# Is this what I can Use?Baytril® (enrofloxacin) Antibacterial



## rednkhuntertd (Jul 26, 2007)

Hello, I needed to buy Baytril for my RETF to treat a fungal infection, but my Vet refuses to give me any (does not know what he is doing!!!). I went online to order some and wanted to know if this will work? If so should I dilute before using? Below is the site of the product I can buy online .Any help is appriciated  Thank You!

http://www.agri-med.com/site/255063/product/BAYTRL-OT


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## SusannahJoy (Jul 3, 2006)

Wouldn't you need an anti fungal med to treat a fungal infection, not an antibacterial? I'm confused...


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## rednkhuntertd (Jul 26, 2007)

It also treats for fungus as well as a bacterial infection. If you look at the sites effectiveness, and also other breeders have used this for fungus as well. I just need to know if this product will do what I want it to do.


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## Ed (Sep 19, 2004)

snip "It also treats for fungus as well as a bacterial infection. If you look at the sites effectiveness, and also other breeders have used this for fungus as well. I just need to know if this product will do what I want it to"endsnip

I suspect your vet isn't providing enrofloxin to you because it isn't used to treat fungal infections ()see http://www.marvistavet.com/html/body_enrofloxacin.html )so I would say its more about you not knowing what you are doing.... (I suggest getting yourself a copy of Amphibian Medicine and Captive Husbandry, 2001, Krieger Press) Often people have no clue what is causing the problem and simply want to shot gun treat it, one of the major problems with this is that drug resistance to enrofloxin has started to become much more prominantly (if you search the literature in as many as 25% of the samples tested). Sometimes the shot gun treatments work sometimes they kill the frog or stress the frog further allowing the disease to kill the frog.. 

Not only that but enrofloxin is toxic if misdosed. It can cause kidney damage which may take a significant period of time to become apparent... 

Has the vet done an impression smear of the lesion to determine that there are not multiple causes for the lesion? Say a primary fungal infection with a secondary bacterial infection? 

As an alternative treatment I would suggest talking to your vet about using silvadene cream. 


Ed


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## vet_boy77 (Feb 10, 2005)

I agree with Ed.
First off- baytril is a very potent medication and can cause problems too (skin irritation for example). Additionally, it has no anti-fungal activity- so why insist on baytril for a fungal infection.
Silver Sulfadiazine is the antifungal here (and even then, only certain fungi, not all). It comes in a variety of forms. Many are more frog friendly, and do not contain baytril. That might be more suitable. 
It helps to know why you want it the first place. I presume this was the vet that made the diagnosis.

JD


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## rednkhuntertd (Jul 26, 2007)

My frogs have the tiny white spots on their backs. The vet gave me Malaseb. It made my frogs skin all blotchy and red on the tummy and legs. I am not sure if the vet really knows what he is doing since the medicine was for dogs and cats, also, he did not even know what Chloramines were when I asked when he diluted the meds with tap water. What else would you recommend that I treat the frog with? Thanks.


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## rozdaboff (Feb 27, 2005)

Malaseb? Malaseb is 30% ethyl alcohol - not exactly what I would consider a good topical treatment for amphibians.

A suspension of silver sulfadiazine (as vet_boy recommended) and tolnaftate (an over the counter anti-fungal) applied topically would be my recommendation *IF* it is indeed fungal. However, currently we are working with very little information, so an informed recommendation isn't really possible.

I would recommend trying to find another vet.


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## zBrinks (Jul 16, 2006)

http://www.arav.org/Members/TX.htm


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## Ed (Sep 19, 2004)

Your vet sounds like they are willing to work with you over the issues. This is may be fine as long as you have a good reference work to use when you have issues with the frogs. Going to them and telling them the medication you want to use is not going to get the vet to give you the medication you wish to try. If you went with a copy of Amphibian Medicine and Captive Husbandry or a reference from another vet then you have a reference the vet should respect. 

All of the medications we use for with the frogs (with the exception of amphibian ringer's solution) were not made for or tested for use in/with amphibians (this includes such "standards such as enrofloxin or fenbendazole). The were originally tried out as a best guess treatment by a vet and the results were written up and published in a veterinary medical journal or one of the reference books to disseminate the information. This is an important point to remember as people typically fail to realize that its the vets training that allows them to figure out which kinds of medications and the dosages for the medications that are used in dogs, cats, horses etc and apply them to the frogs without killing them...... 

I would not have used a treatment that contained that much etoh on the frogs. 
White spots on the frog can be caused by a number of different things... 


Ed


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