Baytril injection today, now super worried

[DGerr]

I took Edgar to the vet today due to a runny nose. They gave him Baytril.
After we got home he would not eat and just pulled into his shell. I left him alone for a while then went to check on him. He is really lethargic and had whitish mucus on his nose.
Then I remembered reading on the forum about Baytril causing allergic reactions.
Don't know what to do. Should I take him in to the emergency or wait till the morning?

 

[Jodie]

Give him a warm soak. 100 F keep the water warm for 20-30 minutes. Do it again in the morning. My understanding is that Baytril is aggressive and harsh, but not deadly. Keep his enclosure 85F minimum.

 

[DGerr]

Soaking now. Thank you. So much bad info on bartril. I feel bad for waiting all evening before remembering what I had read.

 

[Jodie]

There are definitely other antibiotic choices for leopards that have less side effects. Hope he does alright and recovers quickly.

 

[DGerr]

I am still concerned.
At least with the runny nose he was still eating and cruising around happy. Now he seems miserable.

 

[Tom]

What size leopard? What caused the illness in the first place? Usually fixing the problem will cure them rather than treating the symptoms with harsh medicines. Did your vet address the CAUSE of the RI. Treating the symptoms is useless without correct the actual problem.

Baytril is very basic and it burns their flesh at the injections site. Don't be surprised if the skin sloughs off around that area. There are better alternatives now, but this was the old standby for many years. Some vets just don't keep up with the improvements in reptile medicine.

 

[DGerr]

Hi Tom. He is 11 inches.
He was out in the unusually large rain storm we got her in San Diego the other day. Silly guy didn't move out of the rain. I was not home when it started.
When I did get home I found him in a puddle. That was it. I have kept him at 90 to 92 since then. He seemed to get better a bit but still had watery eyes and an occasional bubble. So I took him to the vet here in San Diego. He is on the list of recommended vets so I felt good about it. I have called after hours emergency and his response was he had never known a leopard to have any reaction besides at the site of injection...

 

[DGerr]

have you ever heard of baytril being fatal?

 

[Yvonne G]

Yes. Some, in fact, most leopard tortoises are allergic to Baytril. You need to contact your vet and see if he knows of an antidote to the Baytril.

 

[Yvonne G]

...in the meantime, soak the tortoise. In fact it won't hurt to leave it sitting in water. Just keep an eye on the tortoise to make sure it stays safe and doesn't drown.

 

[DGerr]

Ok. Will soak some more. kids in bed. School night. Husband working. What to do. I am torn.

 

[DGerr]

After about 10 minutes he stuck his head out and started to drink. He continued to drink for about 2 minutes. Now he is sitting there looking around. Hopefully that is a good sign.

 

[Jodie]

That is a very good sign. How is he this morning?

 

[DGerr]

I just checked on him as I did 5 times through the night and he is ok. He did move himself around in his house so that is good. I will soak again after I get kids to school. Then attempt some food. Fingers crossed that he eats.

 

[keepergale]

Hi Tom. He is 11 inches.
He was out in the unusually large rain storm we got her in San Diego the other day. Silly guy didn't move out of the rain. I was not home when it started.
When I did get home I found him in a puddle. That was it. I have kept him at 90 to 92 since then. He seemed to get better a bit but still had watery eyes and an occasional bubble. So I took him to the vet here in San Diego. He is on the list of recommended vets so I felt good about it. I have called after hours emergency and his response was he had never known a leopard to have any reaction besides at the site of injection...

Which Vet did you use? We have a few pretty good reptile Vets here.

 

[Jodie]

Don't stress too much of it's a day or 2 before he eats. Keep him extra warm though for the next couple of weeks.

 

[DGerr]

Dr. Todd Cecil.

 

[DGerr]

During morning bath he looked like he gasped like three times. Pretty sure it wasnt a yawn.
Im just going to keep him warm and see if he starts to act more like himself.
Thinking I should take him back to vet, but do I go to same vet or a different vet?

 

[Tom]

Leopards can be sensitive little critters, and Baytril hurts, A LOT. His reaction to it sounds normal to me. Hopefully things will work out okay.

I'm not saying anyone is right or wrong, but I have not heard of leopard tortoise being prone to allergic reactions to Baytril. I remember in the old days when we used to import them that it was expected that a large percentage would not survive the transition to captivity. I think that was due to stress, parasites, disease and improper husbandry combined. Any sick ones were shot up with Baytril back in those days. Some lived and some died. No one can say whether the Baytril killed them or one or more of those other factors killed them.

I am happy that we are so successful with captive breeding at this point and hopefully soon, we will see big improvements in captive husbandry throughout more of the hobby.

 

[DGerr]

So what you are saying is the way he is acting is in reaction to the pain of the injection of the baytril and not to the baytril med?
I hope that is the case.
Do they gasp because of pain or discomfort?