Red Tail Boa Neck Swelling?

[toker]

Ok, here is the deal.

Yesterday I woke up to find Charly's neck swelled up really bad. It almost looked like he was holding a big mouth full of water. Needless to say it freaked the wife and I out. I took the day off work and rush her to the vet. As most of you know all the herp vets around here I swear smoke crack. The vet I wanted to take him to was booked up until Thursday.

So I took him to the next best thing. When I got there the vet looked at him and said, "I have seen this before… however, only in older burms and my last case was 6 yrs. ago. It looks like cephalic cellulitis. I am afraid its 99% fatal" He then said "Well this could also be a degenerative bone condition. However, since the back isn't all kinked up and she doesn’t have any broken ribs I don’t think its that"

I then explained to him that she just ate 3 days ago, and asked him if this could be related to that? He said, sure it could be, there might have been something hurt her as it went down.

After about an hr of him looking things up and telling me all the different ways she was going to die, he then gave me a load of meds to give her. Here is what they are.

0.05 Baytril Suspension
0.05 Rimadyl Susp.

Then he gave me DMSO 90% Liquid per oz. To put on the skin, All of this to be done every 2 days for 30 days.

Top all that off, after all this stress she regurged her rat right after I put her back in her cage.

Well here is the odd part. Last night I took her out to look her over, and what do you know, the skin is no longer bloated up, there was only a small sport where it looked puffy, like a knot under the skin. This morning, gone.

I am waiting on the vet to get in so I can call him and tell him this.

What I need from you all is this. Should I still give her all those meds for a condition that cant be it? I doubt very much that Cephalic Intermandibular and Pharyngeal Cellulitis will just go away in under 12hrs!

I am about to have a breakdown, one min a doc says, she is going to do, the next min everything goes away?

What are your thoughts?

[JuliusSqueezer]

I'm guessing by the dosage of baytril that this is a very young boa. First of all...young boas do that sometimes....puff up the lower jaw area to look bigger...no big deal. Second..I would never give baytril to any snake under a year old. It dehydrates and often causes kidney failure in young snakes. Just keep her hydrated and fed her again something a bit smaller than last time in about a week to 10 days...hopefully the regurge was just from all the activity and nothing else. If she regurges again...get her checked for worms and again make sure she's hydrated...regurging also dehydrates so DO NOT give this snake any baytril right now. It will kill her.

[toker]

Ok, I will not. However, at the vet he gave her the first dose. But I would guess it was mostly all lost with the regurge. Will that one possible does hurt her?

she is almost 6 m/o

First of all...young boas do that sometimes....puff up the lower jaw area to look bigger...no big deal

Why? defense?

	regurgitate Throw up. Reptiles will regurge when they feel they are in danger or if they have some sort of health issue. If your reptile has regurgitated his/her food please seek help!

[louise]

if the vet told me my snake was gonna die and it was okay i would (if i didnt have heart failure) at the very least blow his car up! i swear i wish i could go punch him in his face! god im so sorry you had to go through that!

[JuliusSqueezer]

how could she regurge out an injected dose of baytril? Please tell me he gave it to her in the upper half (towards the head) and not down near the tail.

	regurgitate Throw up. Reptiles will regurge when they feel they are in danger or if they have some sort of health issue. If your reptile has regurgitated his/her food please seek help!

[toker]

No no no, not injected. it was oral

He *wanted* to do injected, but I told him no.

[JuliusSqueezer]

oh...that could be what made her puke....cramming a catheter down her throat just after she ate....she'll be ok. if she starts looking dehydrated...soak her over night ....20-30 minute soaks are useless...I don't know why people keep recomending those for dehydration.

[toker]

Thanks, I will keep you all updated, I guess the next few weeks will tell the tale.

[louise]

it is okay now right? almost all better? what kind of snake is charly?

[toker]

what kind of snake is charly

0.1 Columbian Red Tail Boa