Update on Mr Skink and a couple ?

[Rainycat]

So Mr Skink after 21 days of baytril po for mouth inf, did not get better, after 2 wks off antibiotics looked worse and appetite down.
I took him to a reptile vet whom I found, so now what he thinks is going on is met bone disease (because the way his mouth closes) and
secondary to that mild resp inf and stomatitis. Have him on amikcan now injectable (yikes I actually did it); bacitracin just on corners of mouth lines where irritated; am upping his calcium powder.
have to soak him in warm water (he actually did okay, with this) some scales came off and a shed on toe which never came off from last shed. I also just got
a new cage 3 wks ago and can't seem to get the temps regulated (48L x 24w x12H) so want to know what you all do, right now I have a 150 basking lite in a dome but have had to add a 75 day light heat bulb to bring side of tank up to 90 degrees,and I know while he is sick this is important, I bought a new dome for his night heat and it is about 1 inch taller so isn't keeping temp at all (flukers) I think my others are zilla, so I may need to return, also do you use uvb? and if so how much 5.0? I use a screen top, cuz he has been known to be a curious bugger and climb and poke so I don't want to put lights inside the tank. I also have him on paper towels so he gets no height from that which he did in other tank, and from what the vet is telling me as this will take a long time to see any real changes on his mouth that paper towels are best and perhaps a hand towel since he like to burrow. Any input, advice etc.... would be highly appreciated.....! Thanks

[El Lobo]

Sorry you are still having health issues with your bluey. I don't have much time right now but I wanted to emphasise the abx Amikacin is very powerful and not without some side effects warnings. The most important is that it is highly nephrotoxic so make sure your bluey is well hydrated at all times.

This is from a veterinary manual regarding the use of Amikacin:

"Due to inherent toxicity, systemic use of aminoglycoside antibiotics is limited to situations in which the organisms causing infection are known not to be susceptible to other, less toxic, antibiotics, or when the clinical situation is such that immediate treatment of a presumed Gram-negative infection is required in advance of culture and sensitivity results."

[Rainycat]

Thanks El Lobo, I did my research on the antibiotics too figuring we would need to try another one, Amikacin was one of the ones on the culture that bacteria was sensitive to. I expressed this toxicity isssue to the vet too and he like you said to make sure hydrated, (prob another reason for the bathing!), in his 25 yrs of reptiles he said he has been using this antibiotic with very good results & not seen any catastrophies.... I'm not so good at the injection yet~!, I'm supp to hold in for 4 seconds- and as soon as I inject, skink yanks away, yesterday (3rd inj) was a disaster, don't think he got all in, but don't want to overdose him. He has been drinking.. so we are keeping a watchful eye on him, just want him better. Having trouble keeping temps up too, have a 150 basking and 75 daylight on an barely keeping at 90, (larger tank) if I add a uvb what wattage, i have read where sometimes it will hurt their eyes, tank is 12 inches high. Thanks for your help.