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Tips n Tricks?
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Anonymous post on September 24, 2000
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Hey,
I thought we could get the forum started if everybody posted some good veterinary tips and tricks that they've picked up over the years. I'm no licensed vet but like was mentioned in the other forum thread I also have had to become my own vet because (get this!) the local vet won't touch a reptile much less a hot.
Here are a couple of things to start the ball rolling:
1. Feline urinary catheters are great for probing, I used them for a long time till I broke down and bought a set of probes.
2. Terramycin (tetracycline) is readily and cheaply available at farm and feed stores. The powder is for horses and comes in a volume that would last the average herper a lifetime. I would love to know the exact amount to mix, but I've used the following with great success: start with about a half gallon of water and mix till it looks like light colored human urine. A snake that is feeling ill (mouth problems, wounds, etc) can soak in the mixture and he'll probably drink a little of it too.
3. When treating for mites, put a couple of drops of dishwashing detergent into a tub of water to soak the snake. This will break the surface tension of the water and rather than mites floating on the surface of the water they will fall to the bottom and drown. (I'd like to know more about mite treatments if anybody cares to share. I kept reptiles for years without the first mite showing up and I recently acquired a couple of snakes from a guy and they were literally covered in mites. These guys are black, look like little round seeds and are full of blood when you squish them. They are a good deal bigger than what I would think of as a mite. The snakes that were infested seemed sick and would not eat. Once I got the mites somewhat under control and soaked the snakes in the tetracycline they finally started feeling better and eating again. But I still haven't been able to completely eradicate the mites.)
4. Tube feeding with a mixture of gerbers chicken baby food, pedialyte, and dashes of cod liver oil and honey works great for stubborn neonates. (gerbers lamb with gravy works good also)
I'll try to think of some others......
Chad
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RE: Tips n Tricks?
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by TIMFRIEDE on September 24, 2000
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Thanks for the info Chad, I can add some things that worked for me. Ivermectin works good for mites/ticks, when sprayed into the cage and snake. No-Pest strips can work too, but I like to use 5% Sevin Dust. You can get this at a garden center and it comes in a powder form. Just dust the snake, make sure you get the entire snake and in a matter of time ticks will start falling off(works great). I just ordered Pro-Vent-A-Mite in a spray, it's supposed to work great, any thoughts?? I also clean my cages with 1/4 cup bleach and some soap, mixed with 1 gallon of water(cheap and effective). Just some thoughts!!!!! Tim
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RE: Tips n Tricks?
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by RYANW on September 24, 2000
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Really like that tip about using the catheter for probing. Never thought of that.
As far as the tetracycline goes, what you are doing is probably fine. Its a very safe drug, but be careful, as with all drugs, tetra. does have a toxic range. I dont know if I have a dilution for soaking, but I will check this week.
I cant reccomend Prevent-a-mite enough. Works extremely well. In my opinion, the best treatment ever.
Ryan
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RE: Tips n Tricks?
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Anonymous post on September 25, 2000
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I just started using proventamite myself, I tried the ivermectin and didn't have good results. John Hollister recommended Hot Shot Spider Killer Plus. I tried it in one cage just to see what happens. I'll let you know the results. I get a little nervous using pesticides around herps but the snake in the cage seems to be doing ok (about three days later.) I sprayed the substrate and let the cage dry for about two hours before reintroducing the snake and water dish. (the snake got a good long soak while it was drying.)
What dilution do you use for ivermectin? I happen to have paste wormer for horses, it's a little tough to get to dissolve but with a little agitation it will finally go into solution.
laters,
Chad
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RE: Tips n Tricks?
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by RYANW on September 25, 2000
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If I remember correctly, I think I use .6ml stock Ivermectin to every 500ml H20 for spraying cages. I do not soak herps in Ivermectin solutions because you cant determine how much is being ingested. I personally only use ivermectin as an injection for treating mites, and then I calculate 3 times to make sure Im not overdosing. Ivermectin toxicity is not a fun thing to deal with in any species. I really swear by Provent-a-Mite. Safe and effective. No dose calculations, etc. Oh, and I really feel that ivermectin is only useful if injected into the snake, as ideally the mite must ingest the chemical for it to do its work. But really, use the Provent-a-mite. Great stuff.
Ryan
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RE: Tips n Tricks?
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by jay3232 on March 26, 2001
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A good trick for respitory infections, Besides increasing the heat is to use injectable vitamin C. It make the blood more acidic and will thus make for an inhospiable habitat for the bacteria to live in. This is a good alteritive to the more toxic amakacin or baytril
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