Alternative to Baytril???

[ChameleonMom]

My one year old female veiled has had many problems in her first year of life but has proven to be one helluva fighter. She is currently fighting her second round of pneumonia (this coming on the heels of egg laying problems and subsequent spay in late December). She has been on Baytril pretty much since her first bout of pneumonia in August and now I am seeing no improvement with her crackling and rasping, where before the Baytril was very effective!

Long story short, I would like to know if any members have had success with another antibiotic for fighting RI's in chams? My vet is great so if I can go armed with a suggestion on a different med, I can get his advice on switching it up!

Thanks in advance! Lisa

 

[OldChamKeeper]

The simple fact you can communicate to your vet the Med is not working would prompt a good vet to switch meds, that or problem shoot the issue as a vet.





I have a magnificent red amazon tree boa with a rasp. On the surface a person would think it has an URI. In truth he inhaled very very fine particulates from a cheap ground bark I used as a substrate way back when. Some of the particulate has lodged permanently in him and that's that. He is not on meds, has been like this for 3 years, eats, and like any good ATB tries to kill me when I have to interact in his cage.


Explain the issues and your observations, a good vet will take it from there concerning a new med.

 

[ChameleonMom]

Actually my vet sees my chams often enough that I don't always have to bring them in. He's very close to my Isis' case so I am able to communicate with him via email & pictures on proposed treatment. Therefore I'd like to email him and suggest a particular med outside of the Baytril family (as I do value the opinions on this site and know a lot of people here have a lot of experience with other URI medication!) I just don't want my vet to say; "we'll another round of Baytril is in order. " if I can suggest an alternative !

So ya , any medical info you have for a URI med that is effective but not Baytril. I'd appreciate it!

 

[Alexl]

Ever thought with your vet about a lung flush with small amount of fluid under slight anesthesia? It's somewhat special and not everyone dares to manage this diagnostic method in chameleons. Thereby you'll get a sample of mucus from inside the chameleon's lung, which can be used to identify bacteria and run resistance tests to choose proper antibiotics. It belongs to the chameleon's up to date condition whether it's an option for your inidividual or not. Some can't be taken under anesthesia if too sick. Enrofloxacin is not the only active agent in antibiotics which can be used successfully in chameleons, but you need to find out which is the right one to fight the bacteria. At least if the chameleon can cope with slight anesthesia I would try to get a tracheal swab (easier method).

 

[Scott85]

I had a situation very simialr where baytril just did not work. Alexl is spot on the onlly sure fire way is to sample the lung and have a culture and sensitivity test done. Turns out the strain of bacteria found, citrobacter freundii, was resistant to baytril and ceftazdime witch she also got.

 

[ferretinmyshoes]

Bingo! When an antibiotic stops working you have organisms resistant to antibiotics. Rather than blindly trying something else that also may not work, it's time for culture and sensitivity to determine exactly what is growing in there, and what antibiotics it is susceptible to specifically.

 

[ChameleonMom]

Just wanted to thank everyone for their suggestions on what course of action I should take with regard to Isis' ongoing issues with pneumonia. I will be speaking to my vet about the culture & sensitivity test this coming week and if that isn't an option, at least another antibiotic. Thanks again!