Vaporized antiobiotics for treating URI

[EKLC]

Was reading this:

http://rescue.neaq.org/2012/12/25-alive-special-turtle-patient.html

about the treatment of a Kemp's Ridley sea turtle with pneumonia.

"This form of treatment vaporizes the medications (we use an antibiotic as well as an anti-fungal) so that they will have direct contact with the patient's lungs as he inhales. The better contact time to the actual infected tissue was our hope in order to provide this turtle with a better prognosis. "

I'm wondering if this would work for tortoises, especially as IMs are always a pain, especially for smaller torts. Anyone have any thoughts or have heard of this being done?

 

[Yvonne G]

I use a system a bit like that in that I mix measured amounts of Baytril and sterile saline solution in a squeeze bottle and squirt it in each nostril.

 

[Yellow Turtle]

This is pretty interesting to know. Anyone knows how to do this in details? How big the box versus the tortoise, dosage of the medicine, and how long should we vaporize the medicine liquid?

 

[arotester]

you can try Yvonne method (i hope you never have to use it in future though

 

[Yellow Turtle]

Of course, but I would like to know for more details of the treatment

 

[ascott]

A nebulizer would likely work, however, I would wonder if it is really quicker? Because of the slow shallow breath that is observed by an adult tort in rest....now, a baby tort/turtle would likely be a better candidate for this ....just in my opinion anyways

 

[Yellow Turtle]

I think I can also use the humidifier, but the dosage of the medication is what I'm not so sure of. And also what can of illness whoops you treat with this method.

 

[johnreuk]

Topical application of antibiotics into the nostrils is suitable for URI's, but will not not penetrate the lower resp tract, so wouldn't be efficacious for pneumonia as in the example. Vaporised antibiotics/disinfectants (like f10) can be very effective, but it must be borne in mind the particle size created by the system, and whether it will reach the lower airways.