IMPORTANT QUESTION ABOUT BALL PYTHON MOUTH INFECTION

can someone please clarify if an infection caused by a rat bite to the mouth is to be cured with the use of antibiotics or just kept clean until it heals? my reptile vet has given me 2 types of antibiotics to try, and the wound is still not getting better. in VPIs vol 2 book under mouth rot, im not saying it is mouth rot, it never mentions antibiotics. simply clean the puss out of the wound and it should heal up on its own? but my vet insisted on me giving antibiotics? is there anyone out there with REAL experence on this type of infection?

types of antibiotics used
BAYTRIL- addimistered every other day for 20 days
DANOFLAXICIN- addimistered every 42 hrs for up to 2 weeks

i did what the vet said and now have a very week snake that will not touch a meal! now that shes off the antibiotics she is looking a bit more lively and is not as limp as she was when she was on them!

i have had her temps higher than normal on both sides ever since i realized she was hurt. 95 on hot side and 85 on cool


someone please help me i dont want to loose her

I'm no vet, but I'm pretty sure the antibiotics were prescribed to kill or prevent any infection, as opposed to healing the wound. Snakes are miraculous healers and the wound should heal, if kept clean and free of infection. Until it does, I can't imagine the snake even trying to eat.

Did the vet suggest those higher temps? I know we do that (raise temps) for RI's, but that's for a specific reason. Unless the vet suggested raising them, I would go back to normal settings. You definitely don't want to do anything that would cause any stress. Best of luck with her!!

I agree, with that type of wound it is probably more for prevention but it does seem like a lot though. I would not even attempt food until that heals completely. I hope you have a full recovery soon. Has it shed yet since the injury?

She has shed twice since the injury. I have been keeping the wound clean and it doesnt appear to be getting better or worse! Shes a very strong snake and acts as if its not even a problem. ill keep you updated on her progression. If it does progress...........

How much does the snake weigh and what was the recommended dosage of each? It's kind of weird that they gave you two types but I'm not a vet. Is one oral and the other a shot? I would also change her water out at least daily.

Weight 2000 grams
BAYTRIL 0.6cc every other day for 2 weeks
DANOFLAXICIN 0.6cc every 48 hours for up to two weeks
this was the recomended dosage given to me by a local reptile vet

i have been cleaning the wound daily and upon further notice it appears the orginal injured area on the lower jaw is causing the part of her lip above it (when her mouth is closed) is staring to show a bit of irritation? this was not the case a few days ago! the only affected spot was the bite itself!

which leads me to these questions. Is it possible that an infected rat bite may spread to other parts of the mouth? and is it contagious? if it can spread like that from top to bottom why wouldent it be able to spread to another snake?

Ok, i just thought about it a bit more! When i clean her mouth out she sperts out and attempts to pull her head out of my grip while wrapping around my arm, im sure it hurts.

maybe she has cut the top portion of her mouth with her lower teeth while twisting and turing in my grip, and spreading the infection to the newly injured area above?

Make sense??

Originally Posted by hussler1984

Weight 2000 grams
BAYTRIL 0.6cc every other day for 2 weeks
DANOFLAXICIN 0.6cc every 48 hours for up to two weeks
this was the recomended dosage given to me by a local reptile vet

i have been cleaning the wound daily and upon further notice it appears the orginal injured area on the lower jaw is causing the part of her lip above it (when her mouth is closed) is staring to show a bit of irritation? this was not the case a few days ago! the only affected spot was the bite itself!

which leads me to these questions. Is it possible that an infected rat bite may spread to other parts of the mouth? and is it contagious? if it can spread like that from top to bottom why wouldent it be able to spread to another snake?

Ok, was the baytril oral? Were you giving both at the same time?

Just the baytril alone, if oral, doesn't seem to be much compared to what I was prescribed once for an RI (this is just food for thought so please don't take it as solid advice as I am not experienced much with infections and treatment).

I was prescribed enrofloxacin oral (generic baytril), 0.1 cc's daily for a 183gram ball python. I would assume that to be closer to 1 cc per day for a 2000gram snake, however, it may be different if you were prescribed two at the same time.

I would assume the infection was not cleared before the meds ran out or were ceased. You may need to seek a different vet for a second opinion.

both were injectjectibles, and baytril was administered first with a 2 week break before starting the enrofloxacin. im going to do some research and find a better vet. thank you for your time

While I have no issues with you seeking a "better vet", or even a second opinion, I don't really understand what your issue is with what the vet has told you.
The picture isn't very good - I can see that there is a problem, but it isn't clear enough to tell exactly what is going on in that shot...is there a piece of the lower jaw missing? is it folded up? is the bite just so swollen that it distorts the look of the "chin"? There is an injury that is going to take time to heal...whether the antibiotics were needed, or prophylactic, it was a reasonable choice with an injury like that (explanation to follow).

As for the latest questions: the infection - if there is one present - isn't going to just move from place to place; but, unfortunately, wounds are not always simple...there is the possibility of developing a systemic infection in addition to the localized issue(s).
Nobody is going to be able to give you definitive answers without examining the animal.

As far as the dosing, "normal" dose of enrofloxacin was/is 5 mg/kg (10 mg/kg for resistant or otherwise difficult infections), the frequency is 24-48 hrs. Any comparison of dosing is difficult, if not irrelevant, unless it is known what drug concentration is used, and whether it has been diluted. Unless you are drawing it out of the bottle yourself, don't assume that it hasn't been mixed/diluted for ease of administration.