Respiratory Infection - Updated

[NegativeCreep]

Well, I figured I would update you guys on Blaze. She really seems to be improving. I got the reptaid and she has been on it for 4 days now (including tonight); Although its nearly impossible to get her to take it (I'm lucky if I get her to take more than half of it!). I've been doing what I can to keep her extra hydrated (I wish she would just drink!). She is still eating/pooping just fine. Her attitude is great; actually she's been a little feistier lately. Her belly is even nice and creamy-white all the time (unless I make her mad!).

I still have the extra heat light on her during the day, keeping the temps up higher than she likes. So, I don't really know if it's the extra heat or the reptaid, but she really is doing better. She is not coughing at all. I don't hear any strange noises from her. She still seems to keep her head up, but she is doing it less. I know that many folks on here are skeptical of the reptaid (with absolute reasoning), and I was too, but it does seem to be helping. *shrug* I really don't care what exactly is helping my dragon; I'm just glad she is feeling and doing better...

 

[Drache613]

Hello,

That is great Blaze seems to be doing so much better. It sounds like you are doing a really good job of keeping her all hydrated as well, as long as you don't make her mad! :lol: Aren't they so funny having their tantrems?? So she has a nice white beardie belly then?
Good to hear that she is coughing less now. Eventually she should stop coughing altogether then.
How is her appetite now?
I am happy to hear that she is improving. Whatever you are doing, whether it is a combination of increased heat, the reptaid, extra hydration, they really seem to be helping her.

Keep us posted.

Tracie

 

[NegativeCreep]

Her appetite is great; it never really slowed down. I felt like such a jerk last night, because I left with all intentions of being back quickly and ended up being gone until 4am! So for lunch today she got a whole bunch of butter worms (I usually limit them to 5 or 6). I eventually lost count, but she had about 15 of them! I had to grovel a bit, though. For dinner she had about 60 crickets.

I haven't heard her cough at all today. Not funny noises, no coughing! I'm so happy - and relived.

 

[Drache613]

Hello!

That is great her appetite is that large. Groveling is good, shame on you for being out so late & forgetting about her! :mrgreen:
At least you gave her extra food though, so hopefully that made up for it.
No coughing at all today, hopefully it will be all gone soon.

Tracie

 

[LittleRob]

It doesnt smell all that great all tell you that, Dont see how they would enjoy drinkin the stuff. But seems to like it better than baytril i did notice that. But ya same here on results. Good to here she is doing better.

 

[NegativeCreep]

It doesnt smell all that great all tell you that, Dont see how they would enjoy drinkin the stuff. But seems to like it better than baytril i did notice that. But ya same here on results. Good to here she is doing better.

No, it doesn't.. I'm having a real hard time getting Blazey to take hers.. How is that going for you? How do you give it?
How is your guy doing?
Thanks for checking in on her; it's amazing how much people care about each other here

 

[LittleRob]

I'm right handed so i give it to Chito with my right hand. So hold Blazey with whatever hand you dont normal use and kinda hold her while she is on your lap, kinda like if you were going to glance at what time it was on your phone. while her chest is on your hand if you use your thumb to slightlykinda open the side of her mouth a bit you should be able to push the syring and get it in there. Doesn't have to be fully in there just enough she will open mouth when she feel it kind squirt in there. You doing about 1/4 reptaid and 3/4 water? Should make it easy. I take picture tomorrow and post when i get back from snow. Oh and he's doing good, I too cut it in half as he got abit better while the reptaid arrived. So I'm just giving him some once instead, Since it says twice a day for ten days. I'm doing 5days once a day to see how it goes.

 

[NegativeCreep]

That's kind of what I have been doing.. but she refuses to actually open her mouth. I have been giving it straight; maybe I should dilute it. I didn't read anything that said to dilute it - but if I did, she may fight with me worse trying to get her to drink more of it. I can just squeeze a tiny bit in her lip area and eventually she swallows it. She is pretty mad at me. I have been handling her a lot more so she doesn't think I'm going to give her medicine every time I go get her.. I've only been giving it once a day, too..

 

[LittleRob]

Yeah i think Chito know when i'm going to give it to him also. It says on the paper that it came with, That for instance since 1/4 is so small(of med) it might help if you pull 3/4 of water(drinking water faucet water) so it easier to give to her. Makin it .10 of a ml. That is why the normal bottle comes with two bottles and the Xl is just one. Because the dosage of .05. Well depending if thats what one is giving the beardie. Chito drank out of the bathtub today kinda funny since he has done it on occasion. 8) So how is she doing now?

 

[NegativeCreep]

Yeah i think Chito know when i'm going to give it to him also. It says on the paper that it came with, That for instance since 1/4 is so small(of med) it might help if you pull 3/4 of water(drinking water faucet water) so it easier to give to her. Makin it .10 of a ml. That is why the normal bottle comes with two bottles and the Xl is just one. Because the dosage of .05. Well depending if thats what one is giving the beardie. Chito drank out of the bathtub today kinda funny since he has done it on occasion. 8) So how is she doing now?

She seems to be doing really good. She's not coughing at all anymore, and I am not seeing any mucous or hearing any noises at all. She's still eating like a champ, and pooping on a daily basis. She still does a bit of 'star gazing', where she is holding her head up, but she is even doing that less often now.

How's Chito?

 

[Judah'sHuman]

Perhaps if you mixed it with some apple sauce or some fruit juice?

 

[NegativeCreep]

Perhaps if you mixed it with some apple sauce or some fruit juice?

I've tried to get her to eat baby food, but she refuses that, too. She's just picky! I would still have to force feed her the fruit juice. It's such a small dose, I think she is ok with me forcing her. It's just a couple of tiny squirts and we are done! Just a few more days, now, too..

 

[Judah'sHuman]

oh man that's too bad, Im sorry your having such a hard time with it. Thankfully it is quick, and hopefully she'll forget and not hold a grudge :wink: They are so funny. Im glade that she is getting better!

 

[NegativeCreep]

Thanks! It means so much that everyone here wishes us well!
And thanks for the suggestion, though! (I meant to say that in my last post )

 

[ninoupte7]

Baytril
From Melissa Kaplan's drug dosage sheet, Common Reptile Drugs and Dosages http://www.anapsid.org/resources/rxdose.html:
Lizards and snakes:
Routine: 5 mg/kg IM (Injection: MUSCULAR)/PO (ORAL) q 24h (PER DAY)
Resistant: 10 mg/kg IM/PO q 24h
All reptiles: Highly cytotoxic and
nephrotoxic - give with SC/IC fluids.
Injectible form may be administered
PO. NOTE: When given PO (ORAL), it may
be mixed with a small amount of
Syrpalta, banana, applesauce, etc.,
to make it more palatable; increase
dose to 10 mg/kg for PO.
now flavoring agents vets can use to
mix the orally administered Baytil
with making a more palatable
medicine that is easier and safer to
administer than by injection.

Nino's notes (I am not a vet, make NO recommendations, and accept NO responsibilty):
Baytril is a broad spectrum antibiotic. It is given to mice/rats at 2.5mg/kg bodyweight/day x10days.
I'm guessing that Trimethoprim-Sulfa 30 mg/kg per d for 7 d PO (Kaplan's chart) probably has a wider spectrum of effectivity than Baytril. I will be using it today for my lizard who is gaping, under the assumption that she has a lung infection of some kind.
Antifungals kill fungi such as molds.
Both bacteria and fungi can cause respiratory problems with reptiles (and us), especially when the animal is stressed by environment/diet which is less than optimal for some time.
'Probiotic' is a general description for unknown factor/s produced by lactobacillus and other genera of yoghurt bacteria. This has been found useful to keep the gut bacteria normal (especially during treatment with antibiotics), and thus enhancing gut health. Gut health is important to digestion and thus absorption of foods including vitamins.