If you have a sick/injured reptile!

I’ve seen way too many scenarios of this so I’m just going to post this here. This isn’t bashing anyone, I just want to help your animals!

If you feel something is wrong with your reptile or something is very obviously wrong, take it to a vet!
Here is a really awesome video from USARK on how to find reptile specialized vets in your area.

Do not attempt to DIY any treatment of illnesses/injuries that require immediate veterinary intervention.
If you must have a temporary solution until you can find a veterinarian, heres another awesome video from Snake Discovery covering most first-aid basics for reptiles. Just please remember that this will NOT treat issues that REQUIRE treatment by a vet

Hope this helps anyone in need of help to help their scaley friends!

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Great post Christina! I hope you got the point across!!! :+1::pray:

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Excellent PSA! There simply isn’t any “home remedy” substitute for qualified, competent, professional medical care.

That said, I do understand that some people might simply not know what does and does not require vet care, especially if they’re relatively new to keeping reptiles. It can be helpful to get feedback about concerns from communities like this, so someone can know what actually requires a vet visit vs. what can be handled easily enough at home. It can also be helpful to get advice about providing supportive care until an animal can actually be seen by a vet. So I totally understand why people seek advice about their animals’ medical issues from online communities.

However, I also wish that more pet owners would factor the financial burden of vet care into their decision of whether or not to get an animal in the first place. These are complex vertebrates like us, many of them can live multiple decades, and at some point they’re likely to need medical care. That care will probably cost at least a few hundred dollars (up to tens of thousands of dollars, depending on the issue and treatment options available). If you’re not in a financial position to be able to put some money aside for that eventuality, then maybe getting a pet is not the most responsible choice to make. Not saying someone is irresponsible for not being able to afford to instantly drop $15,000 for an experimental surgery, but if you can’t even afford a vet’s office visit fee and a round of antibiotics, then maybe you’re not in a position to be caring for an animal right now.

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Absolutely, I have nothing against anyone asking for advice :slight_smile:

It always disheartens me to see those who know their animals are ill/injured and won’t do anything to even reduce symptoms until they see a vet. This is why I deeply encourage anyone who gets any type of animal to seek a trusted vet before they have an animal in their possesion

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Amen to that Christina! :+1:

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Good point! Although there are a few things that are better off without a vet, like scale rot, if you go to a vet for scale rot there most likely going to give it a bunch of infections that are not necessary.

I’m not sure where you’re getting this idea, and whether you meant infections or injections, but this is rather dangerous misinformation. Scale rot, if mild, can sometimes be treated at home. That said, it can also progress to blistering, open sores, and systemic infection, which absolutely needs veterinary intervention.

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A reputable reptile vet carries a similar obligation as a human doctor in that he or she is responsible for treating his or her patient with the utmost of quality care to heal that patient with the appropriate medication/medications as reasonably necessary. Nothing more nothing less.

If I ever had any of my snakes with even a hint of scale rot, I will take that snake to my vet and not depend upon at-home treatments which may or may not work. I would rather be safe than sorry. But that’s just me……

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Knowing basic care is great. But as @noodlehaus said, not every case is the same. As a keeper you absolutely should be bringing your animal to a licensed veterinarian for cases that are progressing to a dangerous and possibly systemic infection.

By generalizing ‘scale rot’ as a simple problem you can be hurting other animals because new keepers that see that post may not bring the animal in for care they need.

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I’m sorry but I’m going to have to absolutely disagree with this.
There are a lot of “mild” things that can occur in animals that can and will progress into much more severe instances. Scale rot if ignored can lead to bacterial infections, long term dermal issues, sepsis, scale disfigurement and the list can go on… Things like scale rot can also indicate husbandry issues that should never be ignored because poor husbandry by itself is a health risk to animals.

It is very dangerous advice to be giving out that some things are “better off without a vet”. They absolutely are better if anyone has a concern for the health of their animal.

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yes I do mean “mild” things

but also keep in mind there is telemedicine for some mild-ish things.
*edit, this is mostly what I meant by some things you don’t have to go to a vet for.

but not saying you should not go to a vet

video that I would like you to see.Yhttps://youtu.be/3vPlAAuOVRU?si=l90R8fFBoGJjoiwd

So by going to a telemed visit… you are talking to a vet regarding the care of your animal.

This is entirely different than saying

because

Some of those injections ARE necessary depending on the severity of the issue.
Did my rescue snake go to a licensed exotics vet? Yes. Injections? No. He didn’t need them. Had he gotten worse, antibiotics were discussed.

A telemed vet is still considered a vet visit. However that doesn’t mean that a serious issue will not need care at a veterinary facility. You will need to have medication formulated for your specific animal by weight and most vets are required to weigh the animal in person for that.

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I think there is a huge misunderstanding about how “expensive” reptile vets are. My vet charges $85.00 for an office visit. Expensive yes but not totally unreasonable imho.

However if you need the services of an after hour emergency reptile vet then you will probably be looking at $250.00 for an appointment. But you would also be paying for the convenience as well as the service.

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okay, when I said “a few things are better off without a vet” I said that wrong, things are usually better with a vet (and when I say “usually” I mean in the case that a vet is wrong) and yes I did mean injections, and when I said that I meant in the case that it is scale rot and you go to a vet that does that for scale rot, and also in the case that it a NOT severe but in the beginning and you treat it quick. And telemed is technically both.

last forgive me for not having the same “experience” as you, as I am only a teenager and have bean in the hobby for only five years, and most of my knowledge is from research so I feed off other peoples experience ( this is also why some of my “opinions” are controversial).

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I think you have hit on the operative word - Experience. No matter how much research you do from now til doomsday, it will never compare with actual hands on experience. There are people here, like Christina and Jess, who have years of experience under their belts. They know firsthand from experience, which is way better than other people’s opinions such as what you get on YouTube.

That being said, you have come to the right place to learn. There is a ton of knowledge to be accessed here from experienced reptile keepers and breeders who know what they are talking about. At 15 you have gotten a good start but you still have quite a ways to go! Keep after it and learn all you can!

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Most of our experiences can end up sounding harsh at times but it’s because we might have seen the other side of things.
I worked as a veterinary technician for a while. I’ve seen owners just think they know better and refuse medications only to have the animal show up extremely ill or dead a couple days later.
The reptile hobby overall has been critical of vet care, so many people still think that the big breeders know best…but now people that started in the hobby as teenagers have grown up and become specialist vets so they can help make things better. We need to make that step forward because the more people saying things like “don’t bring them in” can harm new keepers who don’t know how severe it is… or be looked at as a potential reason to crack down with more laws on keeping exotic pets.

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This can be you @fnek!

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