This is Buddy…
I “rescued” him from very poor conditions back in November.
He could not eat properly, with crusts around the mouth and gums that bled when I cleaned them. Very suspicious!
I cleaned him up and sent PALS Vet Lab a swab for PCR testing which confirmed Devriesea, so off we went to Dr. Tariq Abou-Zahr, Valley Exotics, Gwaelod-y-Garth, Cardiff. He prescribed three weeks of Ceftazidime and daily cleansing of nose, lips and gums with Leucillin.
Buddy improved steadily and by the end of the treatment, (nearly 6 weeks ago) he was already eating normally, without trembling and dropping the food.
I stopped cleansing with Leucillin for a week before taking the second swab, and the old skin has now shed around his mouth, too – the new skin looks clean.
So, he appears free of it at last! 😊 If he stays clear for another month, there’s a companion lined up for him – as they are a species that are unhappy living alone. I’m so pleased we saved him!
Frances M. Baines, MA, VetMB, MRCVS
Frances Baines is a retired veterinarian who spent the last 19 years researching the use of specialist lighting, including ultraviolet lighting, in the husbandry of reptiles, amphibians and more recently, mammals, birds and invertebrates.
Frances was an appointed Advisor to the British and Irish Association of Zoos and Aquariums (BIAZA), who awarded her Honorary Membership in 2019.