# Baytril



## joeandsoph (Nov 3, 2009)

Hello everyone,

My beardie Draco has been to the vets becasue of a scab on his nose. I have been advised it's a fungal infection, may even be CANV :-( Anyway, he's taking oral baytril but now hasn't eaten for a few days.

The vet advised it could be becasue of the Baytril and advised us to stop and has now given us the proper antifungal treatment since he's has his results back. It's called Intrafungol, so hopefully this wont cause him to stop eating.

I'm worried...has anyone else given their reptile or beardie Baytil or has any of the above problems.


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## Twiglet (May 6, 2009)

So the vet thinks it's fungal... but has prescribed you antibiotics...


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## DavidStaffs (Jul 13, 2009)

I'd read from that that the vet initially gave baytril (an antibiotic yes) probably while a sample swab was sent away, and when the results came back from the lab as fungal infection he/she changed the treatment to intrafungol (an antifungal) 

to the OP i've heard that antibiotics can often cause lack of appetite no idea if antifungals have the same effect but hopefully not and I hope your beardie makes a perfect recovery and very quickly


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## nuttybabez (Jul 21, 2007)

I hate baytril. It has massive side effects in reptiles, is easy to overdose and results in necrosis - I have known a few leos die from internal bleeding whilst prescribed baytril.


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## PETER R (Mar 15, 2012)

*Baytril adverse effect*

Took my chameleon to vet for foot problems last year- he was given an injection of Baytril, then home doses orally. It died. Took my female frilled dragon to the same reptile vet for gout. Same as above. It died in extreme pain 3 days later. Today I took my male frilled dragon to the vet for clocoa prolapse. Baytril again.(although I didn't realise it was Batryl that he was giving it until after.) This was to prevent infection setting in from the prolapse. Since I have been home he has taken a steep turn for the worse and it doesn't look good. Today I told the vet that I didn't want him to have injections ( as he had the syringe ready ) so it was given orally instead. Both these f d's were alert PRIOR to the Baytril. The adverse effect was ALMOST IMMEDIATE. I _am not saying that it is the Baytril, per se, but each time they had it they completely changed within half an hour to practically comatose. Yes, they did have underlying medical problems_ but not any EXTREME cause for concern until then. I am in no way suggesting non use of this product, just telling you my experiences.
I have read that injecting Baytril is not recommended as it burns and is VERY painful- also VERY BITTER orally. I recommend you ask the vet what he intends prescribing BEFORE he injects anything and read other reptile sites for other peoples experiences. Take personal control with your vet. He works for you so don't be afraid to ask first. I wish I had done earlier.
Once your pet's gone............. IT'S GONE!!!!

Please don't respond with argumentative comments as I don't intend replying. I am merely making people aware of what can happen.


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## Lozza.Bella (Apr 24, 2010)

*Baytril is good, when prescribed properly, as with any antibiotics, it kills everything, including the natural gut flora (good bacteria), and this needs re-balancing, I would recommend a probiotic/direct-fed-microbial such as Nutribac, Reptaid, or Avipro, or speak to your vet about it. 
The main issue with Baytril is it is dished out willy-nilly and it isn't always the right antibiotics for treatment, or administered in the correct dosage, which is why it is important for swabs/samples to be taken for analysis so the correct line of treatment can be prescribed. 
As it would seem has been done so by your vet *


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## Brandedbyblue (Jan 25, 2010)

I have seen the benefit of using baytril. My Leo acquired nematodes from livefeed which caused him to become weak and stop shedding properly. He got an infection of the hemipenes from dragging his vent, and a serious eye infection from a retained eyecap. All issues were treated (obv. panacur for the worms first) but it was a long process of around 6 months to get him back up to speed. I thought he'd need to be PTS on more than one occasion. He was on baytril almost the entire time. He is looking fine now, albeit one eye down. It is important however that the vet adjusts dosage to be reptile safe, and that as mentioned above, probiotics are given to offset intestinal issues. Baytril does work if used properly in the same way that other substances become harmful in higher doses.


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## PETER R (Mar 15, 2012)

As I write this my frilled dragon is lying on a folded towel in his viv in the last process of dying. I have just placed him there after about an hour of him lying on my chest on the couch under my sweater. He has passed slimy blood while I was soaking him in a rubbermaid tub and is breathing shallow and often, unable to move at all. Before he received the Baytril in the vets surgery two days ago he was active, making a great recovery ( climbing about at the vets) and there was no need for the vet to give any antibiotic. He IMMEDIATELY had a bad reaction and within half an hour was practically comatose, limp and lifeless. I SLID HIM out of his carrier when I reached home. He could not stand at all, giving all the appearances of him being dead. My lizards IMMEDIATELY began their slow painful death as soon as they were given Baytril. I appreciate other people have had different experiences. I am only relating this as a cautionary tale.This vet ALWAYS reaches for Baytril first and this will be the third reptile pet I will have lost in six months after Batril was given by him. His response is, " they obviously had underlying health issues." I could understand there being some question as to whether Baytril was the cause, if their health declined within a few days but this was absolutely within 30 minutes of it being administered. One moment active and responsive the next giving all appearances of them having died.
I am replying to you because you have written an account of how Baytril helped your pet and you were non confrontational. Anyone reading these posts will now be aware of the advantages but also the tremendous health issues involved with this highly potent drug. I have read it can cause severe kidney problems and internal bleeding. So many sites and posts warn people against Baytril. 
I am really happy for you that your pet survived and that you did not have to suffer the agony of watching him slip away. 
With regard to Baytril it's more a case of your damned if you do and damned if you don't. 
I will be de-regestering from this vetenary practice. 

My friend will soon be gone. I am devastated.


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## PETER R (Mar 15, 2012)

*Gone*

My frilled dragon passed away in my arms at 4.09 am, having had three convulsions and passing blood three times. He is now at peace.


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## jarich (Mar 23, 2012)

Im sorry for your loss Peter, but it sounds like you have a bad vet rather than a problem with Baytril. Baytril is a useful tool, but just one of many in the arsenal. Unfortunately some vets, especially those with limited reptile experience, simply prescribe it for everything, like some sort of cure-all. Using it for gout or prolapse is poor judgement as those are both obvious signs of liver and kidney damage due to severe dehydration or other life threatening underlying issues. The prolapse could possibly get infected, so I understand the initial thought there, but the obvious organ damage/failure must be understood first. Please dont feel like your animals should never have Baytril in the future though. The drug itself is very useful and safe when used properly and in context. I think your decision to switch vets is probably a good one though.


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## PETER R (Mar 15, 2012)

thank you for your consideration.
The vet is the only reptile vet in the area. All other veterinary surgeries said they did not know enough about reptiles to assist. This vet had been the vet for the main City Zoo and also one of the UK's largest Safari Parks. Unfortunately I believe that his experience was probably mainly with exotic animal species and not reptiles as claimed. I'm sure that I am now just a statistic to him as he was very nonchalant with his response to the reaction my female had to Baytryl and consequently gave my male the same treatment. He did experience some difficulty in deciding what amount to give him. That is not reassuring in retrospect. As I said I am not advocating nor deriding the use of Baytryl, but in my experience due to its immediate effect causing great pain, distress and prolonged death throes I would definitely have refused its administration. My Frilled Dragons died a most horrific death whilst I could only hold and comfort them while they writhed in absolute agony. This is far worse than having your beautiful pet euthanized. The vet placed the Baytryl in the syringe and handed it to me and said that as my fd was calm when I held him I could give him the oral dose of Baytryl which I did. So I feel such guilt that it was me who poisoned him. I had previously decided not to take my male back to him but due to the prolapse I had to as I was unable to re insert it. He used the end of a pen to force it back in while I held him still. That in itself was a nightmare, but nothing like what was to follow. Death was a blessed relief for him and quite honestly I was praying for my beautiful FD to die rather than experience any more excruciating pain. 
Again thank you for your kind thoughts.


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## Brandedbyblue (Jan 25, 2010)

I'm so sorry to hear about you loss 

It always saddens me to hear stories like yours. It's all the worse when you are just trying to do the right thing by your pet, by getting him medical treatment. That's awful to hear. It sounds like this vet didn't have enough of an understanding of reptiles or how to adjust dosages properly. 
I hope that you are able to find a better vet in the future. I know that this is easier said than done though sadly. 

My thoughts are with you, it's devastating to lose a much loved pet.


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## PETER R (Mar 15, 2012)

Thanks so much for your kind thoughts. Peter


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