Summary
A 4-year-old ball python was presented 3 weeks after multiple bite wounds from a prey
rat with large skin lesions, a concurrent deep bacterial pyoderma and clinical signs
for septicemia, including neurolo -gical symptoms. Affected tissue separated from
the underlying muscular layer revealing parts of the muscles. Clinical examination
and cyto -logy was consistent with bacterial pyoderma; septicemia was an additional
tentative clinical diagnosis. Empirical lincomycin and marbo -floxacin (bacterial
culture revealed a multi-resistant Stenotrophomonas maltophilia susceptible to fluoroquinolones) treatment improved the patient’s general condition
but skin wounds deteriorated to multifocal eschars with intracellular rods. Further
diagnostics were limited for financial reasons, euthanasia was considered. Cold atmospheric
pressure plasma (CAPP) therapy was performed six times in 4 weeks. Within 1 week,
inflammatory symptoms resolved. Re-epithelialization was completed few weeks later.
In the following year, the snake sloughed three times without any signs of dysecdysis.
CAPP therapy may offer a viable treatment option for bacterial (especially multiresistant)
pyoderma and necrotizing dermatitis in snakes.
Keywords
Non-thermal plasma - atmospheric pressure plasma - dermatology - reptiles -
Stenotrophomonas maltophilia
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Xanthomonas