospital. if you get a chance to see where surgens scrub down guess what they use on their hands and arms before surgery? No, not F10 but same active ingredient: Hibiclens Liquid - CVS pharmacy

[Bothriechis schlegelii]

Ok, so here's the plan:I got a bottle of Ferret Fx, which cures upper respiratory infections in ferrets. I'm going to create this mixture:-250mL boiling water-1/2 tsp. Vick's VapoRub-Few drops of Ferret FxAnd put it in a tupperware container with holes melted into the sides of it. Then, I'll put that container into another container, 2x the size of it. This bigger container is air-tight (no holes in it). I'll place Medusa in the big container, and close the container. Leave her in there for 20-30 minutes, 2-3 times/day. Hopefully after a couple (or even the first one!!!) "doses" of this vapour will make a happy happy happy snake!

[Bothriechis schlegelii]

Ok, so here's the plan:I got a bottle of Ferret Fx, which cures upper respiratory infections in ferrets. I'm going to create this mixture:-250mL boiling water-1/2 tsp. Vick's VapoRub-Few drops of Ferret FxAnd put it in a tupperware container with holes melted into the sides of it. Then, I'll put that container into another container, 2x the size of it. This bigger container is air-tight (no holes in it). I'll place Medusa in the big container, and close the container. Leave her in there for 20-30 minutes, 2-3 times/day. Hopefully after a couple (or even the first one!!!) "doses" of this vapour will make a happy happy happy snake!

[d_virginiana]

Who recommended the Ferret Fx and Vapo-Rub mixture, and what medications are in the Ferret Fx? I searched it and can't find anything. Some antibiotics that are fine for mammals are not effective or can even be harmful to reptiles; their systems are not the same and you could easily overdose a garter snake with measurements like that. If you don't know the weight of the snake or the type and concentration of antibiotics in the Ferret Fx, that could be dangerous.
You were just recommended not to use any antibiotics without proper guidance and knowing exactly what you are doing. If a vet or other professional (real professional; not the reptile guy at the PetCo) recommended this treatment, then it should be fine. If this is either a treatment that you thought up or another on-line 'remedy' I would recommend against doing it, as you're likely to cause more harm than good.

Also, I have to STRONGLY question the dosage that you've decided on. A proper dosage of typical reptile antibiotics like Baytril is .05mL per 100 grams of snake weight. A large female might weigh about 300 grams; assuming that your snake weighs that much (unlikely given her prior diet and current fasting). In other words, about 1.5 mL of that antibiotic would be needed for a large female. A teaspoon is just under 5mL (4.928 mL). In other words, the treatment you just described involves dosing a reptile with a mammal-proven antibiotic in excess of three times the dosage required of a reptile-safe medicine. Not only that, but you are talking about doing this several times a day.

[d_virginiana]

Actually, scratch that, I just searched Ferret Rx (which makes more sense, as fx is the veterinary abbreviation for fracture) and it is not going to work. It is a mixture of several volatile oils from plants which will only clear up mucous, not treat the infection. If this is your plan, there's actually no reason to mix it with vapo rub, as they contain many of the same ingredients.
For future reference, unless the ingredients list contains an antibiotic, the product does not cure an infection. Even on the Ferret Rx bottle, it states that it only treats symptoms of respiratory distress, such as sneezing.

You have already been told why such a treatment will not work to cure a respiratory infection. Take the advice that has been given to you and see a vet. Even a dog/cat vet can prescribe the appropriate medication for something as simple as an RI. This snake will not get better without some sort of medication to kill the bacteria in its system, and wasting time trying to find an over-the-counter treatment (especially for someone who is inexperienced with reptiles) is counterproductive, as the 'vapo-rub' type of treatments are ineffective against infections and time is lost before actual treatment could be started.

[Bothriechis schlegelii]

I got the mixture from here, and substituted the other thing for Ferret Fx. Anyways, I seen this post after I did it for the first time, and She actually is a lot more active than she was before, but she definitely still has an R.I. I'm going to call the closest vet and ask if they take reptiles, as they are a dog vet. I'll keep you all posted.

[guidofatherof5]

Found this related threads to your snakes condition and this video.

http://www.thamnophis.com/forum/urge...infection.html

[Greg'sGarters]

Found this related threads to your snakes condition and this video.

http://www.thamnophis.com/forum/urge...infection.html

I do the same thing with my snakes, Jordan, skip to 3:48 for the part involving the nebulization technique I was telling you about. It may be a bit hard for you to acquire the F10 SC, but that's personally what I use. Good luck.