I have a 4 year old Brazilian rainbow boa by the name of Kiba, who I'm pretty sure has a respiratory infection... I'd just like to go over the things I've noticed, maybe get some opinions on this! It's so maddening! I know that people answering this may not necessarily be veterinarians, but I don't know what to do at this point, I'd just like some insight.

Late last August, I brought Kiba to Phoenix, AZ from New Mexico and then in early September, I started to notice that he was wheezing. Early on, it was a dry wheezing; now it is a very wet wheezing. He has been eating fine, on a regular basis. Up until this last shed, his sheds were normal and in one piece. He recently shed three weeks ago and it was patchy; it took him forever to shed completely and he still retained the eye caps. (I've done some internet research and I got the impression that a vet was supposed to look at this and remove them so that they wouldn't cause any damage... he did no such thing, just recommending that I be careful with his next shed) To accompany his wet wheezing, the skin on his neck, just below his jaw, often swells up like a bullfrog gulping for air. I have also seen open mouth breathing. Several times, He has regurgitated a white, cheesy substance that, when dry, crumbles like plaster. He also drools... at least, I think its drool. A clear liquid that looks like human saliva drips from his mouth, usually late at night when he is most active.) When he wheezes, bubbles sometimes come from his nostrils and the skin around his nostrils is very mottled and dark. From my limited experience, this screams respiratory infection.

So this past November, I took him into a herp vet recommended to me from the reptile caretaker at Petco. He is apparently the vet they use for their own reptiles. I had Kiba examined and had Dr. Svoboda take a blood sample to send to a lab. The Dr. did not take any sort of throat culture or any other tests beyond the blood work, (which is what I found was recommended on several articles describing the disease...) instead prescribing Kiba a drug called Enrofloxacin. I could not afford the injections, but I took the oral medication, which I have been giving Kiba religiously for the past five weeks save for the two or three days for feeding. I was concerned that my cage, which has a large piece of driftwood in it, might not be clean enough, so I moved Kiba to a smaller glass tank with a wire lid. I have only a small water dish, not large enough for soaking, just for drinking, and a half log for shelter in this tank. I've kept it at a constant 80 degrees and kept the thing as clean as I can. I normally keep a humidifier on as well, but with the slightly cooler winter temp, as well as how wet Kiba has been sounding, I have left the humidifier off. I've been giving Kiba the Enrofloxacin for five weeks, but I haven't seen any change! I called Dr. Svoboda back with my concerns, and he told me that the next thing we could do was a procedure he called a lung flush. He said it entailed flushing fluid into Kiba's lungs and sending what came out to a lab. Kiba is my first snake, so I don't know anything about treating them, but flushing fluid into a snake that is wheezing wetly and drooling doesn't seem to be very logical... I just don't know.

In a week and a half, I'm leaving for winter break. Kiba will be coming with me back to New Mexico - there are only two herp vets there. I called both and asked questions and I think I will schedule an appointment with the more competent sounding one. If anyone has some insight about what Dr. Svoboda is recommending that might give me a little more faith, please tell me. Right now, I'm just so unsure, I feel like I need an opinion from a second vet. In fact, if anyone has any insight period - if I am doing something wrong, even as simple as the lighting, let me know please! I really want Kiba to get better! If anyone knows a good herp vet with knowledge of boid snakes in Phoenix please tell me! It makes me so sad and angry that I treat him every night and he still seems not to get any better... Any advice is appreciated, thank you.<br><br>Post edited by: Amarath, at: 2008/12/13 09:27