Help needed for my ndt

I have several baby northern diamondbacks. In the last 2 months they have closed there eyes and now getting respiratory issues. Theyve been at the vets. First he gave me eye cream. Didnt work. The are getting an antiobiotic via syringe and have been on that over a month. Not working. HELP ME PLEASE

Originally Posted by wobbies

I have several baby northern diamondbacks. In the last 2 months they have closed there eyes and now getting respiratory issues. Theyve been at the vets. First he gave me eye cream. Didnt work. The are getting an antiobiotic via syringe and have been on that over a month. Not working. HELP ME PLEASE

Sounds awful & I wish we could help, but this a forum, we aren't seeing your snakes & cannot possibly diagnose or treat them here- we aren't vets and that would be medical malpractice. If you are dissatisfied with your vet's care, you need to find another vet A.S.A.P. Also, it's physically impossible for snakes to close their eyes...so it's very unclear what you mean. Good luck though.

Thank you. ppreciate ur input. Btw they are northern diamonback terrapins. Not snakes

I read your question quickly, now realize you are asking about northern diamondback terrapins? Sorry about that, but in any event, it doesn't change my answer...we just cannot diagnose via forum, your critters need to be seen by a vet who can run tests & know what to treat for. All the best...

Thank you again. Gonna go to another vet

Originally Posted by wobbies

Thank you again. Gonna go to another vet

Did your vet do any lab work, to ascertain the correct antibiotic? or did he just take a guess? (<that's what many do, because lab tests take time, plus are much more expensive so many owners don't want to pay that much more to have that done)
So if the meds you have been using aren't working, that's probably why-

He never offered to do bloodwork.

The vet you saw, was he or she experienced with herps? or just "willing to try"? It makes a big difference with "exotic" pets (pets other than dogs & cats).

And like I said, some vets are so routinely refused (because of the extra cost) for doing lab work that they might assume the answer will be 'no' & not even ask the owner. Antibiotics work on specific pathogens, so if you're using the wrong one for the infection, not only will it NOT work, it can actually be harmful (by helping to make drug-resistant pathogens that are harder to treat in the future).

I hope you can find more help & soon for your terrapins.

Without knowing anything about your husbandry, I would take a guess that you may not be keeping them warm enough. This is a very common cause of RI and puffy eyes in aquatic turtles.

They are in a tank inside heat lamp and changing there water everyday. He claims hes familiar with herbs.