URI -- Breathing Distress

[Menolly07]

Faranth has a bad URI. She's seen a vet and was prescribed Baytril pending a return on her throat culture.

She is in VERY bad breathing distress. Our emergency vet here that sees herps is useless. They couldn't do anything to help her sister.

I'm looking for ANY suggestions on helping with breathing support.

oral mucous, thick, probably affecting her lungs
gaping
black bearding and darkening tail
pale body else where

Her breathing is extremely laboured. I have her in a small "hospital tank" with 105 degree basking temperatures. I've added a CHE at night that keeps her at 94 degrees f.

I own a nebulizer. I also have albuterol. People seem to have used Albuterol with snakes before, but I can find no information on beardies. Anyway, it's a bronchidilator, so I don't even know that it would help.

 

[AHBD]

I'm so sorry she's so ill ! Who is your vet ? I just Googled the herpvetconnection.com and saw a clinic in Pitt., the Metropolitan hosp. on 560 McNeilly Rd. Ph# is 412 344-6888. The see herps and have 24 hour emergency service. I hope that's not the one you already had no success with. If you can't find anyone, p.m. Tracie ....she may be able to help. By the way Jane, 94 is too high at night, bump it down to 84. Hope you can get your poor girl some help !

 

[Menolly07]

No, that's not it. I actually called that one last time because I found it as well. They said they couldn't see her. I'm taking her to the other emergency vet and hoping. My husband also went to his Mom's (a nurse and RT) because she had an O2 cylinder on hand he can take.

 

[Taterbug]

Sorry you poor girl is so sick! And that your vet sucks, hopefully you find a good one!
My corn snake is dealing with an RI, and I have read about using F10 with a nebulizer as part of therapy, but I'm not sure if it suitable for use on beardies or the appropriate protocol. I would consult a (trustworthy) vet first.

Good luck

 

[Menolly07]

We ended up going to the emergency vet anyway. This time one of the vets actually has reptile experience. They put her directly into an O2 tent when I got here, and she saw the doc. She's very dehydrated, a combination of the illness and me not bathing her for several days. I was worried about her humidity exposure and making the URI worse. They are XRaying her and will give her fluids into her abdominal cavity. The vet is concerned that she's contracted viral pneumonia. We can't be sure until the culture comes back if it is viral or bacterial.

 

[AHBD]

I'm glad you could get her in...hopefully they will be able to figure out an effective treatment. Best wishes for a good outcome !!